Thanks. I usually build what I was told are hunter fires: start with two fairly big sticks a few inches apart and build your fire in between them bit by bit, much as you suggest. The preset tepee thing was new.

Each morning those who rose early enough in response to the “drum” would be given the opportunity to wander into the forest to find a “sit spot.” There were specific suggestions about how to find, and recognize you found, your sit spot. There were specific suggestions about how to use your time at your sit spot.

Saturday morning I was surprised to experience recognizing my sit spot. I had wandered up a hill into the forest with a cup of hot tea. I followed my impulse to pour a little tea on the ground as sort of an offering; it felt a little silly.

Then I had the dilemma of what to do with the empty cup. I did not want to see anything manmade, so I put the cup behind me. Then I wondered if putting an empty cup in my sit spot was somehow bad form or insulting.

As soon as the question formed in my mind, I had the strong sense of getting an answer in the form of an inaudible but definite chuckle – something or someone was amused. Did I think because the tea was gone that the cup was empty? Did I think I controlled things so much that I created a place where there was nothing? No, the cup was as full of what is with and without tea.

Then I noticed a patch of small mushrooms. I have been learning that mushrooms are like the flowers of a much larger underground plant body that links all the mushrooms. I understood a suggestion to consider whether people, including me, were like mushrooms in that regard – all linked by something unseen.

When asked, I shared this with the group Saturday morning.

Sunday morning I found myself going to a different spot, again poured out a little tea and waited. I did not expect anything. I was just enjoying the cool, quiet morning. I was again drawn to look at all the mushrooms, I know they are part of the re-cycle squad cleaning up the dead plant material and helping turn it into soil so new life can grow.

I was very tired after long days on Friday and Saturday. I had been given a lot to think about in the various course activities. My life had been challenging of late. I write all this to delay and maybe explain somewhat.

Again I was surprised by two very strong, clear, and absolutely confident thoughts that did not seem to be mine. The first was, “Death is okay.” The second was, “Sitting any longer would be greedy.”

A bit shaken, and questioning my mental health, I got up, retrieved my cup, and went down to join everyone at the morning fire.

When asked Sunday morning, I chose to not share my second day's sit spot experience with the group.

I share this now in the interests of being honest about my experience, despite my concern that this all is strange, unbelievable, and calls my mind into question. All I can say is that it happened.

Be kind with your thoughts, or not!

Blindfold Through the Woods

I have positional vertigo and expect to lose my sense of balance and to fall once in a while. I minimize this by trying to keep my head steady, looking at a horizon, and watching where I put my feet. None of this works when walking blindfold through the woods.

Walking blindfold with your hand on someone's shoulder gives you lots of clues. Walking blindfold along a string gives you a route to follow but fewer clues. Walking blindfold on your own trying to get to a distant, intermittent sound offers a direction once in a while and no other clues.

I have now done each of these things twice. Once in a prior class and once as part of the PS1 class. I have technically succeeded but have a long way to go to feel comfortable doing these things.

Walking blindfold behind someone is relatively easy. I just listen and trust. Not too bad.

Walking blindfold along a string is tougher. I have fallen at least once each time. My feet slip on something, I cannot see to safely recover, and so sometimes I fall. Nothing too bad, no injuries, but not how I want to do it. Not how I think I am supposed to do it.

Walking blindfold toward a distant, intermittent sound is very challenging. I have gotten thoroughly turned around every time. Last time I was able to detect my direction errors more quickly and correct them, so I finished the exercise and got to the goal. I have fallen, or at least slipped down on my rear, each time. I think I am getting better at detecting obstacles, taking the time to understand the obstacles I encounter, and making more effective choices about going around, under, or through them.

But I have not been calm or confident during any of these exercises. My mind is concerned about falling and taking too much time.

As a result, I probably am trying too hard and going too fast. Too fast into trouble instead of around it. Too fast to always keep my feet.

Of course, they did not teach us how to walk through the woods until the day after these exercises!

Next time I will know how to walk more effectively, though it seems like it will be much slower. I cannot wait to see how it affects my experience of the blindfold exercises. I wonder if I can get through without falling?

My biggest hope is that I can calm down and enjoy letting the experience unfold. I would like to let go of my sense that I am fighting the forest.

A Quiet, Confident Walk Through The Wild

My hurried sidewalk pace does not work in the woods. It is noisy and does not cope with obstacles well. As a result, I am often feeling out of place.

In addition, because of positional vertigo I can lose my sense of balance on uneven ground fairly easily. I occasionally lurch even walking on level ground as if I encountered an obstacle. Growing up I just figured I was a klutz and it was a bit of relief to get the medical diagnosis in my early thirties. Again this adds to my sense of discomfort with walking through the woods.

I am beginning to learn a different way to walk that is better suited to the wild. Actually, I am beginning to learn about several better ways to go through the woods. Some of them promise the ability to get much closer to wildlife.

However, I have learned that I need to increase my overall fitness and strength, and particularly my balance, to be able to effectively use most of these new ways. For now I must make do by taking much smaller steps and going much slower.

One of the great advantages of one these new ways is that it allows you to walk without looking constantly down to see where your feet are going next. Instead, you learn how to place your feet so that during placement you get feedback on what is under your feet before committing to the step.

This means you can continue to look around you while walking. It also means that if you are blindfold or in the dark, you can step quietly and confidently!

This is quite different from my usual way of going along and will take practice. But the goal of a quiet, confident walk through the wild is very powerful.

Now if my thighs would stop aching!

Also experienced:

good to great food
primitive cooking styles
edible plants with samples to eat
debris hut building
harvesting water from dew with bandanas
grass-sand-charcoal-sand-grass filter for dew water
spoon and bowl burning
building and using a bow-drill fire starting set
cordage making
survey of cordage plants
stalking, including movement, scent, and appearance
camoflague
hiding in plain sight
how to see
how to hear
how to smell
how to feel
tasting
barefoot in the cold and damp
choosing awareness
staying up past my bedtime

Wow, that is really something! Thank you for sharing.

I have my own personal philosphy on the subject of falling - it may not be appropriate for you, so use or discard with caution: Falling is not failure. Falling is fun and part of the process of challenging your balance. Challenging your balance is good for you in a whole lot of ways. Learning to fall with grace - how to meet the ground without hurting yourself, and without the assumption that "this is going to hurt" makes skiing, dancing and playing so much more fun.

Actually, learning proper falling technique is in itself a perfectly good reason to attend some martial arts training. Falling on flat ground is not dangerous, at least should not be.

But then again, I'm a skier. Can't do skiing without falling. At least not FUN skiing...

(Hey, dweste, just keep posting. This is grand stuff. Will add comments later. dougwa_)

My next organized skill adventure will be 1-9-10; the disorganized ones happen all the time!

I am working on a new habit: look up!

I read this as win-loss-tie, and thought, "wow, he should be doing better than that!". Good luck and have fun, and glad you're still in the running for a bowl game.