Posts Tagged ‘World Labyrinth Day’
Great Event
The usual calm and quiet has returned to Wintervale this morning. I think the horses sense that Cyndie’s and my energy has significantly changed, moving from the hyperactive tensions of preparation mode to a serene afterglow now that World Labyrinth Day 2026 is in the past. The beautiful weather with bright sunshine helped to create a perfect setting for visitors.
Asher kept me company while I set up the Wintervale flag near the road to give first-time visitors a sign they were at the right place. For some reason, my phone camera made that view look like our entrance is a U-turn from the road, which is not the case. The angle is much less than 180°.
Cyndie turned our storm door into a sign for anyone who arrived while we were both down at the labyrinth. I was too busy gabbing away with folks to take a picture of the spread Cyndie set out on the center island of our kitchen, but you can be assured that there were plenty of scones, cookies, vegetables, cheese & crackers, grapes, and a couple of versions of flatbread pizza square bites for good measure.
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We moved Cyndie’s precious door table down near the labyrinth with a tub of beverages that turned out to be very popular. She also provided cards with some guidelines for maximizing one’s experience walking the roundabout pathway into and out of the “not-a-maze.”
A mix of friends, family, and acquaintances participated in trodding during the appointed hour of meditation on all things peace-related. One of my favorite aspects of peace is joyfulness, and there was plenty of joy expressed in the congregating of like-minded souls.
I couldn’t help myself lamenting the event happening so early in our growing season that it looks barren compared to the lush growth that will be obvious in a few more weeks. It was agreed by a variety of others that my idea of holding our own local version of a meditative walk on the topic of LOVE could happen later in the summer, to allow people to enjoy the scenery at its best.
It would take us less preparatory effort if people just came to enjoy our sanctuary as their opportunity arose. I expressed that to everyone I spoke with in hopes they would take me up on the offer in the future.
Every time we have visitors, it clarifies the fact that our property is so much more rewarding when we get to share it with others. It’s a win/win when someone who experiences great joy being here ends up doubling our joy for being able to welcome them.
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Labyrinth Day 2026
Never mind that the first Saturday in May is when the Kentucky Derby is run every year; this is also the day when labyrinth walkers the world over walk as one at 1:00 (in each of their respective time zones) to meditate on peace, creating a wave of energy that circles the globe.
I gave the lanes of our labyrinth a final mow yesterday and then steered the riding mower along all of the grass walking paths around our property. We’ll spend this morning tending to last-minute details and then become greeters for potentially a record crowd for Labyrinth Day on our property.
The labyrinth is looking as good as we could make it this time of year. The main thing missing is leaves on bushes and trees, and flower blossoms on plants that bloom. Early May is too early in the growing season to do our property justice, but folks will get the gist of how special this place is.
Cyndie is expecting quite a few people who have never been here before. We are looking forward to sharing the glory of our paradise with newcomers. I asked Cyndie if we should close off the hay field to limit the horses to the back pasture near the labyrinth. We decided that they are so beautiful to watch out front that we’d let them continue to have full run of their territory.
Do you think our horses are aware that the big “Run for the Roses” race happens in Kentucky today? That world is a long time ago in their lives. They might have a sense that other horses are running, but I’m pretty sure they are fully submersed in their lives of retirement, which has absolutely nothing to do with track racing.
At one o’clock this afternoon, all minds will be focused on world peace. I suspect the horses will be picking that signal up loud and clear.
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Love Energy
This morning, I received an email reminder of the 2nd anniversary of the passing of a man I feel extremely lucky to have known, even though I only encountered him a dozen or more times over a number of years up to the end of his life. It has me thinking about what a gift it is to have this kind of influence on others.
For far too many years from adolescence through my 40s, I felt more angst and bitterness about the world than I care to admit. I attempted to mask it from others to a reasonable degree, but that energy was probably always emanating toward people around me.
Being able to know the difference in my energy since treating my depression offers hope that any influence that might linger with people in the years after I’m gone will be a lot more loving than if I hadn’t addressed my mental health.
I asked Cyndie to review the people who have responded with intentions to come walk our labyrinth on Saturday, May 2nd, and learned it is a wide array of folks who likely won’t know each other.
We are looking forward to letting all the love energy of our property and animals give people a boost in ways they may not anticipate. I’m watching the weather forecast and plotting a goal of having the grass freshly mowed by the appointed hour of visitors arriving.
