Just got out of my weekly bible class. It is one of the highlights of my week and after something like ten years of attending is one of those things that has become irreplaceable. If I miss it for some reason than things are thrown off kilter. It is a blend of study and fellowship, roughly fifty – fifty.

It’s been a very stabilizing force in my life and I am sure that things would have taken a different course without it. I bet that the other members would say something similar. Myself and people and the world in general provide more than enough drama to life. Where can I find that rock to hold on to in the surging waters? What is the point of all this motion? How do I find that something that I am supposed to do?

It all gets talked about. We look to the bible for wisdom that has stood the test of time. Right now we are studying the book of Daniel from the Old Testament or Hebrew Bible. Chapter three today which is the story of God saving Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from King Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace. Pretty exciting stuff.

A rainy day today and the sort of day for introspection. Cancer patients should get paid overtime for this as it seems like we put in a lot of time on it. OK, nothing overly exciting or glitzy from me, just rainy day thoughts. Thanks for your prayers, Felipe.

This is the link to the radio interview that I did with Northwest Catholic Radio in Feburary 2015. It has been running from March 1st to the 15th on 1050 AM in Seattle.

https://soundcloud.com/northwest-catholic/walking-the-camino-de-santiago?in=northwest-catholic/sets/northwest-catholic-magazine

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Just 11 seconds of waking with me on Camino de Santiago Vashon.

.88 kilometers is a little over a half a mile and the distance around one lap here on my backyard Camino. The footing is irregular mostly and it takes us about fifteen minutes to go around. It’s about 60% walking on pasture and the rest is woods trail. A nice blend of differences.

One thing that has been a great coincidence, if there are such things anymore in my life, it is that it is the perfect distance for saying one round of the rosary. There is not a lot of extra time to do anything fancy, just the basics. Yea, and I try to do that once a day to pray for the rock pile that pilgrims have left with their cares embodied.

And if I am off to the hospital in Seattle which occurs twice every other week I get the rosary in on one trip across Puget Sound on the ferry which takes about fifteen minutes, give or take a few ships or few gulls. Another perfect little niche of time.

Well, that’s what it looks like from here. Alperfect once again, loves, Felipe.

I heard yesterday that Trygve had to be put down. My buddy Steve kept this dog and he gave us Sture back years ago. They were both flat coat retrievers, which is a European breed and may seem unfamiliar.

It’s really fascinating the close bonds that we form with our pet dogs. It is why we grieve so when they leave. Our dog Sture left right in the middle of a party we were having at the ranch in November. Couldn’t have been better really, although that may sound strange. But he was surrounded by people he loved and who loved him and it all seemed perfect to us at the time.

I remember watching some science shows on the tube about dogs that have left me with some ideas. One was about how dogs watch humans, their masters. They watch your eyes most of the time to get clues on us. And two, they can understand when we point our hand they look off in the distance in the direction of the pointing. Very much of a leap of understanding really.

These type of abilities have come from our close relationship. And one show even went so far as saying that humans wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for dogs. If you think about it some,it doesn’t seem so far fetched. Their keen senses, loyality and ability to learn made perfect companions. And by guarding us and increasing our effectiveness as hunters gave us a big edge.

So thank you to dogs in general and thank you Sture and Trygve for dogs in the specific. We will drink to you at tapas today. And life goes on as they say, love to you my readers, Felipe.

When I am at the hospital every two weeks for treatment I try to have as much fun as I can, try to get some work done, and try to check in with other patients around me. It’s just an approach that works for me, facing poison with a light and grateful heart. It’s been hard work to get to this point but worth it.

Yesterday I struck up a conversation with a lady that was getting treatment in the next comfy chair. These chairs are separated by a curtain but I had to walk through her space to get to the WC down the hall. I just think that the hospital has the idea that patients should not be too isolated from one another there. They need a little visual privacy at times but need to feel like what they are experiencing is not something to be locked away. Anyway, she was farely new at the process and I thought that I would talk to her since I was invading her space.

She asked what I was doing here and I answered her saying that I was here working on my cancer hobby and she burst out laughing. See that’s what I bring. I wound up showing her the magazine article and left her with a business card. Hope that she checks in to the blog and website.

But what does that mean to treat cancer as a hobby? I am blessed that my situation is such that we have the tumors stabilized, that we have the knowledge and life style to stay one step ahead of the present side effects of the chemo and that our mindset is positive about the whole journey. This focus is a result of all the wonderful people in my life that have come to add something to the life lines that have saved me. I guess I am smart enough to pay attention to their messages and implement them in my days is where I can take credit, if for anything.

So, when I can go from walking through the doors of the Swedish Cancer Institute on treatment day thinking any sane person just wants to run away TO going through the same doors and having fun and making a fellow patient laugh is an important change. Thank you everyone that has helped me do that.

OK, off to my day. Love you guys, Felipe.

That’s what my Camino buddy, Kelly, would say to me when he would want to go over something that he thought was important for me to remember. “OK Phil, let’s review.” Kelly spent a lot of time as a school teacher, can you tell. No, but I was lucky to have him watch over me, no telling where blissed out Felipe would wander off unsupervised.

