Chapter 41 Protecting a Quest - from my book Changes

Chapter 41

Protecting a Quest

One quest I protected was in September, in Oregon.  It was hunting season.  Not the best time to quest or protect a quest on a 33 acre tract in the hills between Bureau of Land Management land and Weyerhaeuser land.  Both prime land for seasonal deer hunting.

Typically there are two quest protectors during a quest, but this time I was protecting alone, although I had my dog Bear with me.

Everything went well to start with - getting the quester out on his quest.  Then came the four days of keeping the fire going and walking around the quest area, morning and evening, without disturbing the quester.

Then one night, I dreamed there were hunters crossing the boundaries of my land and hunting on my property where the quester was.

I woke up.  Though it was the middle of the night, I had to do something to keep hunters away.  So I made some signs to hang: “No Trespassing, Class in Session”, and, in the dark, with my flashlight, my dog and I walked around the property to where I had seen the hunters enter my land in my dream.  I hung the signs there, felt peace about it, and went back to bed.

The next morning I decided to take my walk around the perimeter early, at daybreak, to check on the spot where the no trespassing signs were.

The neighboring property, Weyerhaeuser, had clear cut the trees earlier that year so there was a wide open space next to my property there.  As I walked the border, I searched the trees on the other side of the clear cut and saw a hunter standing there with his rifle, leaning against a tree, watching me.  I raised my talking stick / weapon and smiled at him, as if to wave and say, “Hey there, I see you, how’s it goin’?” as I  continued walking.

After that I knew the hunter was aware of me, and that the no trespassing sign was there because some active class was happening.  I didn’t worry about him any more.

My next challenge came one day when someone was up on the hills above us, shooting their guns off.  It started off with a couple shots, then after a bit there were many shots happening.  It sounded like they were doing some target practice at that point.

I had wondered what I ought to do, if anything.  I considered going up there to see what was going on.  I had some crazy thoughts about a confrontation possibility, and I got out my 30-o6 rifle to take with me.

Then something stopped me, and I felt silly.  Something inside me asked, “What kind of disaster was I looking for?  I had other options.”

So, I thought for a minute … I knew what to do.  I empowered the protective bubble to say, “Hey, you’ve scared off any deer you hoped to find.  Go home!” And I expanded my bubble out to where the gunshots came from and they stopped.  I did not hear another gunshot from that moment on.  I think they went home.

Coincidence?  Hmmm, maybe… but I don’t really believe in coincidences.

After that, the rest of the quest went without incident for me as a protector, and the quester successfully finished his four days quest.