The "D" in E.D.E.N., by Rev. Penny Stewart

Once Upon a Time . . .

One bright, sunny morning in June, three middle aged women living at Camp Williams in Azusa Canyon, tried lightheartedly to contact the spirit of an eccentric former resident who reportedly had hidden a valuable treasure on the mountain - most likely in the very residence where this mini-séance was taking place. I, being one of those intrepid souls, took copious notes and marveled at the conglomeration of gibberish we seemed to be channeling. It was great fun! No earthly treasures appeared, but it felt like we had pierced the veil, at least a little. Verna locked up her haunted house and went down the mountain to her day job. Patti went to her trailer, a few doors away, and I returned to my cabin across the road to watch the soaps.

The Noises

About an hour later, one of the neighbors knocked frantically on my door, insisting that I come immediately and unlock Verna's trailer. Seems there had been a disturbance, a loud noise sounding like a couple of gunshots, in the very house where we had summoned the spirits earlier that morning. All of the neighbors heard it and came dashing out into the street to see who or what had caused the ruckus. The police arrived on the scene and searched everywhere but found nothing - no explanation for the noises. Oddly enough, the former occupant of the home collected guns. We chuckled at the idea that he might be telling us to "leave him alone."

The Glowing Dove

Returning home around 3:00 pm, I opened the gate at my cabin and saw a beautiful pure white dove sitting on the deck railing. I was sure the noise of the scraping gate would frighten him away, but he just sat there. Approaching cautiously, I passed within inches of the bird on my way to the porch swing. We watched each other intently as he preened his feathers and I glided slowly back and forth on my perch. He kept looking me squarely in the eyes (stared is more like it). Fifteen minutes later, I decided to see if I could get a picture of him because, amazingly enough he was still there, and in the bright sunlight he seemed to be actually "glowing." I took several pictures through the window, and then went back outside to get a closeup. He ignored the camera, but kept looking at me. It was an eerie feeling, peaceful but awe-inspiring. I wanted to touch him, but feared he would fly away, so I decided to feed him istead. When I turned my back to go inside, he disappeared. I never saw him land or take off, so I can only say he "appeared and disappeared."

What does it mean?

Since the spirit we had tried to contact had white hair and drove a white car when he was alive, we determined it could have been him. Since the white dove is a symbol of peace and represents spirit in many religions, we took it as a sign that the upcoming retreat would be successful and that it was a good omen. The dove became our logo, and thanks to my daughter's inventive imagination, we now have our organization's name: Enlightened Dove Education Network (E.D.E.N. )

The Dream

That same night I dreamt that my favorite cousin came to visit me. He rang my doorbell and asked if he could come in. I welcomed him into my house, wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Then I realized he was dead. I woke up. Chuck died in a fire in Alaska on Thanksgiving Day several years ago. I have been told the spirits are asking my permission to visit me and I should expect more of these experiences. Maybe another time I will relate how, a few days later, I photographed faerie lights on my deck at 2:00 am. But that's another story.

Conclusion

Our first retreat went well, and several people say they saw the dove fly over while we were having our meetings in the campground. The pictures caused quite a stir among the ladies and several said they could see other spirits in the photo as well. I only saw the bird, which, by the way, we learned later, is actually a pigeon. There are no white birds in the canyon, except for this one, as far as I know. So, pigeon or dove, it makes a good story, and it actually did happen, just the way I told it. I prefer to think of it as a dove, since "glowing pigeon" just doesn't have the same impact!

The Return of The Dove

Well, he (she?) returned. The day before our Psychic Faire, Kaye called me to say she had the dove in her yard, unable to fly, and did I want it? So, "The Dove" lived at E.D.E.N. in a special cage until he recently moved to Whispering Rivers. We presently call him ED for Enlightened Dove, but just in case it is a girl, we can call her Edwina. I am not sure it is the same bird, since it seems to be smaller than the one I photographed. But it's still amazing!