"Checking In"

I am in the beautiful mountains of Mount Shasta. What a journey it has been.

Raven Shahms, aka Olga-aka Darlene, my little sister, has been a terrific host.

Monday we made the trek from San Fran to Mt. Shasta. We talked along the way catching up on things, and we listened to music. We have some similar tastes-she is a Beatles fan, but nothing on the scale of my adulation. We listened to the Supremes and Cat Stephens. Where do the children play, eh? But we listened more to the Fab 4 and John Lennon

Our trip, the Magical Mystery Tour, was just beginning.

Monday night we stopped at the Black Bear diner for dinner/supper. The food was average at best-I had a hamburger and fries and cole slaw. I requested medium well but received a meat patty slightly burned on one side. Hey, I can relate; it's the food biz. The service was average too. But the place was quaint and homey, and I liked that.

After our somewhat less than par dinner we headed up the mountain, a 23 mile jaunt by car, and it was getting dark. Raven began to pitch the tent when the camp gestapo appeared in the
darkness.

"Can I help you?" she said.

"Oh, hi. We're camping here," said Raven, not exactly knowing to whom she was speaking.

"I'm Lisa, the camp gestapo, er, camp host, and you can't pitch your tent here."

"Can we stay here tonight? It's awfully dark."

"No, but I'll show you where you can."

Lisa was young-20's maybe-with long brown hair down to her waist. She showed us where we could spend the evening, a few feet away from our original location.

I'm a city boy and like all the comforts of home. There would be none here. No computer, tv, shower, etc. We were roughing it. We did have one convenience-an outhouse. As women tend to say these days: ewwwwww!

Because we were on sacred Indian ground, we had to be respectful. We could not litter the landscape, and we had to stay on the paths. For example, no cremations or ashes were allowed. Seems there's bones in the cremations-ewwwww-not to speak of possible toxins. But, mainly, no litter. And I had to keep my ashes and butts in a bowl, my ashtray, if you will. Raven was adamant about preserving the grounds. It's an old cliche, but we weren't in Kansas anymore.

The stars were magnificent the first night. Thousands, maybe millions, lined the sky. It looked as if you could touch them. I have never seen such a sight.

Our tent was adequate. But I had a difficult time sleeping. Trying to relax on an inch-thick mat, sleeping bag, and cold weather-40 degrees-is tough on a city boy.

The next morning was greatly received by myself. I could get up and move around. Breakfast was again at the Black Bear Diner. I had an omelette and stringy hashbrowns-coffee, of course, heavy on the caffeine, which helped clear the cobwebs. The service, once again, was lacking. What's up with the waitstaff when they depend on tips?

After breakfast we ascended the mountain. More hiking and waiting on David, Raven's new boyfriend, who is heavy into Alchemy and hypnotherapy. He's also a 5th degree sorcerer. He would join us at 6. I have never met him, but knew a lot about him via Raven. And had only talked to him once on the phone.

He-David-is the reason for my trip! I'm to participate in his empowerment therapy-along with 10 others. And, my l'il sister, who is heavily involved and is training herself, thought it would be great for me.

As I write this on her Apple computer, we are now staying in a house-thank God! Most of the students have an Alchemy background and are alchemists themselves, and David is the teacher. We have been through a few sessions all ready. Roll up for the mystery tour!