But I wanted to go over something that I think is important for all of us to remember. In the last few weeks I have been working on the corn patch. Putting on composted horse manure and rototilling with the tractor in the springtime sun is enjoyable. But two years ago or maybe last year at this time I was out working on this same ground and I uncovered three objects from the soil. I was raking with a rake on foot. Yea, not on the tractor is what I am trying to say and these three things appeared in the same short time.

Look at the pic above. There is a very gorgeous heart rock which is about three inches in size, palm sized. Then resting on top of it as it sets on our kitchen table is a working compass, as in finding the way, and a brass keyhole, as in the way to the heart. A message maybe? I’m just raking around in God’s earth and what should appear? A message maybe? A coincidence? Let’s review, as our beloved Kelly would say. A message.

Off to Swedish Hospital for treatment. Time to be strong. Love, Felipe.

The last few days I was writing about the Camino here on Vashon Island and the birds and animals who are around. And around enough to say to me “that I am not alone.” But I wanted to catch up on critters on the Camino in Spain.

In the Pyrenees there were the sounds of the “clonky” bells that the cows wore and the sheep too, I can’t remember. The bells made that distinctive sound every time the cow moved and you could hear that even in the fog from a long way off.

I remember being in towns and seeing numerous sheep tracks in the poured concrete. At first I thought they were deer tracks and I wondered how all those deer wound up in town to mark that concrete when it was wet. I’m more used to seeing deer tracks I guess. And for all the sheep there were the deer over there were practically nonexistent. From what I could tell there were way more “Caution Deer!” signs than actual deer.

Actually I thought there was a real lack of wildlife there compared to comparable agricultural areas in the States. Here there are game birds all over the place in areas were wheat and corn are grown, for instance. I did hear a dairy farmer say that he lost cows to wolves but I never saw them either. There was some hunting going on in August and that was ducks, I think.

OK, walking here in a few minutes. Glad that I got this rememberance in about our beloved Camino in Spain and France. Friends are in the planning and training stages of walking this upcoming season. Awesome! Love, Felipe.

OK, we’re calling it good. Winter is over! Day Light Saving was last night and today we had our first tapas outside. Man, did I whine about winter this year but you wouldn’t have to put up with that anymore, it’s over.

I was out tractoring all afternoon and My Rebecca was out in the garden trying to make progress in cleaning up. Sounds like some good springtime stuff to me. Right now the sun is going down and we are trying to put together our seed order, veggies and flowers.

Also, less than two weeks before Annie, Jessica and Todd are showing up for five days. We have stuff to do to get ready. But you know they are good pilgrims and don’t need pampering.

OK, have to go and write to Laura. She sent a long and wonderful email and it calls to be commented on. It’s all happening loves, Felipe.

I can’t make this up but there is a plant called skunk cabbage. And there you see a pic of it. It is just a continuation of the theme “just me” that we were working on yesterday. So yea, the skunk cabbage jumps up to say, that I am wrong it is not just me. And yesterday walk was like that and I need to explain.

It was as if the natural world was asleep for the winter which is what it amounts to but where I was complaining it was being patient and sort of enduring it all, bideing time. And everything had that peace about it. But yesterday on my walk the usual peaceful robins were fearsly fighting over territory. See I hadn’t mentioned them in the blog and they showed up to say,”no it’s not just you.” And an eagle showed up to make the ravens all mad and noisy. “No not just you, dummy” they said to me. Come to think of it, the only thing that didn’t happen was for an early bee to sting me and that would have gotten the point across but I think that I got it.

This all is reminding me of that question about whether the tree falling in the forest makes noise if no one is there to hear it. Of course it makes a noise. How is the fox going to jump out of the way?

Well, that’s it for today. Plenty of things to do today and have to get started. Skunky loves? Felipe.

It’s going to be a bright morning here at the ranch. Cold though, approached freezing overnight. I have a little time before 0900 when I need to be out ready to walk. Sometimes people show up to “walk and talk” and sometimes it’s “just me”. I’ve gotten in the habit of writing that in the logbook when no one shows up but it is hardly just me.

I should find a better way of communicating that because it is not accurate really. What about the six bird feeders along the trail and all the songbirds and squirrels that attracts. Then there are Scout and Tia, the neighbor’s dogs that check in. Then bumping into members of the local deer herd happens. We have coyotes here and very occasionally black bears but I haven’t seen them, although that is a possibility.

And what about my inner Camino? What about the ever increasing population of saints that I learn about and get to know? I read a blog post last night by Reverend Bonnie Barnard about the Communion of Saints and maybe that is what is flavoring my mind. I just feel like my inner life is being populated by more and more very interesting and inspiring characters who have gone on before. My big brothers and sisters that I am getting to know and appreciate their stories. Ones that I have focused on recently are Francis and Clare of Assisi and Patrick and Brigid of Ireland. And good to know that Francis and Patrick have equally as interesting female counterparts. I’m learning.

Are we ever really alone? Thinking of you and how you are not alone, love, Felipe.