If conditions hold as the current projections suggest, this could be the first World Labyrinth Day with sunshine for us in years. That is a truly lovely outcome that I am looking forward to enjoying.
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Early Preparations
The arrival of humid air was certainly palpable the second we opened the door yesterday afternoon as the clouds thinned and peeks of sunshine appeared. The temperature climbed into the 70s (F), inspiring us to spend a little time down at the labyrinth.
World Labyrinth Day is only three weeks away, and we would like things to look their best, despite this being way too early in the growing season for plantings to look healthy. The vines climbing the gazebo look rather skeletal.
I pruned the weeping crabapple tree, contemplating the odds that it will be flowering in all its glory during the first weekend of May. The log stools around the fire pit had rotted to the point of disintegration. I toppled them and rolled the pieces into the brush beyond.
Cyndie wanted to make a mossy boulder in the brush beyond the labyrinth more visible, so I trimmed away the shoots growing up in front of it. I have no idea if its glory will continue to stand out once all the leaves around it show up, but it is worth a try. It is a beautiful specimen.
It has come time to deal with the dead maple transplant at the center of the labyrinth. The young trunk has developed a nice covering of lichens that accentuate the fact that it is no longer living.
I wrapped my hand around the trunk and pushed and pulled to see how much it would sway. The saturated ground made it sound like the roots were moving in standing water. Not having a saw with me at the moment, the tree stands for another day. One of the upper branches has already snapped off. I found it scattered on the ground below about a month ago.
On my way back to the barn, I noticed a young willow tree had sprouted its catkins. Leaves won’t be far behind.
I am very curious to find out how much different everything will look by May 2nd. It is already evident that there are places where the grass will need to be mowed between now and then to give our place the most welcoming of appearances for the number of first-time visitors we are expecting this year.
Whether or not we get several consecutive dry days sometime during that span will go a long way toward determining whether the ground will be firm enough to support wheeled equipment without making an unsightly muddy mess.
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Under Construction
One phrase that has stuck with me since I first encountered it on an elementary school classroom bulletin board is, “In like a lamb, out like a lion,” in reference to the month of March. Well, the second-to-last day of March was downright summer-like and way more lamb than lion by every measure. Today looks reasonably sane for the last day of the month, though not nearly as warm. Tomorrow, April looks like it will be coming in like a penguin.
I am happy to report that we landed a first-of-the-day service appointment for our furnace, and the problem was diagnosed quickly. How many Technicians have said, “Blown capacitor” in their careers? Yeah, and this particular capacitor only costs $250.
Thank goodness they elected to waive the labor and service visit fees, since it was so close to the recent annual checkup appointment. That would have doubled the expense. Oof.
Good thing nothing else is getting expensive in our economy.
Monday morning at the barn with the horses was a different experience yesterday. The first official day of road closures for a construction project on the main highway just north of Elsworth appears to have kicked a fair number of morning commuters onto our road as an alternative route. Oh joy.
The project schedule indicates completion by late September. I hope most folks will have figured out a more preferable option than our road in short order. Drivers in a hurry to get to work are a real buzz-kill on the usual serenity that defines life here.
World Labyrinth Day is just over a month away. At least it happens on a Saturday, so commuters should be less of an issue. It would be nice if our “walk as one at 1:00” for peace were able to happen in peace. Start planning now and save May 2nd to join us on the first Saturday in May.
It’ll be an easy date to remember. It’s the day after the planned Nationwide General Strike and the same day as the Kentucky Derby run for the roses. Pausing in the middle of the day to meditate on peace in the world is like having a cool drink of water when you are hot and exhausted.
A warm and sunny day would be a bonus, but that feature is a tough one to guarantee. I don’t want to seem greedy, so I will merely be seeking a dry day with no snow anywhere in sight.
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Valuable Miles
Saturday afternoon was darn near perfect for our World Labyrinth Day walk for peace. We had 8 people join us, which isn’t the smallest number of folks we’ve hosted for this annual event. They were all precious individuals, but the one person who was a particularly pleasant surprise was a neighbor we’d never met who dropped in after seeing an invite I posted on the Nextdoor app.
If anybody is wondering, my annual measurement of the trunk of the transplanted maple tree in the center of the labyrinth revealed a 3/16ths of an inch increase in circumference since my initial reading a year ago.
