Further steps

Day 17, March 17, Leaving Hemet, Ca.

Dale – Happy St. Patrick’s day!

Well we are on the road again. We stayed for two days, actually one day and 2 nights with John and Ann Rush. Beautiful, generous, kind, people who are the initiators of “Friends of Peace Pilgrim”. They gave so much and are so selfless in their work to out the message of Peace Pilgrim. We learned a lot from their example. The car was left at their house and we obtained more “Steps” booklets to carry with us and some tunics that say “Walking Coast to Coast for Peace,” “Another Pilgrim for Peace” and more. We are getting close to the desert now and have our faith in the van alone. Just the three of us. (Dale, Tony, and ?). Today we will try and reach Rt. 62 and then tomorrow onto Joshua Tree. There is a mountain off to my right with traces of snow on it. I’m sure we will see more of that up on the road. Camped out near White-Water walked 22 miles.

March 18-19, Sunday - Monday:

We are continuing down the road. Yesterday, we walked along Rt. 62 on our way to Yucca Valley and Joshua Tree. We started off without knowing where we would spend the night. Yet, ended up with some folks from Joshua Tree and had a relaxing sauna and hearty meal. Al & Ann Murdy were the names of the hosts. It was a long hard climb against the wind and lots of uphill walking. At times it was as if you were just walking in one place. We appreciated the beauty of this region with clear skies, good water and beautiful sunrises and sunsets. The day before was difficult for all of us and no one had a decent sleep. We are walking to 29 Palms today. You can tell it is a militarized region with many Marine vehicles on the road and many short haircuts on the drivers. I really like this country but I could see what some might be angry at having to stay here in this place against your will like many Marines might be. We have been told that there is a mix of people in this area, from ranchers to liberals to those seeking an alternative lifestyle and those seeking refuge from Southern California urban areas. This area seems to owe its economic life to the Marine base in the area. There is not much else around. today we will have a peace vigil at the main gate of the base. When we arrived at the base we were unsure where to go so we went out to the main gate where a sign was located that said that further trespassing was prohibited. The three walkers and some local people, Terry Burke and his wife, Heidi, and her sister and three children stood. Another person, Ray Kirkham joined us. Ray used to work inside the base and tried to address the problems of waste-water that the base produced. But he had since left that position due in part to his inability to work with a Marine mindset. It was a big step for Ray as he indicated that he knew about 1/3 of the people that were passing us in that spot. Now here he was fully exposed to his neighbor’s regarding where he stood and with people that reflected an unpopular viewpoint than that which his former colleagues have. In talking with him later he indicated the challenge that he faced in making his views known publically. Tonight, we will stay in a cabin at the 29 Palms Inn. There is an actual oasis here! Quite a few people arrived for a potluck especially after such a short notice. Miracles never cease to occur.

March 20:

Cary – Today we have left civilization behind for a while. Walking through the desert is just about what I expected, hot, still, dry, lots of weeds and creosote bushes in sand! Mountains all around, intense blue sky. We had lunches prepared for us by a friend of Terry & Heidi and we will have dinner delivered to our camp by another! We met both of them at the potluck last night. We have lots of food and water. We will walk as much as we can and maybe bike the rest so that we cover all the territory by human power and still stay on schedule. We are all mellowed out at this time and have lots of long hours ahead and are settling into it. The quiet out here is wonderful, when the traffic stops. There have been more vehicles on the road than we expected. Right now, sitting in the van and listening to the muffled sound of bombs being dropped on the Marine reserve behind the mountains. Thunder with a clear sky. If those mountains could speak, what would they say about what was going on over there and what these three people were doing walking through those the empty desert . What opinion would those mountains have of what they had seen of the human race? We cloak them with radioactivity and strip away what little life still clings to their sides. Would it matter to them? We could leave them alone and the lizards and creosote bushes would keep on surviving. Does it matter to us?

Dale: Out in the desert about 6-8 miles east of Melody Knolls. This is our great step into the desert. Ray Kirkham came out and brought a stew and the sunset was fantastic. This, being the first day of Spring, was a good jumping off towards Arizona. The walk called, “On the Line” started today and I thought of them often today. My prayers are with them.

March 23 – Out in Arizona

Dale: We crossed the desert on the 21^st on bicycle. We covered close to 70 miles by pedal power. The wind was at our backs most of the day but it was very hot. Last night was a real nightmare as we had set up camp in a dry wash and Cary and I went to make phone calls. We had dinner on our return and went to bed early. It had been breezy that day but around 12:00 midnight the wind really started to pick up. It was bad enough for me to leave and head for the van and where IA had left Tony to the elements. However, at around 2:30 a.m. Cary got up because she heard metallic sounds and thought that there was something in the tree next to her and found out that it was Tony trying to secure his tent and the wind was now howling. Cary thought the wind must be whipping at about 50 MPH. no one got much sleep. Tony gave up the fight to the wind and the tent collapsed. Even the next day the wind continued to howl but mostly it was at our backs. We walked through the town of Parker and I organized a radio interview at a local country station. The interviewer was very interested and she wanted updates of our travels. The local paper promised to send a photographer but no one showed. Other stations in the area were interested and took information about the walk. Things were going pretty smoothly and I had to make a weekly phone call updates to Doug Rand at the Resource Center for Non-violence, the group that donated the van, “Rusty” for the walk. We called it Rusty because it was red, rusty and sort of sad looking but it was our fond friend. Well, Tony began to get upset and said that those calls only enriched the large phone companies, something that unsettled him on other occasions  but I had no patience for that lecture that day and just started up Rusty and caught up to Cary on the bike and switched with her to ride our my anger on the bike. I was still upset because I see that some people criticize one thing and then I see them doing the same type of thing albeit in another form, but it is the exact opposite of what they were just criticizing previously. I see the hypocrisy in their words and I can’t even listen to them. No doubt we will be tested time and time again on what we preach and what we practice.

