REVISIT TO SPRING LAKE

Today I went for a 6 mile hike around Spring Lake Park where I had volunteered when I first moved to Santa Rosa. The weather was perfect and I asked people if they knew about the sage that grows there - many people don't know about it but they like the smell. Sage is used to cleanse negativity from people and from houses as well as churches. Many religions use incense in their churches.

There were many people biking with their children in tow and teens were racing around the paths. It was unusual that I noted fewer goslings and only one goose - quite different than when I stopped by the park a few weeks ago. No one was fishing today which was also unusual. The air was crisp and I felt very fortunate to be able to walk easily - so many people had difficult leg problems as I completed the hike in less than 1 1/2 hours.

One unusual lady was walking 5 dogs at one time with a large belt that restrained all of them. I noticed a full moon rising over the range towards Sonoma highway.

ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE HOLIDAY

I was entertained by going to the 6th Street Theatre Improve last night for a refreshing type of comedy. I sat by the producer's 3 children. (I remember enjoying some classes at this location by an Improve teacher in order to overcome my fear of speaking in public around 16 years ago. It was a great way to express your emotions and who you are).

This program was all ad lib and they asked the audience questions in order to find ways to act out the words or phrases the audience presented. It was exactly like "Whose Line Is It?". There were about 10 actors who kept a fast pace of acting out their expressions for the words the audience gave them. Sometimes they sang and sometimes they interupted each other and sometimes they danced. The actors were very imaginatary in their performances. They had a young man playing an electronic piano to add rythym to their scenes. It was a very exciting and fast flowing night of jazzy and percolating humor. Everyone had a great time.

ANNIE OAKLEY'S HISTORY

Annie Mosey was born in 1860 in Ohio (I was also born in Ohio). She grew up as a Quaker and was the 5th of 7 children. Her father died when she was a small child and she was a good hunter and brought home game animals to feed the family. She entered a contest for shooting and that is where she met her future husband Frank Butler. He was a popular vaudeville actor. They married and Annie was much more talented than Frank and he became her manager. She always showed great compassion and generosity to all people.

In 1885 they joined the Buffalo Bill Wild West show and travelled throughout Europe and performed in NYC. For 17 years she worked with Buffalo Bill Cody and was the star attraction. They had a disagreement with Buffalo Bill and left the show to start their own show. In 1901 she had a train wreck and she suffered a spinal injury from which she recovered. At the age of 66 she died of pnemonia in Ohio.

A popular show was made about Annie's adventurous life in 1946. It was called Annie Get Your Gun.

SPRING LAKE HIKE LAST WEEKEND

Last weekend I visited Spring Lake where I saw many people walking their dogs and there was a parade of a variety of dogs. Some people walked two or three dogs at a time. There were a variety of Siberian Huskies, German Shepards, Pugs, Collies, Australian Sheepdogs, Terriers, Chihuahuas, and large Poodles. I felt as if I was at a Dog Show! I guess it was the right temperature and the right day -- everyone was having a good time. One girl had a small terrier that pulled her as she skated on roller blades!

Some Chinese folks were trying to catch some bass or trout - but I saw no fish on their hooks. It was a sunny and warm day. There were geese and their gosslings had matured into older geese (smaller than the adults). I spotted a white heron and the air had some smoke near the campground. We noted the smell of a skunk as well!

I hiked 6 miles which is two times around the lake. I helped plan the Visitor's Center at Spring Lake in the 80's. Many people that I spoke to had never been there.

I convinced the park planner in the 80's to include a storyteller's cavern (made out of basalt). There were about 6 volunteers who spent about 10 hours a week to help plan the visitor's center. We traveled to another Coyote museum south of Oakland to see how they planned their exhibits and did research. we learned from that trip that we wanted the center to blend into the landscape of spring lake. we also included an outdoor amphitheater.

EPISCOPAL CHURCH in COTATI TODAY

I walked about 1 1/2 miles to church today and tears came from my eyes for some unknown reason. It was all Saint's Day at church. We witnessed about 6 baptisms and the Priest Gail used olive oil and water to baptize both babies and adults. They served a fancy cake in honor of those folks baptized. The kids at this church are dressed in white gowns and they carry crosses around their necks. They light oil candles and have to be in the alter as the hymns are sung and the lesson is told. The children in the church are very respectful of each other and they are asked to sit upon the floor as the Priest tells them a story - today it was that we are all Saints - as we believe in God.

I sat by a Native American lady from Nebraska and I spoke to her about my past lives. She said she had heard about people having past lives but she didn't believe in it. We all have had past lives, and we are all spirits healing upon this earth. Some of us upon death become insects, some of us become different animals, and some of us become humans again. And I and my husband have traded souls for 2000 years.

I have worked on the garden of the church cleaning up many trees and putting in much compost and digging out the weeds. This church needs to recycle their waste into different bins - paper and cans in one container and food waste into a compost pile. Again many people and companies use too many styrofoam products. I will be teaching the youngsters about this when I work as "Frannie Oakley" at schools.