Blog Disclosure Policy

This policy is valid from 20 November 2008

For questions about this blog, contact The MidnightWriter at themidnightwriter1@gmail.com.

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

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The owner(s) of this blog would like to disclose the following existing relationships. These are companies, organizations or individuals that may have a significant impact on the content of this blog. We serve on the following corporate or non profit boards: Angels of The Light Interfaith Ministry. We blog about people to whom we are related. The most interesting such people are: Our children and grand children..


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One Tin Soldier has its own Domain Name

This past few days Cephas and I made a decision to buy domain names for all existing blogspot blogs. We chose .info because of the price obviously and as a personal theme. Many of our blogs are now .info so we have an entire grouping that follows this theme. The subject matter will remain the same.

We chose a new template but I am not sure that we'll keep it. I'll spend a little time surfing to find a better one. If I find one you will see this blog's face change. I'm excited about the stories that will be posted here. At One Tin Soldier's inception, we reported actual events at rainbow gatherings, Wyoming in 2008 particularly. Last year, we didn't really post the events but you will see updates and flashbacks in the coming months.

Since I am compiling stories from archives and first hand interviews, I decided to outline a coming book on rainbowfamily history. Be sure to visit the new blog by that name, but be patient until I can post some content there.

Enjoy the stories and videos and be sure to leave a comment to tell us what you think about the facelift.

The Midnight Writer

We Left New Mexico for Health and Vehicle Reasons

Raven and I left New Mexico after having troubles with our vehicle and some harassment from unknown persons in Albuquerque. We're not sure if it was rainbow related but for the two days that our van was broken down, we made some serious changes in plans. You have to know that we really pondered and prayed about our life enough to realize that we wanted to get our vehicle fixed to be in good condition for traveling remote highways and mountains. That would take some serious cash flow, we knew. My writing doesn't exactly make enough to cover that. So we headed for Idaho where we have some family.

There were other considerations to make about our life. Health is becoming an important factor in our decisions and ever since the serious illness we both faced in Tennesee we have not exactly been in good health. This will take some thought and effort as well. What better place to make those considerations and changes than to a town that you know and where you have some family close.

Raven and I are looking for work and I intend to keep writing in hopes that my blog rank will climb high enough to get paid better and to get assignments on other blogs. That will take focus and effort as well. As you can see, we have a lot to handle in the next few months. I didn't even mention the past due bills that continue to pile up since our trip to DC and all the break downs in our van on the way home to Idaho coupled with our illness.

Truly, we intended to visit friends in New Mexico to discuss this year's rainbow gathering. We even sent a postcard to our friend Indian Bob who lives on the New Mexico mesa to tell him to expect us in the next few weeks. We really need to send another postcard.

It was our intention to close out some storage units after paying off the past due amounts, but that doesn't seem to be working out either. We wonder what the universe is telling us.

Raven and Summer Breeze Made it to New Mexico Yesterday

Photo Credit: Summer Breeze, a/k/a The Midnight Writer
Raven taking a nice walk on one of our pit stops. He's minus the hair now though. Yikes!
Through high winds, rain, sleet, hail, tornadoes and crazy drivers, we finally arrived in New Mexico yesterday. We're a little weary from the road trip from Tennessee but stoked to be here. We can't wait to see a lot of our old friends here in Albequerque, Santa Fe, Taos and our homestead (where we never get to stay home) in Tres Piedras on the mesa with our friends Indian Bob and Cascades, The Mustang Family. We'll be heading up there next week before we make a run to Utah, Idaho, Oregon and California.

That's a lot of traveling in the next two months but we have to make our rounds to see family and relatives and friends. We have business to handle before the gathering so we can relax and enjoy being on the mountain for a month or two. I'd like to stay the whole time and I think Raven feels the same way this year. We haven't stayed for the whole cleanup since Montana in 2000 and that was one of the best gatherings of our lives. Oregon in 1997 ranks as the best, of course.

I'm looking to find out when scout rendezvous takes place so we can be there before we make our run. Raven and I are meeting with family and doing some preliminary scouting in the surrounding mountains. I've got my camera ready so I can load photos right here. Let's hope Governor Bill Richardson will meet with us and support our efforts at a peaceful gathering this year without the guns firing on us.

I'm sitting at a Starbucks right now working on some writing assignments while Raven rests. He's tired from driving and lack of sleep. We'll get busy with visiting tomorrow. If you're in New Mexico and you read this, you'll be hearing from us soon most likely...or we'll just show up on your doorstep for a hug.

Lovin you family, and we can't wait to go home.
New Mexico in 2009.
Summer Breeze and Raven

Will the Front Gate Run Similar to the Wyoming Gathering?

This photo is pretty self explanatory. Law Enforcement has established a roadblock and their presence with weapons, or "guns in the church" as folks at the rainbow gatherings say. I believe this photo was taken in Colorado, where a road block took place during a long segment of the gathering.

In Wyoming 2008, Front Gate crews worked harmoniously to keep the gate alcohol free and to keep the Law Enforcement from blocking access to the gathering. It was not a complete success, but there was definite progress in this co-operative effort that made a huge difference.

I helped maintain a welcome kitchen/camp at the front gate in Wyoming to feed the gate crew, fire crew, Welcome band of aging and young hippies of the rainbow family of living light. I was in great company, to include the body and soul of one Barry Adams, montana, plunker who held down the gate for well over two weeks. Plunker started before Raven and I arrived and he maintained his stand at the front gate to keep the LEO's from blocking it to take it for their vantage point. When his partner arrived, plunker went inside the gathering to be with his family. Raven and I stayed for the duration of about three weeks.

I am wondering how it will operate this year and would love some dialogue about this issue. Is anyone interested in maintaining or volunteering at a welcome center front gate camp this year?

We are Walking In the Valley of Decision

I love this video and hope you'll share it with all your friends.

This is the strong message for this year, in the sector of rainbow gatherings and in all aspects around the planet. It is time to decide where you stand. The earth is ripening for God's harvest so put in your sicle and reap but be sure to stand on the right side of peace, love and all the aspects of God that put you on the holy side of His spirit.

I'm Thinking about the Changes in the Administration and What it Means for Rainbow

Last year we had a certainty about the players in the regulation talks as far as government representatives with the Forest Service, the Department of Agriculture and the chain of Law Enforcement Command. And of course, we knew the current President Bush and his policies about gatherings.

But this year is different. President Barack Obama campaigned with the slogan for "change" and his winning the election was the first big change in this country. For the rainbow gatherings, not only did the Presidency gain a new representative, so did the Department of Agriculture and the Forest Service.

Mark Rey, Undersecretary of Agriculture

Last year we all knew that talks with the Undersecretary of Agriculture Mark Rey were progressing at an expected pace over the past two years. Now Mark Rey has retired from that position after seven years and vanished into the private sector without a peep and sworn by the nature of his office oath not to be involved in any official or policy making capacity.

Most of us know the face of Mark Rey. But who knows the face of the new Undersecretary of Agriculture? Has one been appointed and approved by Congress? That is a question to answer right here in the coming days of this blog.