March 27, Tuesday

Some days later since the last entry.

Back on the road again, apologies to Willie Nelson. Today we are walking to Sun city north of the greater Phoenix area. Since last Saturday, we have been staying at Cary’s house in Scottsdale. It has been very welcoming to relax for the past two days. A quick review: since the 23^rd, we continued to Wickenburg on Saturday and on Friday we used the bicycle covering long distances to a point just 8 miles outside of Wickenburg.  We found a place to camp on a ranch and talked to a man that worked there and said that it was ok to camp there. Friday evening we had a long discussion about money matters and it got a bit intense with Tony and myself. We resolved to try and pay off Tony’s loan to the walk as soon as possible and to start fresh. Cary indicated that she could pay off the remainder of the debt and that she could be paid back a little at a time. Coming into Wickenburg, we had no contacts, therefore we decided to walk through the town and bike as much as possible to Phoenix. I thought to help matters out I would fast one day, perhaps a bit of dramatic martyrdom of mine.

We spent the night at Cary’s apartment and met her mom Barbara. It was great to take a shower again and be clean again. We talked about her mother’s work in spirituality and had a great night’s rest. On Sunday, March 25, we attended the Tempe Friends Meeting, relaxed and took it easy. I thought about our current situation and attempted into a proper perspective. Talking with Cary’s mom, I gained some insights about myself that were related to the subconscious and the reasons why I might be having some frustrations.

Monday it was back to our travels. A lot of media calls to make, especially to radio stations. We set up a press conference at city hall for 5 p.m. on Wednesday. I have been getting butterflies thinking about this one, which is funny since I am the one that usually deals with the media, possibly because this is the largest city we are entering since Los Angeles. If just a few of the reporters shows up, I think I may be overwhelmed. I will just have to trust in the universe to guide me. I think of Jerry Rubin and how he handled the press when he walked to Diablo Canyon. He said it was not a problem as they were waiting for him to speak and if you know why you are doing this then you just tell them and they will take whatever you say. I will definitely need Tony’s and Cary’s support on this one. But for today it is Sun City and that is what I have to focus on for now. Peace & blessings.

Tuesday, March 27

It was a short day in terms of walking distance and folks came to walk with us from Sun City AZ., close to a dozen. We took up the earth flag for the first time they look great! Close to 30 people showed up for the potluck from Sun City and we showed the film from Helen Caldicott and talked about our journey and other matters. People were very impressed. We received $100 in donations. That brings the grand total $250 from Sun City including previous donations. We have enough money to start paying Tony back the money that we owe him. Tomorrow on to Phoenix. 

Wednesday, March 28

it was a long day to enter into the center of Sun City was a bit of a hike to walk into Phoenix as well from Sun City. It was a long hot day with lots of traffic. We had many honks of recognition from people that drove past us. Space we walked up till man who was next to his disabled truck he was staring at us all the way up to his truck. Space he spoke to us and said he heard about us on the radio and he shook both of my hands. I also spoke with a man earlier in the day and asked him directions. Inquired what we were walking about and I told him we were walking across the United States. He agreed we had enough bombs but that the government couldn't be trusted and doubted that we would have any success, however he was open to the appeal of the walk. On this day we walked to the governor's office received a letter from the Gov. To continue to City Hall and pass the part that was called library Park. There were many homeless people in the park. It was an unexpected site to see so many homeless people in that park between the Capitol and City Hall. Space here you see so many people that reflect the conditions of an ill society. We reached City Hall and as usual were unsure of how everything was going to evolve. I was surrounded by several media people and peppered by question until it became a confusing story. It ened with "Channel 5" when the reporter wanted to tape her story. We wanted to go to the Mayor's office however if was closed upon our arrival. We concluded the day by gathering and singing some songs.

Thursday, March 29

Last night we stayed at Jack and Felice  Cohen-Joppa's house. They produce the journal  "The Nuclear Resister." We all contributed with getting their latest publication ready. I  slept well and felt full of energy and ready to go the next day. We started out in the downtown area. It was another bright day with clear skies and we set out towards the Motorola plant. I took the first two driving shifts, followed by Cary. We made good time and around 11:15 in the morning Scotty showed up. We stopped at a car dealership and Scotty gave us information about the situation ahead. A salesman from the dealership came walking out and started to ask questions about the walk. He heard about the walk and read about in the paper. He shook Tony's and then my hand. He said that his brother was the editor and publisher of the Chandler newspaper and gave us his card. He said to get in touch with his brother. We continued to Motorola and were joined by Leroy and Scotty. When we arrived, five more people were waiting. The Security personnel came out, led by a no-nonsense man with a stiff and formal attitude wanted a leader to speak to. We started to explain that we didn't have a leader. I walked up to him and started talking with them. We gave them the leaflet and he gave us an explanation on the legalities of our presence. Where it was legal to stand where it was illegal to stand and what we couldn't do. When we gathered in a circle and began the singing peace is flowing like a river, a reporter snapped away with his camera. We maintained our vigil while I gave out leaflets. Some of the locals were surprised that many of the workers were taking leaflets from me. They said in the past, few people would take them but we were somehow communicating with the workers. In my brief encounters I was just able to say we were walking to Moscow for peace. One man replied we've got the cleanup this country first before we can start thinking about the Russians. Another individual stopped and said what a great thing you're doing and shook my hand. This Motorola plant makes proximity fuses and guidance systems for missiles. I felt really good about this vigil. We could tell the media coverage was beginning to have an effect on people. There were lots of honks and people on the street said they heard us on the radio, read about us in the paper, or saw us on the TV. Our first time that we had a TV interview and multiple radio interviews in a specific area. Six newspapers had written stories about our journey including the Phoenix Gazette, the Arizona Republic, the Sun City Newspaper to name a few. One key development was getting a letter of support from the Mayor of Tempe. We stopped at Arizona State University, but being a very conservative student community, there was little interest. As we left the ASU, we encountered a young man on a bike and he was impressed with our message. He was a musician with a group called Little Britain. As we continued on our way, he returned to give a poem. We indicated that we would bring it to Moscow. The day ended with a grand meal and plenty of discussions and laughter about the day, much love and blessings to all.

