Big Letting Go

Great Blue Heron painted on the back of the tipi...

In 2019 prior to things....the tipi freshly painted and ready for a drumming circle of women. 

I rented many spots to use for the layout of the design I wanted to paint on my tipi's,  This last space was the dinner room of Mayslake Peabody Estate.  As you can see I needed the space to lay the tipi out flat. 

This year I washed it before I put it up.  Used as many tables as I could find to keep it off the ground so it would be able to dry faster and not get more dirty.  The cotton duct the canvas of the tipi is made from will not last forever.  But by washing it made it three years.  The climate, weather and nature will put it toll on them.  It's not Bison hide like the real ones were made of and I'm sure they had to patch them now and then. 

This was my first tipi in 2014, that 7 years I've had a tipi in our back yard. 

This tipi was the most colorful of them all. I rented the Naperville Art League to trace out the shapes and painted it at home in my studio...months of work. I still have the door to this one. 

 This is my last tipi.  As of yesterday I took it down along with the other two tents I had up.  We are to get some rain and because it's been so dry it makes the job a lot easier.  

I have planned on a Gazebo for the space after we configure it to fit the rectangle.  I feel it's kind of going against the circle thing but it's time to let go of the tipi.  

I have had my experience for many years with the whole image and symbolism. My dream has been filled three time over.  I've had drumming circles a few times, slept in, had it as yoga studio and my afternoon naps now and then. 

 It's been good. I can see I'm like my father now as of it's time and let tend to it and be done.  My neighbor was questioning why I would.  But he's got a tendency to horde things... 

As I was taking off the painted canvas I was grateful and thankful...I looked up and the was an eagle circling over.  It's not Odd at this time of year to see a few migrating by but the time of it was acknowledgment of the choice I made. Again I said, "thank you" 

The bit cottonwood down and now the tipi is down,  Change, the end and the beginning of another. Full circle ready to start a different direction. Staying Open and moving with a flow even if it's tugging at the heart strings.