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Monday, May 13, 2013

Day 5:Dave Christensen, White sage, and a Pow Wow.

Today was a hike through the desert. We dropped down from the mountain vistas into the desert heat. I was expecting to be miserable and it to be an ugly desert compared to Utah. I couldn't have been more wrong, the desert is beautiful.

I wish I could post raw photos from my camera through my phone. As Curtis pointed out, some of the plants out here seem to have come straight out of a Dr. Seuss book.

We felt Dave's presence when we found some white sage by our camp site. For those who don't know white sage is the Native American equivalent to the Jewish Ketoret used in there temple rituals. It is a sacred white plant that when burned has a sweet smell. The smell is symbolic of purification and the smoke is a symbol of prayers ascending to heaven. We used some that night under the stars and had a Pow Wow dance around a camp fire to some Native American pow wow songs I had brought on my phone. The dancing and singing slowed as we ran out of energy and ended up with us singing les Mis and some hymns before we crashed. There is nothing better than falling asleep under the clear starry sky in the desert.
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5 comments:

  1. maddisonMay 13, 2013 at 11:14 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. maddisonMay 13, 2013 at 11:24 PM

    (Whoops, not sure how that comment got deleted)

    Pretty bummed I missed the Pow Wow AND a Les Mis sing-a-long. Couldn't have been the same with out me. I bet no one even shed a real tear ;) Loving the updates. Keep them coming. I am so proud of you boys! I love and miss you all very much. Be safe out there. You're in my prayers.

    Love you guys
    -Maddi

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    1. andrewsorensonMay 17, 2013 at 1:03 PM

      Maddi!!!!!!! It wasn't nearly as good a pow wow without you, or without face paint. Aj and I our on the hunt for the latter, but we both realize we won't be singing in full force till we have you as our Fanitne (we've been forcing Curtis to take the feminine rolls seeing as he has the long hair and slender frame).

      We misssss and love you! Don't worry about Aj, I'll bring him home a man.

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  3. Carrie MoebusMay 14, 2013 at 5:31 AM

    I lived in that very same desert for 4 years. The plants there do look like they came from a Dr Seuss book. The Yucca trees I always found beautiful. Use to be, you could look north over Desert Hot Springs and see twinkling lights in the mountain side. Whitewater is also beautiful.

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  4. David ChristensonMay 14, 2013 at 5:29 PM

    I can smell the white sage as I type this. Wonderful memories.
    Interesting combo of Native American song/dance and then following that up with singing from Les Miz. You need to mix it up with some Reggae songs. (that would put a smile on Dan's face)

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