Saturday, March 31

Another crisp, clear, bright day. We walked close to 27 miles yesterday, all the way to Sacaton, Arizona. A very windy day. Tony walked most of the morning by himself. We left the van and walked together through the city of Chandler. We stopped to talk with an older man and he indicated it wasn't the Germans or the Russians or the Chinese that were the problem, but it was people who didn't stick around and take care of their fellow citizens. He referred to Cain and Abel and if they worked the land together then there wouldn't have been any conflict between them. It's often surprising to hear how we affect people when they see us and what thoughts they want to share with us. This man was trying to relate his knowledge of the Bible and how we can apply those lessons that if people work the land together, we wouldn't have hunger or war. Moving on to the Chandler, Arizona newspaper office, we had our pictures taken by the staff photographer. I walked with Tony out of town, then hitchhiked back to the van and when I returned Tony and I alternated walking the rest of the day. We arrived in Sacaton at 5:15 in the afternoon and found our way to our host's house. We'd met our hosts during our walk that day. Perry and Dorothy, Native Americans, were impressed with our walk and invited us to stay. When a very good feel for them and a good meal with them. Lots of chicken salad, bread and delicious treats. I'd had a big appetite and put away more food than I thought I would. We talked about problems with the Indian reservation. Water is a very big issue here, never enough for fair distribution. We also talked about the problems that the young people face on the reservation and that many of the young people don't have much respect for their culture. We were given dried cactus buds as a symbol of peace for our journey to Russia. These items are usually eaten during special occasions weddings or other family gatherings. After a great meal, I tired quickly and had to get back to the house to rest. I left Tony with Perry and Dorothy and I hit the sack with sleep coming quickly. The next morning Perry and Dorothy came over for breakfast as we were staying with their neighbor. Perry brought a small staff with him that he had created last night. They had two hawk feathers symbolizing the two walkers currently on the journey. The hawk is the traveling spirit and it is good protection for travelers. There were six small bundles, which contained cedar and earth wrapped in cloth. These items came from the Casa Grande ruins which is where Perry's people originated. The first bundle was blue which is for the earth symbolic of our unity and healing. Second bundle, green which stood for the plants and the life that returns again and again. The third bundle is fire signified by its red color, followed by yellow which is the eagle spirit, symbolic of truth and strength. The fifth bundle is white representing the pure spirit in our journey, and the final bundle is black representing the night, the mystery of the universe. The staff came from the arrowroot, later which we understood was found in a lot of the Japanese concentration camps. Perry told us whenever we have obstacles and problems, we need to pray with this small staff for guidance. We received the staff from Perry and Dorothee Jackson and stayed with Marilyn and Fred Walking-Badger.

Monday, April 2

A short journey on this day, walking just about 8 miles away from Casa Grande. During our walk, we had a lot of positive reactions from people on the highway. Lots of waves and honks from cars whizzing by. Our hosts were Jerry and Donna Haas, Jerry is a Methodist minister and treated us to a meal at a local restaurant. Several couples joined us including a a chiropractor, an artist and musician. One woman, the musician was also macrobiotic and had been influenced by Michio Kushi, one of the leaders of the macrobiotic movement. The next day was a rest day and we went to the early church service. We were introduced to the congregation and many people came up to us after the service and wished us well. One man in particular came to me and said that it is not the Russians we have to fear or the Germans or pollution but it is the second coming of Christ. I wasn't sure as to how he meant that statement. I wasn't sure if he thought that we were right or wrong in our journey but again you never know how we're going to make people react. I spent most of the rest of the day organizing my notes and files and wrote some letters. We spent that evening with the locals at a gathering but generally nothing to do with the walk, which was fine with us. In our conversations with the people, we sensed interest in the walk but not a real sense of concern. It was a type of attitude that yes there are problems in the world but a lot of the problems did not pose much of a concern for the group and it was best not to talk about them because they just didn't know enough about these global issues and besides it was out of their hands. We felt we had to bring up the issues but were unsure as to how to do it so after things got cleaned up, I began to talk to one man and he seemed open and listen to what I was saying. Some people left, others were milling around and I just began to talk about the crisis we were facing. Folks sat down and became attentive. However, you could tell that some folks were very uncomfortable with this discussion and it just developed into a discussion between Tony and myself. We try to open it up for further discussion with the group but only Jerry and a few others responded. One man, in the Naval reserves, looked at the floor most of the time. I wasn't sure if he was just uncomfortable or possibly shamed by our attempt at outreach, or maybe just embarrassed. We only hoped that we had planted seeds in their minds and perhaps that's the best we can do. Later, we had a long discussion with Jerry and Donna about what had transpired and shared a lot of our thoughts. They thought that there were some people that were moved but for some it was harder to tell. We have to try and realize that it this is a long-term project that we are all involved with and have to realize that often we are just planting seeds. 

