Between the Forest and the Deep, Green Grass

All the good stories -- the important stories, the one’s we’ve been telling for generations since time out of mind -- all those good stories begin with a garden, things growing, renewal and touching the earth. The knowledge of this was the single most important thought that steadied our hands and bolstered our hearts as we searched for the piece of land that has become Dancing Deer.

Searched and searched.

It took a long time.

During that search we didn’t know exactly what we were looking for -- we didn’t know precisely what the finished picture would be -- but we always understood that a rich and beautiful piece of land would be central. The land would become the basket that would hold the thoughts and desires and good wishes that would then grow to be the foundation of the dream that we were even then beginning to see.

As I write this, the dream has a shape -- Dancing Deer. And it has a foundation -- this wonderful property in San Luis Obispo, edged by an oak forest that surrounds the many undulating acres where the deer do, indeed, dance. And all of it is more -- so much more -- than what we anticipated as we searched; as we began to form the dream.

From the beginning, we knew we wanted -- needed, required -- a beautiful natural environment that would inspire choices for living a sustainable and conscious life. A place that would play a part in fostering community while supporting practices to help restore and enhance the Earth’s own systems.

What we desired was to be able to offer resources, support and examples of harmonious living in a sustainable way in order to inspire people to make positive choices with regards to their own health, their relationships, their skills as parents and partners and their overall practices for living.

These are the things we wanted the Center for ReUniting Families to be able to do. And these are the things that Dancing Deer -- together with our own various passions and energies -- will help make possible.

It’s early days yet. The journey has just begun. We invite you to travel with us, to add your voice to the chorus. And we invite you to visit us at Dancing Deer: to take a tour, a workshop or even just to spend a quiet half hour in the nurturing environment the property provides.

Between visits, check back here frequently. We anticipate that this blog will provide not only a conduit for information between CRF’s board members, but also a public sounding board for our ideas and thoughts on the direction Dancing Deer will take. We plan, also, to use this space to let you know about upcoming events and activities as well as sharing our thoughts on some of the technologies and techniques that we’ll be showcasing at Dancing Deer over the coming months and years.

And so it begins.