A strange weekend of good times with family, then my email getting hacked and innocent people being financially and spiritually taken advantage of. Finally, on Sunday afternoon, Tara and Shaydon, our Grandson, head back into Portland over two hours away, leaving me and the dogs alone in the wilderness. A time to stop and just be, a time of the shaman.
I left Rhemmy the pom asleep on the couch, Boo and me headed out to go sunset fishing, the long shadows of late afternoon fingered their way across the river. This is when thoughts of loneliness and isolation start to attack your spiritual mind and the"what if "scenarios of my old self come to haunt me. This is good, this is very good, now I  know the doorways are opening, visions and knowledge can be attained if you can still your mind and face your shadow.
The air began to bite at my fingers as the temperature dropped but I carried on further away from the warmth of the house and towards the jetty. I have not kept a single thing I have caught yet but I love the stillness of the river, watching the flow, the tides and just casting my float out into the current and watch it drift by. In the final rays of the sun, a Bald Eagle was illuminated, as it flew by, his call echoed in the twilight. At that moment the peace of just being came over me, and I knew this was a night to do medicine, medicine for those I love and those who have been hurt by trying to help me out.

Thanks Giving over and done, it was good to have Tara's girls come visit our new home. Early Friday morning everybody except Tara, who had been up all night, went for a walk. I have now got myself into a routine of checking on all the homes in the community on my daily hike. Once you get to the very end of the point the vegetation changes and the trees turn from Douglas Fir to Silver Birch, this is the perfect place to do my prayers and the family has come to accept that this is who I am and just leave me alone to honor the Gods.
We then walked down to the jetty and all stood and watched a Golden Eagle swooping down over the island for his next meal. With out realizing it a sudden calm and peace came over me, that I have not experienced in America before. The same stillness I feel in Glastonbury, I had finally found here in these lands, was that internal struggle over, I smiled to myself.
Later that day I went fishing off the jetty, if anyone knows me I am not the fishing type, here in my new home it feels right. Not really bothering whether I catch anything or not, just content to cast the spinner out over the mouth of the estuary and slowly wind it back in, I had a strong bite. More shocked than excited I reeled my catch in. Was it Salmon, trout ? No a mud crab. Grabbing my landing net I made secure my prize, then realized it was not quite big enough to eat, released it back over the side. One more even bigger tug on my line did get my adrenaline pumping, just as I caught a glimpse of a large crab coming up from the deep, my line broke sending my catch back to the deep.
Later that night Tara and I were driving home from Astoria, Tara saw something on the side of the road, not me for I am as blind as a bat at night. She was sure she had seen a wolf eating road kill on the bank. Then she convinced herself she had imagined it as all the close run-ins we had had with deer at night had made her jumpy, years ago she had had a really bad accident, which involved hitting a deer at night.
 Early next morning, first light, she woke me and said can you hear that. In the distance I heard a faint siren sound and explained that it was a fire truck and to prove my point I pushed the window wide open. there was no mistaking that sound, the haunting sound of a lone wolf howling down at the end of the point.
Tara jumped on the Kindle to check if there were supposed to be wolves in this location. There had been several sightings in our local area of the Pacific Grey Wolf. In my shamanic work I am always White bear but that is not my clan, on my stomach I have a tattoo that marks me as a member of the wolf clan. This solitary wolf was calling my soul, my spirit back to the pack.

Wow what a weekend from Hell, lightning, winds , sideways rain and that was just the three hour journey eachway, each day to Seattle for a festival. At the end of the first long day, Tara went to pick up the car, only to find it had been towed away, so after another hour or so of lifts and paper work she made her way back to pick me up. I must point out what a trooper my wife is, my eyesight is crap during the day but in the dark it is more of a hindrance than a help. She,Tara did nearly all the driving with me giving and hour or so's break each morning.
 Driving home, the first night, Tara slammed her breaks on just in time before we hit a herd of deer. Sunday night, nearly exactly the same thing. On our way there yesterday, I was driving to give Tara a break, the rain was horrendous and every body was driving like crazy people. There were two accidents on the freeway, one happened right beside me and a car crashed into the barrier. Then just as we were entering Tacoma about fifty yards in front a vehicle shot from the fast lane across  all four carriage ways, hit the side barrier then spun back to the center again. I held my steering avoiding debris and decided to carry on driving as I watched more chaos ensue in the rear view mirror.
Tara woke up managing to miss everything, there seemed to be a lesson somewhere, I wondered whether I should  have stopped to help but then I would have been involved in the rest of the carnage. We were already late due to the storms and would have only been later, I didn't stop so it was not my orlog.
After all these tests I had one holy experience. I was giving one rune readings to a group of women gathered at my stall, one of which was from the Dominican Republic . The reading I gave her brought tears to her eyes and Odin's guidance was surely needed. She told me after that being of African descent she had always seen the runes as a racist tool, but they way I used and described them was Godly and she felt the holiness of them. Her statement was really profound, as that is the way I always see them. It was good to show those who fear this divine tool the truth and healing they can offer.