April 2-3, 1984 (Barbara Hirshkowotz. writing)

Warm day, bright sunlight in the desert here. Brian Flagg, formally of Sacramento Catholic Worker and friend, met me at the airport. Tucson has an active peace community, taking stands on a variety of issues but not always united in the outlook and approaches to addressing them. We stopped at the peace and Justice Center and talked about their production of the Catonsville 9 that was now playing in their community. Greetings and a super dinner put together by Kizu-Shonin, a Nipponzan Myohoji Monk that lives and works in the Tucson region), were in order. Then it was off to a meeting of the Pairing Project, a project where people pair a city in the Soviet Union with this city in the United States. It was a diverse committed group that evening and were conducting a $25 ticket fundraiser. Somewhat surprising for the cost of the tickets. Kizu takes us on a short morning peace walk and we stopped to greet a Lutheran minister, who speaks fluent Japanese. He will ask his parishioners for messages for us to bring to Moscow. Joining the walk has been smooth, filled with good feelings, the struggle now is to let go of the past and stay open to everything as it unfolds on the road. 

Wednesday April 4

Foregone, forlorn, forever, plus a forest today. We walked with Kizu this morning and although it was a short walk I became very tired early. Likely not enough sleep last night. We planned to walk to Davis-Montham Air Force base this afternoon after starting from City Hall. We joined with another group called the "Rainbow Peace Walk to Big Mountain". We only joined with them for a short way. We had started to walk with this group yesterday on the western outskirts of Tucson. It really is quite an amazing region with thousands of the tall Saguaro cactus. They stand tall like beings from another world. It's almost as if they are looking at us noting our progress and in some way acknowledging what we are doing is right and good.

We had lunch at Gates Pass and the view was incredible looking out towards a long stark valley. Kizu fixed us a wonderful dinner and it was a good feeling to be with that very childlike crazy monk. Kizu is often playful and quite child-like, however, when it comes time to make a point he is firm and unshakable. It was a longer walk than we had expected to the Air Force Base and received a lot of visual commentary not always positive but we were interviewed with a radio reporter at the base. The reporter was very good asking excellent and incisive questions. If turns out to be a decent interview, he indicated that he might send it on to NPR in Washington DC. That would be great but… This evening was interesting because one of the people we met disagreed with the way we were approaching the Soviet Union. He was somewhat annoyed when Tony talked about governments and the Soviets as being fascist which is how Tony sees the world. I knew that that was going to come back to him someday but I think Tony speaks from his heart and how he sees the world is in a very emotional and direct response to what he has experienced in his life. Again night has come and it is time to get some more sleep.

Wednesday April 4,  (Barbara Hirshkowitz)

Cozy evening in big rambling ranch house at the edge of the desert. Peach sunset in third crescent moon. Long rest, (ha ha). We attended the morning session of the trial that resulted from trespassing charges at the local Air Force Base that stemmed from the Euro-missile test that took place last October 21st at the base. I find the courtroom scene doll and drift in and out of consciousness. Lunch was held at the local women's collective restaurant and bakery, La Concha. There, news of Greenham Commons distraction took place with a woman named Julie who came from the United Kingdom. The afternoon was spent making press calls and writing advance letters to prospective hosts. Then it was over to Casa Maria in time for a birthday celebration. Brian has cooked up vegetable tacos and there is a care birthday cake. Afterwards Lenten services were held at the soup kitchen. On this day, the reflection concerned hunger and feeding the poor and why Christ did not continue to turn stones into food and the thought of a very Zen concept which included the richness of nothingness. A surprise to me encountering such Eastern thought in this Western setting. We said goodbye to Cary Fleck as she was leaving the walk to return to the Phoenix area. Alas, I had hardly met her. Lots of letters in paper cranes made and now sleeping.

Thursday, April 5

We are on our way out and we've made a good number of connections for the road ahead and get a better idea on how folks are doing in other regions. What I'm finding out is people in the cities ahead do not heed the mail sent ahead and really need verbal communication to realize that we are indeed en route and on schedule!

At the techno sandbox

Thoughts welcome on the passing of our dear friend and mentor, Pamela Blockey-O'Brien

I have been contemplating thoughts about Pamela and how much she influenced me to try and reach out for something that was greater than myself.Without her, we would have never made it across the the pond to Europe and to our goal. She was critical and instrumental to the idea of the journey and inspired me to say "Yes we can" before it was the statement that we hear so much of today. I will miss her and it was only recently that I reconnected to her and unfortunately missed many opportunities to hear more of her thoughts. I understand her last few years were quite a struggle due to her health matters but that never stopped her from speaking out the best she knew how, with force and conviction and with an all too generous heart. I will miss her and she will remain an inspiration to me for the end of my days. Rest well dear Pamela.

JOURNAL ENTRIES MARCH 1-17

Thursday, March 1, 1984
Day 1, Gaviota to 4 miles west of Ellwood, 14 miles approx. Nuclear-Free Pacific Day, Overnight at Casa de Maria

