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The Rainbow Family Festival being over, I left the meeting from the other end of the Canyon with one of the six adults from Venice Beach.

It was a very hot day, with the most expansive big sky I had ever seen, true to Montana´s reputation. The sky was the bluest of the blue, with cream puff, cotton candy clouds.

My friend and I were hitch hiking on a deserted back road, sweltering in the hot sun. Finally, a 1946 Ford truck with a flatbed stopped to pick us up. The cab was only big enough for the driver and his friend, and there were four people sitting on the flatbed, everyone coming from the Festival.

It was an idyllic drive through the countryside over the greenest gentle rolling hills as cattle and sheep grazed in the fields. We arrived at a small hamlet called Rolling Rock. The population couldn´t have been more than 150, with a one gas pump Station and a General Store across the one road through the village.

Except for the driver, who had only enough money to get home, we were broke. As the gas was being pumped, looking at the General Store across  the road, someone said, if only we had some beer for relief from this hot sun.

Thinking this was a good idea, I prayed/thought to God, ´Lord it is very hot. Maybe I could go to that General Store and trade some beads for beer. Manhatten was traded for beads.´

Entering the store, there were three elderly ladies in conversation and speaking to the lady behind the counter I said, ¨Ladies, God has made us a great day Today. My friends and I were at a Festival but unfortunately, we have only enough money for gas to get home. It is very hot, and some beer would be a relief.

In my back pack I have some beads, exotic stones and other good things with which you can make a peace offering to a mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, friend, lover or enemy. I´m willing to trade as many items as you think 8 beers are worth.¨

The ladies went through the items in my pack, almost like in a trance, as they marvelled at the things that were in there. The owner broke out of the trance and said, ¨Never mind the beads, take the beer.¨ Profuse in my blessings, everyone on the truck was happy as I returned with 1 beer each.

The problem with people is when they get what they want, they want more or something else. Someone said, ¨Now if only we had a toke.¨

At this point a young cowboy arrived at the truck asking if we were at the Rainbow Family Festival? He was wearing a real nicely shaped cowboy hat. Seeing the signs were good, I thought I could push the envelope a little further and said, ¨Brother. God has made us a great day Today, and it would be wonderful if we had some of God´s fine herb to make it even better.

In my back pack I have some beads, exotic stones and other good things with which you can make a peace offering to a mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, friend, lover or enemy. Do you know anyone  that might want to trade some of these fine items for some of God´s fine herb?¨

The young fellow went through my back pack seemingly in the same trance as the ladies. Breaking off, he removed his cowboy hat. In the rim of his hat were 6 Thai Sticks and giving us one said, ¨Enjoy this.¨

I will never forget those 15 minutes one Day of the Life in Rolling Rock, Montana on The Way to Kansas City.

As a Canadian, I had already been searching for the American Spirit of ´76 for 10 months. While staying in Venice Beach, California, some people convinced me I had to go with them to a Rainbow Family Festival on the 4th of July in the mountains of Big Sky Country, Montana.

There were six adults with two children on our laps as we headed North to the Canadian border and then East to Montana in an old car. Unfortunately, the transmission failed within 300 miles of leaving, and it took all the money we had to get it fixed. There was still 1000 miles to go.

Fortunately for us, we met Angels along the way who put gas in the tank and fed us. We arrived at the gathering spot late at night July 3rd. The actual meeting site was a hike of several miles deep into the canyon.

The next day, July 4th, we started the trek on a narrow trail along a steep canyon. On leaving Venice, a Southern Belle I met dumped the contents of a big basket into the bottom half of my back pack and by the weight of it, Marines don´t carry such a heavy load on their back. I had no idea what was in it.

Arriving at a wide clearance in the canyon, it was almost like arriving at the Sermon on the Mount. There may have been 3000 people there from all over the U.S. attentively listening to whoever held the Council Stick. Different people had different messages to share, but as a Canadian attending my 1st July 4th celebration, I was moved to contribute.

