Yesterday I went into the local second hand store looking for Jim. Found him in the book section, of course. And in the process I found two Camino books there waiting for me. One Jim made off with and maybe he is reading it this moment on the plane back to New York. The other was an copy of Brierley’s “New Lightweight Edition” Pilgrim’s Guide (2007). And we all know Brierley, the most ubiquitous darn thing on the Camino Frances next to blisters.

And this book is hardly lightweight. I mean for a library reference book it is lightweight but that’s all I can say for it. I carried a map book maybe 1/3rd the weight. It actually went across twice as Catherine y Dana carried it this spring. As I look at it sitting on the table in front of me it is a wreck, bombed and strafed from stem to stern. It is sweat soaked and sort of curled up looking most three dimensional and one corner looks like it was chewed on.

Anyway back to the Brierley, which weighs 13.3 oz by the way, according to Our Jennifer’s food scale. And what if we played around here for a minute with some math? I was thinking just how much energy does it take to carry this little unit the 500 miles across Spain on the Camino. That would be .831 pounds X 2,640,000 feet = 2,193,840 foot pounds of energy for one book. A foot pound is a measure where 1 equals moving 1 pound a distance of 1 foot.

So, I have heard that there are 200,000 pilgrims walking each year. What if 100,000 carried this guide all the way across. Just a very rough guess since lots don’t make it all the way across in a single year and not everyone carries it. So, it is just a wild guess. So now we have 100,000 times 2,193,840 ft/lbs equaling 219,384,000,000 foot pounds of energy.

So what does this mean, well, I don’t know but it’s a lot of energy. Perhaps that’s enough to move the Santiago Cathedral one hundred meters. Or perhaps it is enough to move the Vatican one meter. I don’t know why we need to do either of those but if we did… Or perhaps it’s enough to launch an albergue and put it in orbit around the moon, a place to stay. That makes more sense.

Well so much for math. Time to go. Alperfect really, love, Phil.

The electricity has been interrupted for a few hours now and our generator is banging away as I speak, noisy little guy. It is good white noise though to get a blog out. It has just been too much partying with Jim and Gloria to concentrate on the posts lately. But here I am trying to remain faithful to the mission.

Jim helped me out this AM to teach my bible class since it was my turn and he was willing to do that. It went well. One thing noticeable about this endeavor is that it seems no matter how many times you cover a certain chapter you always come away with something new and different. It’s really uncanny. We did Matthew chapter 16 which I have done maybe three or four times now but there is something new each time.

Yesterday Jim, Gloria and myself walked down Shinglemill Creek Canyon here on Vashon. The pix are about that. The weather was overcast but the canyon was beautiful all the way down descending three hundred some feet in elevation from the top of the island down to saltwater. It is so picturesque and wild in there for being just a few minutes from the pavement. If you bring your hiking shoes we could get down in there.

So in a few moments we will be off to Seattle and a hotel near SEATAC airport to drop these guys off. And I think that we are being treated to dinner along the way, yum. Yea, I have to get back to reality and work after these guys leave. But you know, it has been a good time and memorable.

Have to go peek and see if the neighbors have their lights on and see if I can turn off this generator, had enough white noise. Nope, still off, more noise to go.

Well, anyway, there was some discussion about fate this morning at our class. About the idea that we all have some sort of fate that is good to fulfill. It completes a certain life drama or lesson for our selves and others. Sometimes though fate seems to be able to be bypassed and the result is a lukewarm warm for everyone. Something to think about for today.

Just wanting you to know that it seems that fate has thrown us together and what could be better really. We are learning and having fun getting the job done. Yup, crazy about you, Felipe.

We took the show on the road today and had a hike in the woods and a picnic at the beach. There are some pics coming up here maybe. My Rebecca took a few which was good since I always get caught up in the action and forget such important things.

Pilgrim Farmer John checked in with a great comment on yesterday’s post. I love the guy’s energy. So if you have any energy check that out. Sometimes the comments get lost if you don’t pay attention and check back a couple of days once in a while. I try to answer each and every one that comes in but once in a while I miss.

OK, so here’s a deal. We have a friend that is a salesperson for a product called the Biomat. I am probably not going to do this justice but I will try. This particular model is filled with thirty pounds of amethyst crystals and after you plug it in produces infrared heat and negative ions. So you lay on this mat, like I am doing right now writing this and soak all this good stuff in. It feels sooo good. So we have this baby for a month and I am going to throughly check it out.

We are off to the local Thai restaurant for a fashionably late dinner this evening. Tough duty I know. This is the kind of stuff that you maybe don’t normally do but with company here it happens. Thank you company, Jim and Gloria.

Is there anything Camino related in any of this? Well yes, in fact I talked Jim and Gloria up with my favorite Camino stories on our walk today. Fresh meat you know is appreciated. Most local folks have heard my stories three or four times by now.

Yup, further prayers for John in Iowa and his nightmare corn problem. Always forward, love, Felipe.

Here I am out of the rain cooking breakfast for my people here. Got a fire going in the woodstove to take the chill off. Got strong coffee going and bacon afrying. Folks starting to stir.

But really thinking of our dear friend in the heartland who is deep in the corn harvest. That is Pilgrim Farmer John who has been very faithful at sending in tremendous comments to this blog. They are tremendous because they are one energetic, two soulful and three challenging. So we like John and his talk.