Dale
Where does one begin? Well, perhaps early in the morning. It wasn’t an easy sleep. I woke up several time worried that my watch wasn’t correctly set, however, morning came at 4:30 a.m. to be exact and I was up hoping that everyone else would be up as well. They were, whew! In fact, Cary’s light was on and there wasn’t any stillness left in the Casa Ysidro dorm. There has been a great place to stay even thought I haven’t even walked around the grounds, just constantly on the move. Lots of calls made, few responses. So be it! It was morning and time for us to begin. I moved wordlessly around, jumped in the shower. It was hot and beat strongly on my tired face. What is this a novel?
Well, anyhow, we got off at 5:25 a.m. and we fetched Victor at 5:30 a.m. It was funny walking down the lane to his house. Very dark, and I wondered if he would be ready? But he was, there standing by the door. He couldn’t recognize me at first until I got in the light, then I reminded him that I was there the other day. I led him out to the driveway and he at once began to weave tales of bygone days. He is truly a great human-being. We got into the van and started off, finally on our way. I looked to the east furtively at the now lightening sky and wondered if we would make it to the Western Gate in time. One the way, Victor Sky Eagle would weave stories, anecdotes, and memories about his days in the navy, or the circus, or his travels as a young man.
We zipped out of town and it seemed that the sun was rushing to rise. Finally, the sign for Gaviota appeared and I knew we were close to the Holister Ranch. We drove past the park entrance and up the road to the guard house. Again, doubts crossed my mind . What if there was a hitch and we weren’t allowed in? Well, finally the gate was in sight. We pulled up and I spoke to the gatekeeper. “Guests of Jim …. (I almost forgot his name) Shrack! O.K. sign this here and one here. Gads, more paperwork! Again I look to the east, the sky was reddening brightly now. Let’s go, speed writing please!
Off again, now where and how far to go? San Augustine was said to be 15 minutes away. We drove on. Pass two trestles I thought, the next one must be it. Around another curve but no it was only Sacate Beach, only a 1/3 of the way after driving ten minutes. Quick decision time! I told Tony to turn around somewhat unsure. Victor said the beach was up ahead. I looked up to the sky, not enough time! The sun was almost up! Sacate Beach! Well, we drove back to the entrance, drove down and over the RR tracks and it looked o.k. We walked down to the beach and it felt good. As Victor prepared for the ceremony, the sun crested the ridge. Spiderwebs of golden dewy light spun down from the ridge. It was a heavenly pattern.
Victor was ready. He placed us around the circle in four directions and the ceremony began. First, purification, sage. I love the smell of burning sage. It brings back powerful images from the Long Walk for Survival. After he smoked us all, he began to sing his prayers. Beautiful words that I couldn’t translate yet could understand. Victor can speak eight languages and he’s only 85! The ceremony was very strong for me. Victor spoke of many things but one message that really stayed with me was health. Spiritual health for myself, for the earth, for all creatures and people. During the ceremony, I saw an otter on its back in the water a short distance away.
The ceremony lasted about 30-45 minutes and I was very thankful for his presence. I showed Victor the Buddhist drum that I was carrying and he said that if wanted to beat it and say a prayer that was fine. That was already in my mind. I beat the drum and chanted for about five minutes then bowed to the sun which was warming up our bodies by now. Afterwards, we stood on the beach and looked about. I picked up a couple of rocks and touched the water to say thanks. Shortly thereafter, some fins appeared in the water – dolphins! About eight to ten of them just off shore! They must have heard the drum! I took it out and began to beat it and they seemed to slow down and several stopped to look at us. A couple of them flapped their tales at us. Wow, my first sight of dolphins in their natural state. And they were there to check us out! They are magnificent beings!
Then two sea lions appeared. They also came to check us out! They looked at us and we at them and we exchanged greetings. They moved on as did the dolphins. Soon after, Cary spotted whales out in the water and sure enough there they were spouting geysers of air and water. It is truly a great place for a ceremony! It was as if they all came to give us their blessings for our journey. Well, we finally had to leave and we proceeded out to the gate and down the road to the park where Cary, and I got out to stay while Tony and Adele took Victor back to town. Tony got back very quickly and I said we should check one place put for some media because I might have told one camera crew the wrong location. As Tony and myself drove out of the park, the park ranger was talking to a local about a launch of a missile from Vandenberg AFB at 10:00 am. As soon as Tony and I drove past the ranger shack, we looked out of the van and there was the missile searing the sky with its hot fiery tongue streaking upward quickly out of the atmosphere! Wow! Intense day and it was only 10:00 am. It seemed very ironic that this missile went off on March 1, Nuclear-Free Pacific Day! This was the 30th year since the first hydrogen test, (thermonuclear), at Bikini Island. Well, that is the Air Force for you. It wasn’t a nuclear test this time yet the irony or coincidence was too hard to ignore. There wasn’t any media at the other location, so we went back to the beach and it was time to start. We formed a circle on the beach and just a few words were said. Let us walk in peace and love, and we’re off.
A great day to begin! Lizards! Thousands of them, well I lost count at 179 but plenty more scampered along the side of the road. Sometimes they stop and glare at us for disturbing their daily sunning. Lizards always glare. Hawks – big hawks- screeched at us in the first couple of miles. We walked about fourteen to fifteen miles today, a good first day. Tony and I finished off the day at a good clip at around 4 MPH. Then it was back to the Casa de Maria to get ready to our road show on to the next stay place.
I was a bit disappointed that none of the media folks that I had previously talked with had taken the time to show up. I hope our presence will be felt by others or just that we may dwell in our own peace of mind that we tried our best and we did it with integrity. A hearty dinner, a good sleep and a new day tomorrow, Ho, All My Relations! DJO
March 2, Thursday
Adele
Back along the busy expressway in the warm sun buffeted by the winds of passing trucks, several army convoys. A few toots of support, even one from an army car. Beautiful scenes along the way, pastures, meadows, mountains. I can’t keep up with the other walkers and feel I am holding them back so I must beg Dale to be a support driver, rest my feet, at least until my shoes catch up with me. My luggage is en route from L.A. via a friend who will join us today. We must workout and balance our responsibilities. Dale takes everything on himself. I hope he can keep up his own pace without affecting his health. So far no media response but we will be on the UC campus this afternoon, hope to reach people there. It was hard to leave the Casa de Maria retreat, beautiful gardens. A peaceful house to urselves, a good place to start. AK

