<div dir="ltr"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)">FRI SEP 26</span></b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)"> <u>Maumee to
Toledo, OH</u></span><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)">While I waited for the
scrambled eggs, I made my lunch for the day. I chose a route north along the west side of the
river to Toledo. We’re staying in an abandoned Convent at Good Shepherd
Catholic Church. It was abandoned when the elevator stopped working. We have to
climb the outside stairs 4 ½ flights to get to the Convent. The
facilities are nice. I claimed a room and then went to the local library. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)">In the
afternoon we were shuttled to a community garden placed on a 1/8 acre
lot in East Toledo—we had to cross the river to get there. The garden is somehow in
violation of the city ordinance! Kat led an introductory conversation—around
the circle; name and concern prompted by Climate Change—and then we broke into
groups to discuss particular interests. The group I chose focused on solar
electricity. It’s one thing to get solar panels up;</span><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)"> it’s yet another to get access
to the electricity produced because of the utility companies. Then a
retired engineer gave a short presentation. He has a chart of the way we (human
civilization) have used up Mother Earth <</span><a href="http://www.cs4us.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(16,60,192)">www.cs4us.org</span></a><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)">>. I haven’t looked at his website but I think his prediction
is that humanity will use up Mother Earth and we will not be able to inhabit it
at that point: Humankind will become extinct! But Mother Earth will rebound.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)"><br></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)">We were
shuttled back across the river for dinner offered to us by a church that closed
and has become a Homeless Shelter. Talk about humility and gratitude! We were able to walk back to the Convent. At the evening meeting Deb led a
workshop focused on the qualities that the participants would like to have the
March embody. As I recall she did this workshop earlier in New Mexico. I
think she re-instated it because we have some new Marchers. It was meant to be
a brainstorm that would be gestalted. It turned into a discussion and lasted
until 9:30pm with the need to continue the conversation.
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><b><span style="font-family:Arial;color:rgb(26,26,26)">SAT Sep 27 </span></b><font color="#1a1a1a" face="Arial">It was a leisurely morning. I ate breakfast and took a shower.
At 9am there was an All-Camp meeting. This one was to allow members of the
March to express opinions that they might have been harboring—“I” statements.
Then we were to gather at 11am to be shuttled to a BP (British Petroleum) processing
plant to demonstrate against the way BP is poisoning the Toledo environment.
There were very few locals that joined us in the shuttle. We found a parking
lot and there were a few more people there. We Marched back to a place that
would put a labeled BP storage tank in the background (for filming). Several local folks made presentations as did several Marchers. At the end of the presentations
there were Marchers that collapsed on the ground. The rest of us wore face
masks to symbolize the pollution that the processing plant is leaving in the
atmosphere. </font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font color="#1a1a1a" face="Arial"><br></font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><font color="#1a1a1a" face="Arial">Then we Marched back to the parking lot where one of the local women provided
bagels and cream cheese. We ate lunch and shuttled back to the
Convent where once more dinner was provided by the Homeless Shelter. There was
a Prayer Vigil scheduled at one of the local churches. I missed going with our group and I didn’t know the
directions through the neighborhood. Since the neighborhood was said to be
dangerous after dark, I decided not to go and returned to the Convent to pack
up and get ready for the Sunday March.</font></p></div></div></div></div><span><font color="#888888">-- <br><div dir="ltr">Peace, David</div>
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