I am in Spokane, in the motel where I always stay. Asleep still are my son and one of my nieces. I have already been out to get my coffee and some bread, cheese, fruit, etc for breakfast. Apple juice for the niece, and coke for the son.

I am sore from walking yesterday, the powwow at Riverfront was being set up and I was looking for another one of my nieces. She of the Washington School of the Deaf. It turned out that she had already left for the Reservation with her dad. Nevermind. I’m going up there this morning.

Still, I was glad I walked the grounds. It’s been several years now since I lived here and so there is a an almost ethereal quality to my walking here. I went by my old apartment to gather some seeds from a kind of Lunaria that grows here. It has bigger, whiter seed pods than the kind that I’ve seen up in Vancouver so I am going to plant some at home. I was there just after dark and the stands that I went for are at the edge of a badger’s wood. There are coyotes near by too since it is within easy reach of the river. And I visited the witch’s house. Her place is always really beautiful and verdant.  But it was the powwow grounds that really seemed dense with the past and the odd thing is that I’m not much of a powwow person. Love stick game because of the songs but powwows have never been my favourite. Still this time it was different.

I suppose it is because Thyra is dead and she used to be a part of this powwow. Walking around was a bit like walking through the liminal zone where the shades and living intermingle. I kept “seeing” people that were once busy getting ready to dance, or sitting together in their camp chairs talking, and through them would hustle the current powwow workers setting up for grand entry at 7PM.

Today should be interesting because Wellpinit powwow is next weekend and Thyra’s camp is being set up today on the grounds. I’m heading up there in about an hour to exchange one niece for another. I’ll get a chance to walk around Wellpinit powwow grounds then. I’ll also go get some mugwort and buckbrush that grows near there.

I need juniper too and every morning when I burn it I suppose it will continue to keep the shades fed and therefore the memories sweet. At least I don’t use blood like Odysseus, and like Homer (I presume) I know it is a story, even if a compelling one.