Friday, March 2
Day 2, Ellwood to UCSB, 9 miles, Goleta Presbyterian Church, Day walkers – Shirrel Way, Margaret.
Adele - Back along the busy expressway in the warm sun, buffeted by the winds of passing trucks, several army convoys, a few toots of support – even one from an army car. Beautiful scenes along the way, pastures, meadows, mountains. I can’t keep up with the other walkers and feel I am holding them back so I must beg Dale to be a support driver, rest my feet at least until my shoes catch up to me. My luggage is en route from L.A. via a friend who will join us today. We must work out a balance of responsibilities. Dale takes everything on himself and I hope he can keep up his own pace without affecting his health. So far no media response, but we will be on the U.C. campus this afternoon, hope to reach people there. It was hard to leave the Casa de Maria retreat – beautiful gardens, a peaceful house to ourselves, a good place to start.
Cary – We are each of us beginning to get a sense of personalities, strengths and weaknesses. We seem to overlap well in skills and interests, but for some reason, (perhaps it is still too soon), we haven’t settled into a good give and take relationship. Tonight we worked through some problems which need never have become problems. There are a lot of different ways to state feelings. We haven’t yet worked out how to do it without causing unnecessary problems. This kind of thing will come. I am glad we are away from the freeway. Now we can hear ourselves think! I hope we can start talking with each other while walking. We hit our first college campus. It was pretty quiet, but the people who came over to talk were interested and interesting. We got one letter (written in Russian) to carry, and a ten dollar donation.

Saturday, March 3
Day 3, UCSB to downtown Santa Barbara, 13 miles, Stay at 312 East Sola St.
Dale – Started off the day with a pleasant walk by the ocean. Its comforting to hear the ocean waves crashing against the shore. There was something that is still sticking in my mind from the first day and that is while we were walking past a small school near Gariota, there was a playground with a jet fighter in it. Again, we see the way in which our values are formed while at a young age. The fantasies of a child can only be of flying with that jet in a conflict situation attacking, shooting etc. I know that was definitely the case with me when I was younger. Now if it was painted vibrant colors and labeled as a jet ambulance or mail carrier or peace jet then the imagery of war might be broken.

Sunday, March 4
Day 4, Santa Barbara to Carpenteria, 14 miles, stay with Ruth and Ted Berlin, Day walker Serena
Dale – Again, a bright sunny day. Started off with a sore foot. There is a need to have a down to earth, intense rap about what each individual see’s for themselves in this walk. There are several issues that are, of course hanging over the group. But, on the other hand it all relates to sensitivity, ego, consciousness and of course this relates to some of the more weighty issues that we confront every day whether it is the walk pace, banner carrying, or rest breaks and where they should be, its not the mechanics of these issues but the sensitivity or willingness to listen to one another and to have compassion for each other and this of course relates to racism, militarism, etc. if we only want to hear ourselves or think that my way is the only way, then we are on the wrong path and our message is false.
Cary –We had a great night with the Berlin’s. We talked politics all evening and watched it on TV as well. Very stimulating discussion. I think we were an encouragement to them and that the exchange of energy was a lift for all of us. It feels good to spread a little hope around. My feet are doing fine in spite of some blisters I must be getting healing from somewhere. We saw the dolphins again this morning as we walked along Rt. 101. It will be hot today but it is great to walk beside the ocean. Our personal dynamics are improving. We still need to so some talking, but I think our first “crisis” is over. Our next may arise when we have to deal with the desert. I have a feeling that that may not be as much of a problem as we suspect right now, however I am an optimist. We had our lunch on a tiny strip of beach hidden behind the rocks. While I stood for a while with my feet I the water and the gulls overhead eating food, prepared for us by friends who believe in what we are doing. I watched the pelicans eating food prepared by the sea. I have felt more intensity here than anywhere, yet the power waking in us. I will be sad to leave the sea. It has a strength for life that I doubt any nuclear holocaust could crush. We may sear the skin off the earth, but even afterwards, in the place where it all began, it would begin again.

Day 5, Monday March 5
Walked approx. 18 miles, Stayed with Ronnie Adams, Ron Hertz, Ventura CA.
Day 6, Tuesday, March 6
Walked approx. 20 miles, Stayed with Paul Kay, Oxnard, Ca.
Day 7, Wednesday, March 7
Walked approx. 20 miles, stayed with Helen Hatapoff, Malibu, Ca.

Dale – Well, here it is the 7th day! Wednesday, Ash Wednesday. We vigiled at Pt. Magu and were harassed, so to speak. No freedom of speech or religion either. No leafleting here, they say. We walked 20-22 miles today probably closer to 20 miles and tomorrow on towards L.A. We had two folks stop by the road to day and asked about the walk, one of those individuals had a daughter that was on the Bethlehem Peace Pilgrimage. Yesterday, we went to Pt. Magu from Ventura and got some radio play from KVEN and it was a long day of winding around streets to try and make our way to the base. When we got there, grim testimony to the work that goes on there. A missile park! Replicas of all the missiles, the daggers of death, they’ve tested. And the newest idol is at the front gate, the Cruise missile. Well, when we got there, we were a bit scattered and were not totally clear about our situation because none of us had been there before. But, ahead we went. We came up to the line where it said U.S. Govt. property and crossed over it without much thought. On toward the main gate to vigil. Well, traffic was going pretty thick out of the facility and we came up to the main gate but we were still scattered and unclear what we wanted to accomplish. It was apparent that the 2 military police officers were very agitated by our presence. So we crossed back to the side of the road to vigil but we weren’t together with unity and this was immediate so I said if we are not in unity then we should leave and I then said let’s go and we headed out. On our way out, the security stopped us. It seemed very unjust and I refused and said that I didn’t have I.D. for it seemed that we should have a right to walk peaceably. But with the government, these rights don’t exist! I asked the military commander why, but he said it was arbitrary who they would stop, so it is a message that we will carry with us. It was a good experience for us.
Later that evening, we had a small gathering and there was a young man from Kampochea, (Cambodia) and he was so humble in his manner, grateful for whatever was offered that he took a long time in accepting any food. He has no doubt been through a long and arduous journey, more than we can ever appreciate. Earlier in the day, at a park, a Hispanic man came to us because he saw we were a group of people who laughed and were happy and he was moved by that to approach us. His name was Prolencio (?) and he said that he was an alcoholic but he knew that with all of his faults, if he accepted Jesus, then Jesus will be with you. Any mistakes that he has made will be forgiven. He kept shaking my hand and showing his friendship and wanting to express his appreciation for our friendliness towards one another. Even with all his faults, he knew that if we were true to ourselves, we are with the lord. I was very moved by his empathy and sincerity.

