OAImages Blog

Well here we go, the second set from an Oregon Lodge. Wauna La-Mon’Tay issued just 250 of these sets with 100 going to the members that have signed up. That left 150 for the collecting community (Less 8 that I know with 4 collectors buying 2 each).

An interesting fiction story goes with this set. The story was created by John Durbetaki and his son Mark is printed below. Enjoy

“The Path There And Back Again”

Once Ursus made a pledge to help the people and he did not ask them for anything in return, thought he knew they would see actions and learn to perform good deeds for others. He also knew that they would serve others best when the deeds were performed with a glad heart.

Seeing that the people are willing to serve, Ursus tells them of a great project, a project that will take many hands, many strong arms, and many nights, which would be held at the lodge of the quail.

The people ask him to tell how they will know this lodge of the quail.

Ursus tells the story…

Before the people were on the Earth, there were the Great Sky Spirits. The Sky Spirits lived in the Above World which was white and cold, an icy cold that made the Chief, who was called Sky Spirit, very tired. Sky Spirit decided that he should make a new home on the Earth. Sky Spirit needed to make a path to get to the Earth, so with a stone, he carved a hole in the sky. Through the hole he pushed ice and snow to the earth. This piled up quite high, so high, that Sky Spirit was able to step down from the sky. Sky Spirit named the mound Mt. Shasta.

As Sky Spirit descended the mountain, the snow melted where he stepped. Where he touched his finger, up sprang trees. When the wind blew through the trees, the some of the leaves turned into birds. Sky Spirit broke pieces of his walking stick into small pieces and tossed them into the rivers, making fish and beaver. Some larger pieces of his stick he threw to the ground and up sprang many different animals. The largest of all the animals was Bear.

Sky Spirit climbed back up Mount Shasta to make his lodge for his family. Sky Spirit then made a big fire, for Sky Spirit was very tired of the cold. Sky Spirit would take very large logs and throw them on his great fire. When he did, the ground all around Mount Shasta would shake and smoke and sparks would fly into the air on top of the mountain.

The people stopped Ursus and asked why they should go to a mountain of fire and smoke. This does not sound like a lodge of the quail. Ursus replied that Sky Spirit long ago left the lodge and returned with his family to his home in the Above World. Now, Mount Shasta is a place used by many people and many animals ali9ke. Now it has the lodge of the quail.
Ursus spoke further, “there will be a great gathering of people. These people will travel many paths to Mount Shasta, some short and some very long. All will come to help with deeds. I, Ursus know that many people in the lodge of “the Great Columbia River that flows from the Mountains” have performed deeds for the people in the villages, as well as other deeds for those of the camps. For this, many have learned of leadership in service and have been recognized, some for as many as three winters.”

Ursus continued: “Though the winter may see an end to the recognition, it is but a beginning of a longer journey. This longer journey continues at Mount Shasta.”

“First, to prepare for this journey, you must gather the people of your own lodge: All the people on both sides of the great river, the horse people, the people of the white mountains and their sisters, the people of the white rivers, the people of the valleys between the mountains, the people of the mountains where the tress are very large and the people where the smaller mountains and the river meet the sea.”

“Next, you must master the tools of the servant and the tools of the leader. The tools of the servant are the tools of the woods and trails, the land and the water.”

The people ask what are the tools of the leader. Ursus replies “many of the tools of the leader are those of the servant. He who sets the example of leadership in service is a great leader.”

“You will learn much about the land and stewardship, but most importantly, you will learn about yourself. Use these things on your journey along the path there and back again.”