2 Year Flood Anniversary and Fireside Vigil & Prayer
Folks began gathering around the bonfire at noon to share stories and hopes for our village.
After Dan and Caroline Ennis joined the circle, Dan led the group in a prayer for our community. He opened the prayer with a traditional Pipe Ceremony. This sacred ritual is performed to connect the physical and spiritual worlds. The pipe is a link between the earth and the sky, and the smoke becomes the prayer that goes out, touches everything and becomes a part of all that is.
The sacred pipe ceremony invokes a relationship with the energies of the universe, and ultimately the Creator, forging a bond between our earthly and spiritual realms. It was a very beautiful way to focus our energies and attention on what we hope for and desire for our community.
Francine St. Amand organized this event, and had made numerous colourful signs to depict what we have lost and what we have gained since the devastating flood of 2012.
Maurice Deschenes of Four Falls kindly and generously loaned Francine a collection of hay bales to be used as seating. She originally contacted him to purchase the bales, which made for wonderful rustic benches to park our cold fannies on around the roaring campfire.
When he found out the bales weren’t going to be torn up, he told Francine to just take them and bring them back when we were done. Thank you very much Maurice!
Rose Rattray donated, and delivered, a heap of split firewood to keep the blaze going. It was another one of those schizophrenic winter days we’ve been, uh, enjoying…. with the sun bursting out one minute, and then moments later disappearing behind the clouds as a mini snow squall would blow in, dropping the temperature considerably.
I had just stumbled across an old English poem about fire wood that should strike a chord with everyone who heats with wood!
Fire Wood Poem
Beechwood fires are bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year.
Chestnut’s only good, they say
If for long it’s laid away.
But ash wood new or ash wood old
Is fit for a queen with a crown of gold.
Birch and fir logs burn too fast,
Blaze up bright and do not last.
It is by the Irish said
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread.
Elmwood burns like the churchyard mould
E’en the very flames are cold;
But ash wood green and ash wood brown
Is fit for a queen with a golden crown.
Poplar gives a bitter smoke
Fills your eyes and makes you choke
Applewood will scent your room
With an incense like perfume.
Oaken logs if dry and old
Keep away the winter cold.
But ash wood wet and ash wood dry
A king shall warm his slippers by.