Day 11, Sunday, March 11

March 8. Ah, the first rest day and a much needed one at that. It was quite a long haul but in a way I think it tested our fiber to see if we could make the grade. We are staying with David & Jackie for both the 10th and 11th. We’ll start walking tomorrow to Santa Monica from Malibu. Malibu was o.k. until we got closer to Santa Monica, then it got very busy and a lot of narrow space to walk and too much private beach to rest. I didn’t like that stretch at all. No place to eat lunch, hard to stop with the car and so on. But we did find some rocks to sit on underneath a house and that was nice. The ocean washing on the rocks just a few feet away. We had another intense discussion and I unloaded a lot of baggage that I had been carrying. But, of course problems crept up later. We finally made it to St. Agustines by the Sea. Several folks arrived to greet us, Steve Osgood, Jerry Rubin, David & Jackie and we all made our way over to the potluck at Barry and Shirley’s. Several folks showed up there and we had a nice round circle discussion on the peace walk but also discussion on other topics. The following morning we were going to walk to Los Angeles.
March 9.

We started off the day 3/9/84 with a circle at the Rand Corporation across the street from city hall. A woman who worked in the mayor’s office came over and wished us well. I spoke to her the day before and she was going to get a letter from the mayor so we could bring that to Russia. Jerry Rubin arrived with a globe and a candle inside it for a brief vigil at the Rand headquarters. Following that, we proceeded to the park where the children’s tree of life was growing. Very simple and pro-life is what Tony mentioned. While walking towards L.A., we were joined by Sister Sawada, a Buddhist nun from the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist order. It was a pleasure walking with her. I called a lot of media but alas to no avail as none of the contact came to document the walk. As we walked, our tension built and something as simple as a “Don’t Walk” sign could trigger problems and discord within the group. We really didn’t realize it but walking towards the downtown L.A. Civic Center on a Friday afternoon at 5:00 p.m. was an insane thing to do. Yet, we did it and as Pamela indicated to us later, a lot of people had seen us and we survived. Although it lead to a lot of tension, and as a result some of us lost our tempers, and Tony decided to fast and not walk the following day. I don’t know if this will continue or will it lead us to greater clarity, but the issues are the same communication, clarity, leadership, and purpose related issues that keep arising again and again. I see it as an evolving and continuing and learning process.

March 10.
Dale
The next day we started off early and journeyed to the ocean to say goodbye to the Pacific. We had a ceremony to bless ourselves and bid a fond farewell. I then drove Adele and Cary to City Hall to start walking and then drove to see Chuck at the bakery. He was someone that we met on the journey and he gave me two boxes of food. He’s a real gem and he spoke of the fact of living in community with the same people for a couple of years. He talked about the confusion of not knowing what, where, why answers and that doubt will plague us time and time again. Should we continue or should we give up? Thoughts and insights that were comforting in respect to the strive that we found in our group. On this day, we were just down to two walkers but it was a pleasant journey, emotions were light that day and that is just what we needed. Our first ten days and I must say that it was a true test of our will and determination. There will be many more days ahead and we shall experience and I will try to look and listen and try to be aware and sensitive to all that comes into our reality. Try your best.

March, 11.
Adele
It seems strange to be leaving the walk after 11 days of high excitement, for me the fun is both the changing scenes and especially the evening sessions with people, where we all get encouragement and highs from each other, for us to continue the trek, for them to continue organizing in all their different groups and activities, from religious vigils to civil disobedience and jail terms. The walking itself is jut a chore to be done, like the phoning and mail and shopping. My reward is the people, I realize finally at Jackie and David’s house. (Physical fitness is a pretty good by-product, as my feet toughen up. But I still can’t walk fast enough or long enough to keep up with the others.) We all love talking about ourselves to a captive audience, although that will soon get boring as we fall into a set pattern. I hope the walk hangs together long enough to add the new people who will bring new vigor plus new conflict as they try to fit in. I wish there was a way to go slower so we could talk to people on the street, leave leaflets with them and have a bigger impact.
It’s amazing what a variety of experiences, conflicts, agreements, growth and change there has been in the past 11 days, a constant source of adrenalin pouring into the blood. It was good to hear David talking of his walk where people looked after each other when care was needed, but still there was constant turnover so that when the walk reached the East coast, there was a whole new cast of characters. Will this happen to this walk too? Can this walk withstand the different goals people bring? It’s like an ongoing soap opera, instant family-community with all its problems.

