Last night as I was sleeping,
I dreamt—marvelous error!—
that I had a beehive
here inside my heart.
And the golden bees
were making white combs
and sweet honey
from my old failures.
- Antonio Machado. Translation by Robert Bly
Times Alone: Selected Poems of Antonio Machado
Thanksgiving Day / Peñalba de Santiago in The Valley of Silence
Dear Pilgrims, Sojourners and Friends,
I am writing to you on a crisp Thanksgiving morning from a little rustico mountain house in The Valley of Silence - at the end of a long and winding road uphill from Rabanal on the Camino Invierno. We are getting creative after this long stretch into the wild unknown and have decided to try new things in hopes to connect and inspire while caring for ourselves as we emerge into a new time on the Camino de Santiago.
For the time being, The Stone Boat will be serving as a vessel for creative Camino-related projects while I head up the mountain on a little retreat of my own. This feels strange, exciting and a beautiful way to see what those golden bees might transform into sweet honey inside this pilgrim heart of mine … that I can in turn share with you.
In full Camino Magic form, our Artist in Residence, Leigh Brennan, has arrived on foot and is now tucked in at The Stone Boat. She is the creator of the well-loved Camino Cafe Podcast and will be sharing stories and interviews from Pilgrims (and Wayshowers) both on and off the Road. We are both in deep gratitude and appreciation for this special opportunity that has presented itself. Um … that isn’t to say that we haven’t had to work for it! More on that in a future podcast with the two of us sharing more the story over something strong. You can find more information on The Camino Cafe here.
Most of all, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for all of the support and encouragement I have received over the years to realize this pilgrim’s dream of The Stone Boat. I never could have imagined how the journey would unfold and of the life-changing Soul appointments I would encounter. It has been a privilege to tend to a little piece of the Holy Road for a time. There are really no words that can express this. I will be pondering all of this way up here in The Valley of Silence, and maybe one day I will have collected the right words to tell the tale. Until then, this journal page will hold the shorter stories and images, some glimpses of hermit life, news from the Camino de Santiago and other bits to inspire and remind that the Road is waiting for you when the time is right.
Go Bravely!
Kim
There is a link to subscribe at the bottom of the home page here.
Below is the door to the new Stone Boat mountain hermitage… and the welcoming committee, Rocky, who knows where to get his daily Scooby Snack.