yesterday morning, I set off for an early walk with Boo. The plan was to take my camera and take some snaps of the wildlife, but my plans and Mother Nature's did not match. I heard the Bald Eagles but could not see them. I heard the bugle of the Elk  some where off in the forest, it was then that I realized it was time to put my camera away and just connect with the environment.
I made my way to a grove of Cedar trees, the scent of the forest filled my nostrils. I took a deep breath  and looked up to the branches scanning with my eyes. There it was, the over lapping trees formed Fehu the first rune. I chanted it loudly then absorbed its energy into me, then continued to seek and repeat for the other twenty three runes. Once I had inhaled the last rune into my being, I prayed to the spirits around me.
" I see the runes, I sing the runes, I breath the runes, they are inside me, outside me all around me. I am the runes. All Father I am the runes."
I stood in the stance of Tirwaz and chanted my prayers to the ancestors of which I added a new verse honoring the land spirits of this place and thanking me allowing me to dwell in haven, forever how long that time be.
We left the house about midday to go to the store in Astoria. The track from the cabin to the main road is about three miles. Tara and I were talking about all the animals we had seen, about the Porcupine on the bridge and the Owls, the eagles and the chipmunks and that neither of us had seen the otters yet. Today was like the critters were on vacation.
Just as we reach our mailbox at the far end of the track, three large fat otters strolled leisurely across the road. I jumped out the car to take a picture with my phone but dropped it on the floor, where it separated into three separate pieces. By the time I had reassembled it the otters were in a calm pool on the other side, their heads popping out and staring in my direction. As I raised the camera phone in the view, one, two, all three disappeared under the surface. I guess it was not a day for pictures, just for messages.
The message of the otter is the not be so serious, have more FUN and PLAY. Both Tara and I realized that we have not made time for play for some time.

Finally the flu symptoms subsided a bit so I ventured outside. This was more for the dog's sake than mine as it was pretty cold this morning. I was not planning on going far, just across the path from our home is some really thick and dense, old growth conifer woodland. So ducking low under the branches I made my way within. After the first couple of yards the the maze of limbs gave way to a much higher canopy and it was easier to plan my route ahead.
I stopped and paused to connect with the energy of the forest, even though this place was dark and still, I felt welcomed and asked the forest to lead me to whatever I was meant to see. Just allowing the paths between the trees to direct my journey, I was led into a beautiful glen with white flower like mushrooms growing everywhere. I grabbed Boo by the collar and just sat in the presence of the Faerie energy and asked if I could take some of the mushrooms. A blue jay flew by and I took this as  confirmation and grabbed a small sprig of the fungi.
Back home I showed Tara my specimen. She said "Where did you get this? They are Oysters."
I replied the forest gave them to me and its not very far.
So she quickly pulled in her boots, coat and woolly hat and we set out once more. The short journey took less time than before as I knew exactly where to go. She was really excited when she gazed upon my find and set about harvesting a good amount. I explained that it is such a lovely place why would anyone leave beer cans here and I pointed the tins that were scattered.Then She explained to me that the cans are a marker for mushroom hunters so they can find their way back to this secret
place. We both thanked the forest for her bounty and made our way home.

Have been suffering with the flu last couple of days so have not really got out the house. The solitude has been good for contemplation but last night about 6pm I set up my magical things, laid out my runes, then switched off all the lights. From this sacred space I could see the heavens, with no light pollution to drown out the stars, the universe looked amazing. I picked up my drum beater and began to call in the quarters, honoring the gods with prayers. Playing a steady beat with my medicine drum I stared out into the darkness across the bay.
The spirit of a native American came to sit with me. he was dressed completely in white skins and furs and wore an elk head dress. he told me he was White Elk and took my left hand, with some charcoal her drew a circle then crossed it with a lightning bolt with an arrow head at the bottom. As I stared at the talisman my dog Boo started barking, dragging me shockingly out of my vision and crashing me back in Midgard. It can be dangerous to be snatched back like that and it took sometime for me to regain my composure.
I checked the house for what had sparked the dog off then returned to my sacred table to find the dog still whining and staring right at the place White Elk had sat. I closed the circle and thanked the spirits for me brief but amazing vision and told White Elk I would visit with him again.
I sat down on the couch with Boo and explained that we have to share this space with the Land guardians  that also live here, she tilted her head and stared back in a puzzled way.

Beginning to settle in now, been lost in the woods a couple of times. That is just spirit telling me I am new to this place and I must learn my environment. I have found a couple of really sacred places, a Cedar grove that has powerful female energies, a Faerie glen which has Fly Garic toad stools every where. My favorite place is still the back yard where I can see for miles across the inlet and where the Eagles soar above me.
This morning I saw one flying strangely, coming from behind the trees. It seemed as if this majestic bird was struggling to gain height, I thought it was wounded. As it cleared the trees I could see it was tightly clutching a struggling rabbit in its talons. I guess they are pretty much top of the food chain around here.
I searched for a new shaman stick to use in my medicine workings but could not find the right one. That night Odin came to me in vision and gifted me my new staff, not a staff but a spear. The weapon had eagle feathers hanging from just below the tip. I am to use this as my walking stick but with the point end covered in a deerskin cap. When I do ceremony it is to be unsheathed and held in my hands like Gunginir, Odin spear, to channel and direct energy. So now I am to search for the shaft which I will attach a Viking spear point to.

Yesterday was my first day back from the UK after seeing my mother, who is very poorly. My wife Tara was away in Portland so it was just me and the dogs at our new home on Willipa Bay. Three miles to the nearest road and 12 miles to the nearest store, not much to do but explore. The weather had been stormy but this day it was glorious.
Before I started out, I had made an oath to honor and respect the Native American energies that were guardians over the land where I now lived. I took out my wife's Native flute (which I had never ever played before) and Youtubed how to play. The guy explained once you have got the basic scale "just let spirit guide you." I made my way out to our back yard which over looks the bay and began to play.
At first I was missing notes and it sounded like a cat in pain, then finally I got it. A friend of mine had told me that you play the horizon, for that is the song of your place. So I followed the contours up and down along the mountain range. Finally as I finished I heard the loud cry of a Bald Eagle which swooped down low over my head, so low I could see each individual feather. This was a great blessing, the highest of spirits had welcomed me to my new home.