“In the house of long life,
there I wander.
In the house of happiness,
there I wander.
“Beauty before me,
with it I wander.
Beauty behind me,
with it I wander.
Beauty below me,
with it I wander.
Beauty above me,
with it I wander.
Beauty all around me,
with it I wander.”
- Navajo chant
Day 165 – Monday, December 4, 1995 – Base camp will move either today or tomorrow to Window Rock, Arizona.
Window Rock is the administrative capitol of the Navajo Nation, getting its name from the dramatic hole in the 200-foot high sandstone hill located there. About 27 miles northwest of Gallup, and about six miles southeast of Fort Defiance, Window Rock is just across the New Mexico-Arizona state line, on the Arizona side.
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Window Rock, Arizona - marks the headquarters of the Navajo nation. . Navajo legend teaches that that the huge Window Rock was formed by the wind when the world was developing and that a snake used the natural portal to head out on hunting trips.
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The Sunbow walk continues on the road near Gallup, New Mexico. Despite the prophecy and high purpose associated with our walk, it does have a gritty rhythm.
Day in and day out the pilgrims wake up in a cold tent, pull on the same old funky boots or sneakers, roll out to start a fire, scrounge the ingredients to make breakfast (oatmeal), pack a lunch for the road (peanut butter), wash up at whatever hose or sink might be nearby, then head off for a day of steps along the road, a campsite somewhere further on, and another evening meal that will need to be foraged, cooked, and then cleaned up after.
Despite this challenging routine, the Sunbow pilgrims are holding focus with their prayers for the Earth, and they are striving to walk each step in beauty.
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Copyright 2006 by Steven McFadden
Read Day 166 -- Odyssey of the 8th Fire