Following in the Footsteps of Pele

Hello readers! If you’ve read my last two posts, you know that I’m trying to do a post every night this week to reach my 100th post on Saturday. I’ve been teasing you with what other anniversary I’ll be celebrating that day. Unfortunately, we’re close to the 100th day of the invasion of Ukraine, which is devastating. So to not have my celebration confused with that, I’ll go ahead and tell you what I’ll be attending on Saturday, at the end of this post.

Also unfortunately, today saw yet another mass shooting in the USA. This one hit me really hard for personal reasons. But all of these events are tragic. Please join me in prayer for hospital staff across Tulsa, especially those at the hospital that was attacked.

In the wake of that news, I hesitate to even write anything today. But I have made a commitment, and I’d like to keep it. So tonight I’ll introduce you to a current woman explorer that I discovered recently in a National Geographic newsletter, and then let their article about her tell you more.

Lehua Kamalu is one of the few women captains and navigators with the Polynesian Voyaging Society, and is her ship’s first. The PVS sails the oceans without modern navigation technologies in order to replicate the journeys of the ancient Polynesians, and preserve their story, traditions, and seafaring knowledge. Instead of maps and compasses, they use the sun, stars, waves, and wind. Kamalu is inspired by Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire. As the legends tell it, Pele travelled from Tahiti to Hawaii after being banished. Kamalu recently did the same in reverse, after many other long-distance travels over sea in the ancient-styled ships.

I’ll let you find out more about this amazing woman and her journey using this link. It should let you read it unless you’ve already read three Nat Geo articles this month.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/woman-navigated-3000-mile-pacific-voyage-without-maps-technology?rid=5F6A9B5F2F373BD7C157FC3C1EEC46F7&cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=Photography_20220521

And now to announce what I’ll be honoring with my 100th post this weekend: the 100th anniversary of Oregon State Parks! They’re celebrating at parks around the state all year, but this weekend is the official party, held at Oregon’s first state park. I’ll let you figure out where that is for now.

Until tomorrow!