Yesterday, I took the day off from chores and went for a bike ride with Rich Gordon, one of my special friends from the annual bike ride in June. He was kind enough to drive all the way to Beldenville to join me in a loop of country roads over hills and through valleys of the driftless region around our home.
We are always looking for opportunities to season our butts against our bike saddles in preparation for days of long mileage in June on The Tour of Minnesota.
The Rush River valley offers some beautiful scenery after ten miles of farm fields.
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I was pointing out the top of the ridge visible through the trees that will soon be obscured by leaves. Climbing out of that valley was probably the most daunting of the many climbs we pedaled up, as may be discernible in the graphic above showing the elevations we traversed. We weren’t even halfway into the loop, so that effort made the rest of the route seem a little more taxing on our now-tired legs. When we reached the top, we paused for a snack break in the shade and quickly made friends with one of the residents who lived at that address.
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The second biggest climb came when we departed from El Paso. Rich made it look easy.
Compared to the biggest beast of a hill, it was a little bit easier. There was also the psychological boost of knowing we were that much closer to our finish line, and none of the remaining hills would be as long.
I’m encouraged by the fact that I was able to accomplish all the climbing without needing to rely on an assist from the battery I was lugging along in the frame of my Trek Domane e-bike. Having a friend along on the ride was a morale boost that prevented my usual lack of determination to push myself quite as hard.
My body will likely offer up some complaints today in the form of muscle stiffness, but I’ve got plenty of my usual physical activities on tap, tending to things around the ranch to keep me moving.
I’ll probably wait another day or two before my next conditioning ride of any substantial miles. Maybe I’ll opt for a nice flat trail ride to complement yesterday’s hilly terrain.
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Sisyphean Endeavors
Happy World Labyrinth Day! Even though I had mowed the center of the labyrinth pathway with the push mower, a lot of tall grass remained around the rocks where the mower blade couldn’t reach. Ever the perfectionist, I was unable to resist the urge to do a little touch-up with our battery-powered string trimmer. The more I worked, the more I noticed additional areas deserving a trim.
The next thing you know, I had walked back to the shop to get the gas-powered string trimmer in order to trim around both sides of the rock barriers for the entire length of the circuitous path. This is not a zero-time exercise. While I was toiling away on this struggle to get the spinning plastic line into every nook and cranny without constantly breaking off because of impact with rocks, it occurred to me how Sisyphean the activity is.
My life is a Sisyphean effort to control nature’s endless tendencies. The rock always rolls back down whenever it nears the top.
When the sun shines in the spring, every growing thing takes off at breakneck speed toward achieving maximum potential. When I try to control where we want some things to grow or where we don’t want other plants to grow at all, the universe laughs.
It never ceases to amaze me that blades of grass can push up through the asphalt along the edges of our driveway.
The other winless battle I wage is against the flow of water. Try as I might, I cannot convince water to only flow where I want it to go. Water will not flow uphill; that seems easy enough. However, water will gladly choose any alternate route that offers less resistance to a lower elevation at a given moment.
Every spring, I try to shape the ground to guide snowmelt or rain runoff away from the paddock gates. Every spring, that effort ultimately fails.
At least I get to enjoy how things look for the brief day or two after I’ve rolled the symbolic rock most of the way up the hill.
Cyndie has prepared a few treats for refreshments, and I intend to light a small campfire by the labyrinth for our “Walk as One at 1:00” today. Feel free to send your own beams of peace pondering into the universal consciousness wherever you find yourself at 1:00 p.m. in your local time zone. The wave has already started traveling around the globe on this first Saturday in May in the year 2025.
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Between Showers
We received rain in several waves that lived up to the weather forecast for yesterday. Despite the precipitation, we pulled off a few good projects on our to-do list for this week. First off, the horses had a morning appointment with the farrier.
Heather reported a significant amount of growth in hooves since her last visit. The horses were reasonably well-behaved throughout each of their trimmings. Mix was unnecessarily fussy about the confinement we forced on her for all of an hour and a half, but stood well when that was required for Heather to do her thing. The herd returned to calm as soon as halters were removed and gates all reopened. They didn’t waste much time getting back out on the fresh grass.
For my next project, I decided to set up under the hay shed roof to cut some blocks of wood for the shade sail posts going into the ground.
