Over the 4th of July weekend, Tyler and I took a road trip to Yosemite. On the way, I arranged a stop in Parlier, a small town close to Fresno. In my childhood, my family used to own a horse ranch, of which we would visit on the weekends and during the holidays for several years.
All week long, I was excited about this reunion, wondering what it would feel like to be there again. It had been over 30 years since I had stepped foot on the land. I always felt the land in my heart and saw it in my visions, but to actually be there physically was a dream come true.
As we made our way down a long country road, my first impression was that everything seemed bigger than I remembered. The entrance was completely different, as I felt like a stranger in a strange land. It is now referred to as Running Luck Ranch.
Upon arrival, Tyler and I introduced ourselves to the land owner, Vern. We met him in his office, which was the same trailer the caretakers lived in years before. His kindness towards me as well as my excitement to see the land seemed to dissolve all energy of cigar and cigarette smoke looming in the air. After a good half hour of conversation, he invited Tyler and I to visit with the land. I couldn’t get out the door fast enough. I was so excited.
As I walked out the door and down the steps towards the house we had lived in, I started to feel a familiar sense around me. Everything was the same as I remembered. I walked past our old house, then past the pasture where I used to watch the foals being born in the early hours. Yes, and my beloved hay barn, where I met my first rattlesnake. The hay barn was so much fun. We used to build forts out of the hay and hang out until it got dark.
The moment I looked out over the bluff, I was like a kid in a candy store. I couldn’t get enough of this place. I knew it would be neat, but Wow! This was extraordinary. This was way beyond childhood memories. It felt like paradise to me! Out in the distance, I could see the river, the horses, and the various trees along the river. Everything felt so familiar. I was home. To my surprise, I saw peacocks roaming freely on the land and mingling with the horses. Amazing!
After greeting the horses, and showing Tyler around the land, I felt drawn to visit with the river. As I went off on my own to explore, I began to feel my roots sinking deep into the earth as my whole being expanded. As I began to relax and slow down from all the excitement, I started to tune in with the land. Any sense of time disappeared, as I could see and hear more clearly the details of nature.
Ahead in the distance, I notice two hawks flying above. They were calling out towards me. Simultaneously, out of the corner of my eye, I see and feel three race horses galloping towards me at full speed. They were flying! I stood very still, even though I knew there was a wooden fence between us. The energy was so powerful! The peacocks were even chiming in. They all succeeded in getting my attention. It was quite a magical moment. And then, as I looked over to my right, there SHE stood.
Mama Oak was standing there in all her beauty. Wow! What a wonderful surprise to see her again. I felt energy rising throughout my whole being as I felt immense love and gratitude in her presence. In her reflection, I could see who and what I am and what I have always been. She was one of my greatest teachers and friends in childhood. Being in her presence again was the most wonderful reflections of beauty, graciousness, and timelessness. I spent most of my visit with her, enjoying the river and the shade she provided.
While enjoying the spaciousness of the visit, I could feel that soon it would be time for me to be on my way. As I stood up from sitting with mama oak and walking a bit along the path, I received a call from Tyler graciously letting me know that it was time to go and that the owner needed to lock the gate for the night and that it was time for me to make my way up the hill, now.
I felt such gratitude for these moments shared with the land, while also feeling a little tugging on my heart knowing that this may be the last time I would visit with the land, physically. As I walked along the path, I thanked the mama oak tree, the nature spirits, the horses, the peacocks, and the ancient spirits of the land for our time together. The three horses raced towards me as they did in our initial greeting. I then invited all the beautiful beings of the land to call on me any time if they choose.
A few mornings later, two hawks greeted me in a dream. As I looked around, there I was again on this wonder filled land.
In JOY,
Ali-Sun Trees