Now, he is deep in an important part of his and his family’s livelihood, the corn harvest. There is a combination of plant disease and wind that is working against him. The stalks are weakened so they are falling over before the ears can be picked. I don’t know the details but it sounds like a nightmare. We pray that he works his way through this gracefully. Or that he works his way through it period.

Of course being a Marine, which John and I share, is helpful in these situations. Just yesterday I was talking with one of my Marine buddies that I saw on the ferry and hadn’t seen for a year or so. I was describing my relationship with my cancer and we were laughing the way guys joke their way through things. The end result, our conclusion, is that why Marines do so well in dire situations is that we are just too dumb to grasp we are in trouble. So we just fight our way through it unburdened by a fearful brain and get to the end and say, “What’s the problem?” I think that it might be that easy. Sure John will have something to say about this when he surfaces, stay tuned.

Prayers for John and his crew in the heartland. OK, off to today’s adventures here, best to you, love, Felipe.

That’s my best answer when folks ask about the Camino. My map in the map show sparked some interest and I have gotten to talk with some folks that I haven’t seen for a while. That is really the best thing that I can say in a general way. I can answer specific questions but in an all around way, heck go do it for yourself. Go do it and have all the saints and angels work you over and then come back and I’ll ask you about it.

The Camino is the reason we are all here at this blog in the first place. I know sometimes we wander off topic a bit but after a while as Caminoness starts to saturate into different parts of one’s life it is hard to seperate this from that. So glad that this has all happened to me and you. And we continue walking, right? Santiago is just the very beginning. Yea, how was it Phil?

Only the best to you. Keep in touch, love, Felipe.

Tomorrow we have company coming from out of town. We have company a lot but this is my oldest friend from Buffalo my hometown. And not only Jim but his wife Gloria also. So we have been scurrying around things ready and shined up for them.

Gloria’s family is from western Spain somewhere near Santiago. We will be all over that with our reporting in the next few days. Hopefully the weather will be reasonable and cooperate as we have some outside stuff on the agenda. Plus indoor stuff like Belly Laugh Theater.

Why don’t you come and visit sometime. Really, what’s holding you up? Bring your hiking shoes because you know that we will be walking and talking along the Camino here.

Yes, and we have gotten past Pamplona here on Phil’s Camino as we have started our walk “across Spain” again. It’s really fun to revisit places and talk about this and that as memories present themselves. There are a lot less blisters at the pace we are going at also!

Well, the Seahawks just won as in Monday Night Football, one of the greatest inventions of Western Civilization. Rebecca should be back from choir here any minute. One of those evenings where you really start to notice the sun going down too soon.

OK, enough of this for now. Tomorrow is another day and I need some sleep. Take care and we have to live life like the Seahawks just played being gutsy and not worrying about the scoreboard. Play every second, love, Felipe.

It was a beautiful day today and I was inside the whole darn time. Annie asked me if I would draw up a map of northern Spain to use in the movie. Can I ever say no to Annie? Apparently not but you know, not a bad problem to have.

Last night my Rebecca and I made it down to one of the local art galleries that had an opener for a show that I had entered the Phil’s Camino map in. We had a fun time there and folks enjoyed the map and the wine and treats. Art is where you find it I guess.

I’m not feeling too bad. This is our bad weekend, funky weekend, Pyrenees weekend is my latest name for it. Just the low part of the chemo cycle. Jennifer is laying low with her new cat Olivia waiting to feel better. Just talked to her on the phone.

Nothing major going on just enjoying the fall I guess is the best way to put it. Maybe get Catherine and Dana and go fishing tomorrow. Well, have to check in on Father Marc and the angels first. For now the best to you, love, Felipe.

That’s from the disco song, I’m A Survivor, remember? Ancient history now but the line is sticking in my brain this AM. This could be my theme song lately.

Speaking of lately when our son Wiley was young, he’s twenty seven now, I asked him, “Have you washed your hands lately?” And he shot back,”Don’t call me Lately!” Hehe. Good man.

I am currently drawing up a pen and ink map of the Camino Frances to be used in the documentary. Fun, but another thing to do. Off to Seatle today to walk the Cancer Camino with Our Jennifer. Wanted to check in with Our Sister Joyce today but she is off on Church business. She is hard to keep up with. She’s 84 with all her life to live and all her love to give for sure.

Talked to Annie last night for an hour. Yea, catching up. One thing that I wanted to tell you about was this story about this guy in prison that created his Camino around the prison yard and is walking it. I need to talk with him!

Well, look I have one to many things to do today so I need to streamline everything to make it happen. Thinking of you, praying for you, love, Felipe.

Just to say that we. Had our first Belly Laugh Theatre last evening and it coincided beautifully with a party for Our Jennifer and her good news on the outcome of her scan. We kicked off the season with the showing of “Bringing Down the House” with Steve Martin, Queen Latifah and Eugene Levy. Yes, belly laugh for sure!

Our Jennifer, what a hostess. She ate her dinner, baked a apricot upside down cake and mixed gin and tonics in something like four minutes. I think there were five of us that showed up to enjoy the show.

So, we are off walking here in a few moments. We should reach Pamplona (city center) today, God willing. Let me repeat our current walking schedule to update you. Please come and be with us:
Monday 9-10, Tuesday 4-5, Thursday 9-10 and Sunday 4-5.
If you are late just hang out and we will be around every 15 minutes to pick you up. Easy Peasy.

OK, off I go. Make it happen today. Love you, Felipe.