The plan is to screw these blocks onto the 6×6 posts to add a ledge that will resist forces pushing upwards. I decided to get fancy and cut angles in the bottom side of each block so there won’t be a flat surface to push against from below. Since these blocks will overlap on one end all the way around the square, I made one additional cut at a compound angle to mate the slant of the adjacent block.
Go ahead and try to picture that in your head, if you can figure it out. It was all rather experimental for me, having no experience with this level of carpentry. I’m understandably chuffed that I achieved the result I was after and only needed to cut one extra block due to a mistake.
For reasons that escape me, the horses came back to the paddocks and hung around nearby as I worked. You’d think the repeating loud buzzing sound of the saw starting and stopping would drive them off, but it was just the opposite. It made me happy to have them linger in the vicinity while I was in production mode.
When I was finished with that project, I looked at the radar and saw that time was limited until the next batch of rain. I decided to take a crack at mowing the labyrinth between showers.
I made it all the way through the labyrinth and cut a lot of the surrounding area before it started to sprinkle again. It was light enough rain that I was able to keep mowing until I finished everything I wanted cut.
For the first time in several years, we are expecting a dry, sunny day for World Labyrinth Day tomorrow. We are not in the best climate zone to show off our Forest Garden Labyrinth in early May, but we make due. It’s a little like having a flower show without any flowers. That doesn’t mean a person can’t enjoy taking a meandering stroll down the curving path while meditating on global peace, but it would be that much more inspiring to have leaves on the branches and flowers on stems.
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Open Invite
If you are curious about what it would be like to walk our Forest Garden Labyrinth, there’s no better day than the first Saturday in May every year when The Labyrinth Society sponsors their annual World Labyrinth Day event, “Walk as One at 1.”
This year, the first Saturday falls on May 3rd, and we are hosting an open house from Noon to 2 p.m. with refreshments provided.
For me, the charm of World Labyrinth Day is the concept of people creating a wave of peaceful meditation that moves around the planet as each time zone reaches 1:00 in the afternoon.
Peace is always a worthwhile subject deserving our attention, but this year feels more deserving than ever with all the rancor being caused by the systematic destruction of democratic principles occurring by the day.
Our Wintervale Forest Garden Labyrinth is registered with The Labyrinth Society and can be found on their worldwide locator here.
We have been hosting Peace Walks on World Labyrinth Day for many years, despite the first Saturday in May always being too early in the growing season for our 11-circuit Chartres pattern to look its absolute best.
The above photo is how it appeared last year on World Labyrinth Day. That day, I started what I hope will be a tradition I keep every year on the first Saturday in May. I measured the circumference of the maple tree we transplanted to the center of the labyrinth.
In just under two weeks, I will find out how much bigger the trunk has gotten in a year. I have no idea what to expect. It’s pretty hard to notice a detail like that by just looking at its appearance.
It would make me happy if I could be taking this year’s measurement under a clear blue sky on a warm spring day. Fingers crossed for good weather…
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Peace Meditations
’Twas the first Saturday in May
And all through the labyrinth
Plenty of creatures were stirring
Especially the burrowing pests
Today is World Labyrinth Day. Despite the first Saturday of May always arriving too soon for our beautiful growing perennials in the labyrinth garden and the trees surrounding it to have fully blossomed, we still try to tidy it up as much as possible for the annual peace walk at one o’clock.
I had the electric riding mower out and about again yesterday in an attempt to knock down the outrageously tall and thick areas of overgrown grass in multiple places, despite several of them holding puddles of water and most of the soil being too saturated to support the tire traffic.
I had to swallow my pride a couple of times when the spinning wheels turned what had been nice grass turf into wide smears of muddy skid marks. I deemed it tolerable damage in this case, given the difficult situation we were in to get ready on the only day left when it wasn’t raining.
It’s too bad the prediction for this morning is at an 80% chance of more rain. Even if precipitation pauses around the middle of the day, we will likely be walking on the equivalence of wet sponges while meditating for peace on Earth.
The concept of creating a rolling wave of energy around the world by having people participate at 1:00 p.m. in each of their local time zones is an inspired one, in my opinion. I suggest that the practice needn’t be limited to people walking labyrinths. You can do this wherever you are.
At one o’clock [your time] this afternoon, pause for a time and rally your mental energies toward a focus on the possibilities of peace in every form imaginable. Heck, if you are reading this after the appointed hour, go ahead and do the mental exercise anyway. What have we got to lose?
Give Peace a chance.
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Relative Something 