The only person I trust to share my Sasquatch experiences with is Tecumseh. If my mother were still alive, she would be the other, but she passed on an unbelievable twenty years ago.
I meet Tecumseh at his trailer west of Comins. He lives on the edge of a Michigan State Forest he calls Tecumseh’s Reservation. For all intents and purposes, it really is his personal playground. No one else hardly ventures there and if they happen by, Tecumseh has ways of scaring the crap out of them and they seldom come back. I have had lots of laughs about his stories of city folk dropping their drawers to take a dump and then hightailing it bare-assed back to the nearest civilization.
The weather is drearily overcast, but humid and warm. I break out into a sweat as we light a fire in the stone pit that will retain a cache of hot coals for a fish fry. I have never seen Tecumseh sweat. It can be a hundred degrees with 100% humidity and he still looks cool and comfortable.
“Caught some real orange beauties,” Tecumseh offers, “you should have come with me.”
“Sorry, I wanted to talk to you about that,” I say, seeing my opening to broaching my recent encounters with Sasquatch. “I was a bit engaged. I’ve had a couple of conversations with a Bigfoot.”
Tecumseh stops what he is doing and gives me that penetrating look only a man of high virtue can give. My eyes don’t waver.
He nods, “Chiha Tanka, My Elder Brother. Did Sasquatch have anything significant to say?”
“Yes, he said the human race is blowing it.”
Tecumseh laughs mirthlessly. “The same warning I have been poking into your ears since the day we met. Do you believe him?”
“I believe you, don’t I?” I counter with a jab.
“My Elder Brother only speaks to deliver important messages about a turn of events or a prophesy of magnitude. What he says should be regarded with utmost respect. He is a special Being. He is translator and mentor into the consciousness that runs through all of life.”
“I didn’t know you had such inside knowledge.” I exclaim. “Have you met this Chiha Tanka, as you call him?”
Tecumseh shakes his head negatively. “That connection is the domain of medicine men. It is for those that guide us between the physical and spiritual worlds. I am a hunter not a healer.”
“He is troubled about man and the future,” I say. “He has invited me back for further conversations. I am eager and believe he has much more to impart to me, and, in his own words, “to my brethren”. I am a good listener as well as an astute and sensitive interrogator.”
“You are worthy,” Tecumseh replies, “but, be careful.”
“What harm could possibly come in talking to him?” I reply.
“If you should wander and get lost between this world and his, I may not be able to bring you back,” he says.
I believe I am first witness to seeing sweat on Tecumseh’s brow.
He turns abruptly to the task of melting some fat and peanut butter in his cast iron skillet. Fresh caught brook trout fried in peanut butter is a meal worthy of the gods themselves.
If there are words you are unfamiliar with or don’t know, there is a glossary of terms contained from this episode at the end of my Sasquatch webpage for your convenience. You can also find out more about and purchase my books there.
I find it very doubtful that Tecumseh would engage in a conversation with someone the likes of Mr. Smith, but just in case Mr. Smith decides to start playing rough, I am dropping by to warn Tecumseh that the weasel has been nosing around in our business.
“Ah, Mr. Smith,” Tecumseh snorts. “The man with a stone heart and a snake’s tongue. Yes, we have had the pleasure to meet.”
“So I have been informed,” I say. “What did the snake have to hiss about me and my dealings with the Bigfoot?”
“He asked me about you. Nothing was said about a Bigfoot.”
“I see. And what, may I ask, did he want to know about me?’
This month, FishEye Photography is shining the spotlight on Fairview’s own Richard & Mary Rensberry, owners of QuickTurtle Books. Both Richard & Mary are the authors & illustrators of over 35 books, including Richard’s series entitled “Conversations with Sasquatch”. Richard is currently working on his fourth book in the series.
Originally from the Alpena area, Richard’s interest in Sasquatch started as a young boy while fishing on the bank of the Thunder Bay River, where he spotted a Sasquatch down stream fishing as well. This sparked a life long interest in the elusive and world renowned creature. As Richard said, “You don’t find them, they find you”.
Mary’s background is in education with her teaching skills spanning pre K – high school. She’s taught at charter, public, private, homeschool and parochial school systems, earning her Master’s degree in Instructional Technology in 2005. Mary has recently finished co-authoring a book called “A Genius in Every Child”. Mary is also heavily involved in local volunteer groups that are oriented in community development.
The couple met in 2012 while at a social event that Mary’s son was attending. Her son, who knew Richard, told him that he simply had to meet his mom during her visit from Texas as the two shared similar interests and he thought they’d hit it off. With introductions made, the beginning of a beautiful partnership began to bloom.
The couple relocated back to Fairview in 2016 as they “fell in love” with the dynamics and spiritualness of the area. Richard attributes this to the previous Indian influence that existed as well as the current Amish contribution to the area. They feel the beauty and demeanor of the community suits them perfectly.
The Rensberry’s are a delightful couple with a host of fascinating stories and accomplishments too long to list here. They write, illustrate and publish custom books for charitable groups and local businesses. For more information on their books and where to purchase them, go to their website, http://www.booksmakebooms.com. For Richard’s Sasquatch series, visit http://www.conversationswithsasquatch.com
How about a free copy of Conversations With Sasquatch, The Encounter at:
QuickTurtle Books® 