Glimpses from the past three days: Cibecue Creek, cookouts, punching bag, US Border Patrol Agent, Sunrise Dance, Charlie in Apache country

Following this morning's session of the Sunrise Dance, I returned to LeeAnn's house with what I thought was a good plan. I would lie down for half-an-hour in the hope that I might nap, then I would get up, refresh myself and, over the next four hours or so, I would put together a magnificent post on the six-hour hike that I took with my children, my daughter-in-law and my oldest grandson up Cibecue Creek from the Salt River.

I did take the nap, but when I got up I was struck by two realizations: one - it is Memorial Day weekend. People are out, having fun, beginning their summer. My readership would be way down. In fact, I checked the numbers and it is way down - down so far that if it were not Memorial Day weekend, I would conclude this whole blog experiment of mine has been a failure and I might as well shut it down.

Despite this holiday setback, the overall trend is upward, so I will forge on.

Two - I could not do justice to the hike and still accomplish everything else that I must accomplish before I head to PHX Sky Harbor Airport Sunday. Yesterday in the Basha's parking lot, our rental car was struck by a run-away shopping cart and was badly dinged and dented. So I must contact our insurance company and find out what I have to do to deal with this when I return the car tomorrow. In addition, the contract that I had expected to receive before I left on this trip and was counting on the initial payment to provide me with some spending money down here finally arrived by email and now I must review it, digitally sign it and email it back.

On that note, I must add that the only thing that has saved me at all on this trip, other than the generosity of my family and friends here in Arizona, is the support that I have received from readers who have contributed to this blog. Without that support, I would not have had money to buy a tank of gas, or even that Apache-style green chili burrito that I devoured yesterday.

Thank you.

And there are many other things that I must do before I leave.

So I decided just to sum up the past three days or so and then follow up with more in-depth stories after I get settled back into Wasilla. This won't happen until late next week, because, once my plane touches down in Anchorage, I barely have time to return home, give comfort to the cats and take a shower before I get on another jet that will take me to Fairbanks, where I will transfer to a small plane that will fly me to the Brooks Range village of Anaktuvuk Pass.

As part of that summation, I dropped into my Cibecue Creek take at random and pulled out this photo of Kalib, Jacob and Lavina hiking in the Apache homeland.

This hike took us to a very magical destination, so, I still have every intent to give it a full post once I settle back down.

In summation, over the past three days, we have all gotten together for two cookouts. This from last night, at the home of Janet and Emerson Craig - Janet being Margie's sister and Emerson the brother of my dear and late friend, Vincent Craig.

This is my nephew and Vincent's nephew, Cole Craig, beating his punching bag in excellent rhythm as the food cooks on the coals. I had hoped to introduce readers to all of my nephews and nieces, but the time here has passed so rapidly and has been so intensely occupied that I don't think I will be able to - even after I get home. I guess that just means we must come back sooner than we might have expected, so I can continue this journey.

The same applies for all of Margie's living brothers and sisters. This is Red Nose. He received the t-shirt as a gift from his son, Sugar Ray, who lives in Phoenix and has many Mexican friends. So Sugar Ray picks up things like this to send as gifts to his dad.

Red Nose came up to Melanie wearing this at last night's cook-out. "I'm from the US Border Patrol and I would like to see your papers," he told her.

At both cook-outs, we sat around the fire into the late hours, which, unlike in Wasilla, get dark down here. Many stories were told, some about frightening subjects such as Skin-walkers and the Bigfoot-like creatures that many, including, perhaps, myself, claim to have spotted in the White Mountains.

Emerson also told some good stories about Vincent. I have interviewed and photographed a number of people in preparation to make the tribute that I have planned for Vincent, including all of his living brothers and sisters, his children and grandchildren. I had hoped to have it posted in it's entirety before I left Arizona, but this did not prove practical.

I will do it when I can sit down and give it the time Vincent deserves.

This is from this morning's portion of the Sunrise Dance. It is not the dance that we had originally planned to attend as a family. Janet and Emerson were to be the sponsors of that event, but had to cancel, not only because of Vincent's death, but because immediately after, the doctors found that a cancer in the mother of Vincent and Emerson is aggressive. 

This morning, Emerson, Janet and family left to Albuquerque, to be with her in the hospital.

Then we learned about this dance, and that the young woman is a member of our extended family and the Godmother is a young woman who we would sometimes babysit when we lived down here. So we decided to take in at least part of this Sunrise Dance.

You can see my own children, Rex, Melanie and Lisa running behind their Aunt LeeAnn in a part of the Sunrise Dance where everybody runs. Yes, that's Charlie running with them. He came down, too.

You will also notice how different the country here is than down in Salt River and Cibecue Creek canyons. The river-bank elevation down there is about 2500 feet, whereas up here where the dance is being held, it is over 7000 feet above sea level.

Here is Melanie, getting a rare chance to live her Apache heritage. She is blessing Kiana Fawn Carrol who, on this day takes the role of Changing Woman, as she herself changes from a girl into a woman. Even as she blesses Kiana, she is blessed by Kiana, just for being there.

Lisa is there, too - that is her hand immediately beyond Melanie.

The dance will continue into this night and again tomorrow morning. I fear I must leave for Phoenix tomorrow before it concludes.

When I can sit down and do it justice, I will dedicate a post to this dance.

And here is Charlie with Red Nose and Melanie. He has just started a pickup truck of LeeAnn's that had not run in months.

Everyone in the family down here loves Charlie. 

As different as he is, he fits right in.

Charlie credits Red Nose with giving him the tip that helped him solve the problem.

And here is Kalib, Jobe, Lavina and Jacob, leaving here just a couple of hours ago. They are on their way to other parts of the Southwest to visit members of Lavina's family.

"Drive careful," I told Jake before they left. "Remember, you are carrying precious cargo. It does not matter how fast you get there, what matters is that you get there."

Now, God, You know that despite my plea, Jacob is not going to listen to his dad, so, even though I often wonder about You, about who You really are and why You would create such a beautiful, lovely, magnificent, dangerous, brutal, indifferent earth, I leave them to your care.

Please watch over them and bring them safely to their destination.

Comments

[clippingimages]

great...looking happy.........

[twain12]

This is a part of the world i will probably never see and i enjoy the virtual trip very much. Save travels to your precious Family!!

[Cyndy E]

If you need a ride or parking for your airport runs, let us know?

[Grandma Nancy]

Prayers being said for Vincent's family, and that your family will travel safely as well. How wonderful that your family could all be together with extended family in places you know and love.Blessings and Thank You!

[Michelle]

Yes, I've been away! Glad you missed me.

Now I have to catch up on your previous posts. This one though, is great, I'm so glad your whole family is there with you.

[Alicia Greene]

Bill you touch my heart as always with your photos and words. To know your heritage so closely as do your wife and your children and grandchildren, and you as an adopted member of so many cultures, must be a wondrous thing.

I know much of my european ancestors on both sides of the family but we are all now melted into this vague background of stories, some of which must be myth at this point.

Have a safe trip home, and on this sunny and hot Saturday in Wasilla, your home still is safe and sound as I did a drive by just a few moments ago.

[dahli22]

i wish i had a seat around that campfire. the photo made me want to be there. as always, i teared up when you wrote that last part.