Given the high cost of fuel these days, I try to kill as many birds with one stone as possible, an English expression for which I solicit less violent equivalents, as our "Quaker saint" John Woolman was quite devastated by a certain bird killing episode in which he participated, and I try to honor his well-meaning intentions.The mission started with another visit to Mt. Hood Kiwanis camp, which endured a severe winter this year, perhaps the worst in 30 years, leaving quite a bit of destruction, not to mention wounded psyches (we talked at some length with one of the traumatized).
We hope the new bridge is in place by October, although cars do have a way around, if not (we'll need to provide some relevant signage in that case).
Next stop: Kah-Nee-Tah, a Warm Springs tribal facility helping the three tribes in this area recover from forced relocation, and from a kind of ethnic cleansing that leaves people and structures standing, but wipes out languages and traditions (by design, as a policy).
Even the Bureau of Indian Affairs, originally a War Department entity, saw the folly of its ways eventually, realizes now that the indigenous heritage of North America is one of its greatest assets, and not just because of all the new wealth coming in thanks to international tourists looking for the real deal, although that's certainly part of it.
My final check-in is with family in Unity circles, Teri's church in Bend, where people know a lot about audiotaping a Sunday sermon for the archives. As a Quaker, I could use some new skills in this area, in addition to what I've learned using Youtube.
One of the first Unity ministers, now retired, is living here, in her 90s. This morning we visited some Gothic Christian web sites I've been exploring in connection with my American Transcendentalist studies. She found these "very interesting" which I expect is what many Goths would say about Unity.
