To Tammy

Awesome. That is in essence what defines the last week with Tammy and in the university of Kentucky. What, we became such good friends, that I feel an immense sense of loss leaving and going to wherever I am going next. As if, I have been with her forever. And what a person she has proven to be. She is everything at all the times. She is a writer, she is a professor, a speaker, a consultant, a lecturer, a beekeeper, a conservationalist, a farmer digging tomoatoes in the front yard and the great epitome of field expertise that anyone can possess. I wish I could have stayed longer and helped her along as much as I could have. And to even think of the places we visited and things we did together. Oh, that visit to her grandfather's farm seeing all the goats and pigs and listening to stories of her grandfather doing what he did. A hundred acres of magic. Tammy did not stop with that. Meeting Lanie and her daughter and then they coming over for the presentation was a great time. Going over to the famous mine fields of Kentucky was something as we often discusses, something not done by any Indian for a long time. And the discussions on the mines, on their ways and the Indian ways, on seeing reclamation happen and seeing her work hard the way only Tammy can. And the conference, how can I even forget what we did there. Well we rocked at the keynote speech. And what a presentation it was, considering we prepared for it the way we did. And the food show. A full day of meeting locals, selling her honey, meeting so many people from the hinterland of Kentucky, learning the sweet difference between silk pie and sweet pie and just about so many moments of togetherness. And the finale was perhaps in her house and the parade we visited in downtown Lexington..... Saying bye was wrenching but had to be done.... Bye Tammy till we meet again.