The labyrinth site in its own way is welcoming the opening strains of summer. All of the delicate growth of spring — the Texas mountain laurel (sophora secundiflora) and the tiny, succulent nopalitos and its flowers — have slowly stepped out of the limelight, giving way to more hardscrabble plants and patient grasses.
With the labyrinth now functional, focus shifts from the labor of creation to the labor of sustenance. The travails of childbirth are one thing; the feeding and caring of the newborn are entirely different.
The labyrinth will require ongoing weeding. We're looking into eco-friendly weed control methods. Natural outcroppings will also occur, require tending, digging, backfilling. At night, armadillos and other critters root for food under the labyrinth rocks, making slight displacements here and there, requiring an ecological dance. God watches it all and hopefully says, "it is good."
And the space is now available for you. If you're reading this, and you want to come out and experience the labyrinth, you'd be welcome. More than welcome. Over the next few weeks I'll be finishing up a walker's guide to the labyrinth, offering prayer and scripture suggestions, and placing them in a small, waterproof box at the entrance.
I took a lot of joy in watching people walk the path for the first time during the Franciscan Retreat this past weekend. On Saturday morning after Lauds, I went out to the path in complete darkness: when I emerged from the low canopy of the prayer walk it was still essentially dark — at 5:50am you can see the city lights in the distance — but by the time I got to the center of the labyrinth the cows were moving around and I could see pretty well. And by the time I came full circle, you could see just fine, though the sun wasn't yet visible over the treeline.
More labyrinth thoughts soon... -= p
Maybe you could borrow Martin's Organic Weeder (AKA blowtorch).
Posted by: Chelsea | Thursday, May 22, 2008 at 07:37 PM
I have been fascinated with the progress you are making as I feel a deep desire to create a labyrinth in our community.
One of our national gardens is close to use here - Kingsbrae Gardens in St. Andrews by the Sea and they use a commercial grade of vinegar to keep weeds at bay. My girlfriend who works there told me it is available at most garden centers, but they don't promote it because the profit on it is so minimal.
Posted by: Heidi Renee | Friday, May 23, 2008 at 09:24 AM