March, 12.
Cary
Our first rest day was great. It is amazing what 24 hours of rest can do. Tony, Dale, and I went to Friends Meeting with our hosts and talked with some of the people. They were very supportive. The house was beautiful with lots of gardens and big rooms and quiet. We all seemed to split up and be alone for a while, reading, writing letters, taking naps. We got some shopping done and some talking. We had a meeting in the afternoon. Some issues that had been vague to me now became clear. Money is among them. We need to put our bodies in to everyone’s satisfaction, but different ideas about the purpose of the walk are creating some conflicts about how money is spent. This will need to be worked out carefully. There are other important things that didn’t really get dealt with, such as vigils and leafleting. The walk cannot be all things to all people. Right now we have two very different perceptions of the way the walk should be and yet we have only one walk. And what will happen when others join?
We all had a spaghetti dinner that evening, our last with Adele. A friend of hers joined us and Dale went back to L.A. to get Sister Sawada, who could walk with us for a while. It was a great meal with good company. We said goodbye to Adele and her friend, cleaned up and went to bed. Tomorrow we will walk 20+ miles.

Jacqui Holt March, 12. I enjoyed meeting all of you. You are walking for all of us. Thank you. In peace and love, Jacqui.David Wayte, March 12.
It was a blessing to spend the week with you. Your warmth and enthusiasm filled our home with a beautiful energy. I hope that the diversity of your group continues to give you strength across the country. You are spreading light wherever you walk and bringing people together with your quiet inspiration. Tony with enthusiasm and intensity, Cary with her clear commitment to non-violence, Adele with her marvelous sense of humor, and Dale with his energy and vision. Peace be with all of you.


Dale, March 12.

I think Mondays always get a bad rap. This Monday was a pretty darn good day. We stared out around 8:00 a.m. with David & Jacqui and Sawada Angi-san. It’s great to have some fresh blood in the walk. We had a long day today, close to 20+ miles. A woman stopped us on the road and gave us a $25 donation. Great! We walked past some apartments and a man who apparently had just been woken up by the drums yelled at me to knock the drumming. I can understand that it is an infringement of his right to sleep in peace but on the other hand when I beat the drum, I’m praying for the children of the earth. Si where does the interest lie or where should one stand? Well, anyhow it was a day in which we passed through six communities maybe more. They all run into one another. Well. I was very tired and drove a lot. At one point during the latter part of the afternoon, I just had to stop and close my eyes for a bit. Well, I pulled into a parking lot and promptly fell asleep. Sure enough many visions and dreams zipped through my mind, then I heard the drums and opened my eyes to see the walkers arriving and a van pulled up and people spilled out of the van and more followed behind. About 25 people stared to walk with us. It was great! It gave the group a definite power-boost. We walked to a park and then had a brief vigil near the park. Jack Nouman was there just getting out of jail and he seemed just like I would have pictured him. There is a lot of character in his eyes and his face. I sense a deep intensity. At the meeting after dinner we just shared thoughts and perspectives but it was real close and in a very intimate level. People were very interested and we spoke from our hearts. Jack is someone I would like to spend some time with. He impressed me very much though we only spoke a few words. His presence was felt.

Day 13, 25 miles. March 13. Newman Center San Bernardino.

Day 14, 20 miles. Cary, March 14.

Right now it is so peaceful. I am in the car on a quiet little four-lane road that winds through rolling, grassy hills. There are lots of fluffy gray clouds but the sun is out and I can hear birds and insects and smell the grass and earth. It rained most of the morning. Tony and Dale are walking someplace behind me. We are almost through for the for the day. We had a break-time vigil outside of Norton AFB. We stayed for about 20 minutes and no one bothered us. Tony went for the car and Dale and I kept walking. We walked for about 20 minutes and then saw someone taking pictures of us. It was a reporter. Just as he was about to leave a strange car pulled a fast U-turn right in front of us and the men inside said he was the police. He looked very angry and asked for our names. When he asked the reporter, who said he was the press, his attitude changed like night to day. It was very funny. If the reporter had just said his name and watched, he might have had a good story. Likely a harassment story. Instead, we were politely informed of Norton Air Base touchiness and asked a few interview-type questions. We received handshakes, smiles and a caution to be careful about traffic. It was somewhat embarrassing. If the reporter had not been there, the detective would have given us both barrels. Such a coincidence. The reporter was amused and we get an interesting story out of this. It was a good example of the power of the press in certain situations. The public eye is important to the powers that be, thank goodness, and they are more likely to watch their step when it turns in their direction.

Dale, March 14.

Well, 12 bells just sounded and so it is really the next day but since I live in the past so much, lets reflect on yesterday. The past two days have been remarkably less tense amongst us. We are coming to terms with each other and our situation as well. Today, we walked in the rain and it was a bit heavy at times but very cleansing and refreshing. We conducted a vigil at Norton AFB and just by our simple presence attracted attention that included being tailed by base security as we walked around the fence of the base. The base has the role of military airlift command in support of the Grenada invasion. There is also an MX Missile connection and a TRW facility nearby. Yesterday, we walked through Fontana and were later told that a lot of Klan activity takes place in that community. It perceived a bit more hostility in that area than usual but nothing that would seem different that the normal hostility that we often find. Pamela called tonight and had some concerns about the drumming. She thought that the drums may cause some difficult situations up the road either with organizers or with walkers. I understand what she is saying, which is to say that if I am a Buddhist then that would be clear and understood but I am not a Buddhist so that may be difficult for people to understand why I would use the drum. I really enjoyed the company of Sister Sawada and the energy that she brings to the group but most importantly is her intensity balanced with her light touch. I wish she could have stayed for a little bit longer. Today, we were joined by a young man who walked with us for an hour and a half. He was from the area and was involved in “Iron-man” Triathlons. A great deal of stamina needed for that activity. P.S. Don’t forget the huge lemons and orange orchards! The size of grapefruits!

Day 17, March 17, Hemet, Ca.

Dale – Happy St. Patrick’s day!