Greetings to all near and far. I hope Spring has finally reached your homelands.

Spring has finally made it to Washoe Valley, but she has been very temperamental. Brother Winter has had a difficult time letting go of his icy hold on the land and shy Spring is still struggling to take her rightful place in the valley.

Jackrabbits, Cottontails, Squirrels, Quail and many other birds I watch every day on the little mountain behind my home seem to not be too upset about the weather being tossed back and forth like a tennis ball between Spring and Winter.

The Hawks hover and watch all the busy little critters on the mountain and seem to be happy with their lot.
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Mother's Day is coming up soon. It is a time to honor and show extra attention to the special women in your family. I wish all Mothers and Grandmothers a very happy and blessed Mother's Day.
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Walker Lake Educational Day (Hawthorne, Nevada) was held on Saturday, May 1. Efforts to save one of Nevada's beautiful desert lakes has been the focus of Walker Lake Working Group. http://www.walkerlake.org/about/about_home.html To bring more awareness to the public about the ecosystem crisis of one of Nevada's natural treasures the event was open to the public and admission was free.

One of Nevada's natural treasures, Walker Lake is in crisis. Like Pyramid Lake, 39 miles east of Reno, Walker Lake is part of what is left of the ancient Lake Lahontan which at one time covered parts of Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming.

Walker Lake is in Paiute country.

At least 11,000 years ago the Agai Ticcatta (trout eaters), ancestors of today's Walker Lake Paiute tribe, occupied the lush and fertile area. They were a hunter-gatherer society and lived off the abundance of fish, seeds, berries, rice grass, plants, pine nuts and water fowl. A variety of animals (antelope, deer, mountain sheep, and rabbit) were also available to supply them with a much more balanced diet than what most people have today.

An old Paiute legend tells of two sea serpents in Walker Lake, male and female, who once were human. Elders warned their children to not talk about them in fun - they were to be respected and left alone. Early settlers in the area also claimed to have seen these legendary creatures.

In 1928, a geological exploration discovered the final resting place of Ichthyosaur, Fish Lizard, which was stranded and lived in the mud flats when the ancient seas receded. Almost forty fossils of the sixty foot long Ichthyosaur were found in an area of exposed lake bed.

Now that is a big critter!
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April 2010 articles:

The Spirit Lodge
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art21489.asp

Goes Across The Sky Woman
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art21490.asp

Echos Of The Drum 2010
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art21493.asp

Traditional Native American Weddings
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art21570.asp

I hope you enjoy my articles. As always I welcome feedback.
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"I would place all the Indians of Nevada on ships in our harbor, take them to New York and land them there as immigrants, that they might be received with open arms...." - Sarah Winnemucca, 1844 - 1891
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Till next time, may your heart and moccasins always find a happy path. Blessings and Walk in Beauty and Harmony.
Phyllis
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