Wednesday, July 26th, 2023
Red Deer, Alberta
It was time to bid farewell to the devotees of Calgary, and the hour arrived when we were destined to move on to Red Deer. Mahadeva, Annapurna, and I were driven by an enthusiastic, and younger than me, Satyavrata, to his home turf in Red Deer. With these travels, our accommodation and meals were covered.
As mentioned in one of our recent discussions with newbies to Krishna in Thunder Bay, "We eat prasadam, which is food blessed and then consumed. God (Krishna) gets first serving then there are those of us who follow. We all need that break."
After the tasty prasadam in Red Deer, Mahadev, Satyavrata, and I took to burning calories by way of a walk along Red Deer River at Bower Park. The trail included the nature strip we will use as the upcoming first Chariot Fest in this town. I was impressed with what the city has done, investing in making the grounds and trail pretty. It also includes a stage for Shakespeare this summer in the park. I was less impressed with homeless circumstances where folks set up camp in the woodsy area. This phenomena is prevalent in places across North America. It's a huge social challenge.
The trek was better than usual with perfect weather. Poplars, cottonwoods, and coniferous trees line the river. A rush to get back to the house became our reality as we were scheduled for a sangha which addresses the need for connecting with the spiritual family in Red Deer. As we were about to exit the park, a group of geese reminded us of how important family is. The sangha went well, as we sang, feasted, and dwelt on the Gita's verse 7.26 about how the Supreme Person knows all the three phases of time.
MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!
11 km
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