Lifting up the Council Stick and my own stick which I still have to this Day, over my head, I said, ¨In one hand I hold the Council Stick and in the other hand another stick.¨ On saying this, I was surprised and filled with wonder as a person in the 1st circle around me said to another, ¨He has the stick of Judah and the stick of Joseph¨ described in Ezekiel 37. Like many other words laid on my ears by others over the years, I could only lay them up in my heart and patiently wait and see what God has planned?

I continued, ¨As I traveled through this great land meeting many good people everywhere I went, I received a vision for America. I watched as the world turned. The Nations and the peoples were marked according to their borders. The whole planet was in tones of grey, white and black with no colour anywhere in the earth.

After several revolutions, I saw the United States of America come up on the horizon covered with the colours of the Old Glory, the only Nation with colour. Again I watched as the world turned. Again, after several revolutions, the United States of America came up over the horizon.

As it passed, from the United States shot up fireworks, confetti and party streamers as the American People shouted with one joyous voice, Surprise World! After a time, the whole earth was covered with the colours of the New Glory.¨

As the people came down from the mountain, I had leaned my back pack against a fallen dead tree and said, ¨ Happy Birthday America. In my back pack I have some beads, exotic stones and other good things with which you can make a peace offering to a mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, friend, lover or enemy. Take only what you need and don´t be greedy. There is enough for all.¨

A crowd about 25 people deep gathered around but only the few at the front could search through the many wonderful things the woman dumped in my pack.

After everyone got something, it seemed there was still half left that I gave away or traded for goods and services on The Way to Kansas City.

For our future common good, I hope this vision comes into reality.

Happy Birthday to our American friends and neighbours!

Four years ago, Kris, a former resident of Hotel De Ville Street staged the 1st John the Baptist Block Party. It was a wonderfully memorable event for all present thanks to his initiative and efforts. It was a gloriously beautiful Sunny Day. The Bread Crumbs, the B Boys who danced for our entertainment and their own free pleasure then, are being paid to perform at this year’s Official CanaDa Day Celebrations. They received their reward.

In May & June, the biggest manufacturing company in the National Capital District sent me to St. Jean Sur Richelieu south of Montreal a total of 8 times on  Direct Drive Courier jobs which is good work when you can get it.

Looking at my Life and the world through the Spiritual Prism of Faith in The Spirit of God, I took it as a sign it is Time for the 2nd John The Baptist Block Party.

This Time it is my pleasure to Host a Block Party for the residents of my street on the occasion of Quebec’s Fete Nationale, formerly known as Le Fete de St. Jean Bapitste, the forerunner to the new way of doing things in this world.

It may be a Divine experience for all who attend judging by the signs and anticipation expressed by those planning to attend, both residents and non-residents of the Street.

In my 69 years, I have lived on many Streets – from Montreal to Halifax, Moncton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Nanaimo on the Island, to Whitehorse in the Yukon, Pheonix, Arizona and Venice Beach, California. I feel more at home here than on any street before. I have found my Personal Pavilion of Peace on Hotel De Ville Street having come full circle.

The statistics of this Blog tell me as of this changing moment over 40,000 people from 159 Countries have read 1 article or more. Wherever you are in this world, if you have any friends in the Ottawa area with a talent who would be willing to get on stage and contribute an International Flavor to what appears to be shaping up to be the realization of the Spirit beyond the Letter, please send them this link and invite them to participate.

Our own resident DJ JC Boom and friend at one of his Professional gigs

The BBQ part of the Party for the residents and friends of Hotel De Ville St. was supposed to start at 4pm. That was delayed until 6 pm, when the rain lightened up somewhat and the protection for the expensive equipment was in place.

This is a small clip from my cell phone of the beginning of the party as a light rain fell. The Spirit only got better for those present. Just the fact 60 people showed up and braved the elements raining on an outdoor party is Testament to the Spirit that brought us together.  A sudden, heavy downpour at 10:30 pm brought everything to a necessary and immediate stop just as the Break Dancers were about to perform.

In the words of John The Baptist, “I indeed baptize you with water………………..” Matthew 3