This is the story of a scattering journey that took place in the fall of 2006. Ladies in White conducts scattering journeys like this one for client families from all over the United States. In this particular case, the client family was comprised of a brother and two sisters living in the southeast and one sister residing in Montana. Their mother had spent her last years living in Florida.
The journey begins in the early morning at the office of Ladies in White. The Ladies review the map of the scattering area and work through a checklist to be sure they have readied everything required for the trip. One of the ladies will be responsible for taking photographs to be given to the client family. Another will keep a written record of things observed along the trail for eventual use in writing the journey story that will be given to the family. The journey leader goes over the plan for the day, including any specific requests or messages from the client family.
Since the drive to the trailhead can take between one and three hours, the Ladies like to get an early start. On this particular day, with rain in the forecast, the Ladies reach the trailhead by 8:45 a.m.
The scattering journey leads along a fairly level woodland trail – secluded and profoundly quiet. The sky is cloudy, the lovely autumn air is crisp. The Ladies encounter no other people during the entire journey.
Early in the day, the Ladies notice the call of a nuthatch. At the scattering site, several more of these humble little birds announce their presence. Three black squirrels and a mule deer are also observed from the trail.
At last, the Ladies come upon a suitable scattering area, and one which meets the family’s specifications. They weigh the pros and cons of several locations within the larger area and agree that the scattering should take place where a hill comes down to the edge of the meadow.
The ashes are removed from the pack and following brief remarks provided by the family, the Lady responsible for the scattering moves toward the hillside.
Coming back down the slope to where the pack waits, the Ladies notice they are following a faint game trail which fades as it blends into the meadow below.
The Ladies returned in a gentle mist, reaching their vehicle just as rain begins to fall.
© 2006 Ladies in White SM
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