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Early December 2019: My Trip to the Great North Woods in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

I decided to visit my sister in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan near Marquette where she lives with her husband and their Hakkaido Ken dog Yuki. Yuki has a longer name which means Snow something in Japanese but I forgot it. My other name for Yuki was Barely Domesticated Devil Dog but more about that later.

The UP where my sister lives is beautiful and unspoiled. It was pretty badly spoiled a few years ago with clear-cut logging and mining for iron ore but the worst ravages have been corrected, at least where they live. The trees are almost all pines but there are some birches and a few other kinds of trees and bushes. A fungus called chagas grows on the birches and while we were snowshoe trekking through the woods, you could see some of these funguses. They are parasitic but that is not the whole story. They grow on trees that have been weakened by something and they produce biochemicals that are helpful to the trees' immune systems so they prolong the life of the tree. Mistletoe fungus here in Kentucky is similar. If you take the extracts from chagas or mistletoe it is good for your immune system too, and many people feel it helps prevent or even cure cancer. My sister gave me some chagas before I left.

The air is clear and cold up there. Wonderful to fill your lungs with it. I had ample opportunity for that as I trudged uphill in my snowshoes following my brother. My brother was visiting too, but this was not his first time there and he knew all the hiking trails. While we walked, he was talking non-stop but I had no wind to talk. It was all I could do to follow him and keep up. I saw tracks of deer, rabbit, smaller tracks of some other small mammals, and also big tracks that looked like a dog. They probably were a dog's tracks but one always wonders,

could they be wolf tracks?

The dog Yuki went with us. She would leave periodically and dart off into the woods. I worried that she would get lost but my brother said she would return and not to worry. And she always did find us and when we were done trekking or cross country skiing and arrived at the house she got there almost the same time that we did or just a few minutes after. My sister and her husband always make Yuki wear a little harness/vest that has her information in it, her Rabies tag
and ID so she wont be mistaken for a mutt who has no
family if she gets found by someone else.

Back at the house, it was really good to be with my family. My daughter was another visitor there so it was a chance to be with her without having to go to California where she lives. We had great food cooked by my sister, and listened to awesome music in the evenings thanks to their computer. They have the Internet via satellite. My brother's voice is just like my Dad's voice so sometim es when I was in another room listening to him talk, it was like having my Dad back again. That was sad,but also kind of sweet. We played a game called Moosefarkle which had complicated rules. I let my brother tell me what was what for every throw of the dice. I was kind of getting the hang of it but then my brother won so we stopped. Ha ha.

Days were full of walking along the shores of Lake Superior( Gitche Gumee in the Longfellow poem The Song of Hiawatha, the shining Big Sea Water.) Or cross country skiing or snowshoe trekking. We chopped down a Christmas tree and drove it back on a sled

(left) My brother, Remi Gits

We attended a Yoga class in Marquette. ( I vow to make Yoga a bigger part of my life for my New Year's resolution. My daughter is a Yoga instructor and gave me some great pointers. ) It was a wonderful Christmas holiday. I felt like I was inhabiting a Christmas card up there. But I will never forget Yuki. She was like a wild animal, really. She is a breed that the Japanese bred especially for hunting. And she wasn't really a pet that you would want for a family dog. She is loyal to my sister and her husband and obviously loves them and she accepted my daughter really well, but she was not partial to me or my brother. She would kind of stalk us, was not above nipping at us, and would make her weird monkey scream kind of howling when we approached. She does not bark. The noises she makes are interesting but not the usual dog noises.

One night I forgot something in my bedroom and went upstairs to get it. Yuki was on the bed in my room. I went in and she started her low moaning banshee sound. I got my forgotten item and left. She was still on the bed when I left. A few minutes later, I went back up to my room to get something else. I went through the dark hall to go through the door to the room with the staircase to the upstairs bedrooms. The staircase was darker than the hall. I walked through the door and was going to mount the stairs when Yuki flew into full battle cry monkey scream. She was crouching midway up the stairs where I could not see her. She is black and so she blended in. She had waited for me -

I heard my footsteps downstairs and calculated my arrival and obviously delighted in scaring the hell out of me. I screamed when she screamed and I turned and ran. Just the wrong thing to do, of course. Dogs love it when they can make you run away. She took off after me. I ran into the living room, Yuki in hot pursuit. She was so happy, jumped into my brother-in-law's arms with a big smile on her face. "See, I made the scary veterinarian lady run away from me!"

I was sad to leave. I want to come back again when the weather is different. Winter is beautiful there but traveling is dicey with plane delays from de icing, unexpected blizzards, etc.

Merry Christmas to all. Happy New Year. 2020 is the Chinese Year of the Rat so that's good for the Ox (which I am) and the

other signs compatible with the Rat.

Love, Dr. St. Germain

March 10, 2019 My Shasta

"Our guide said this purple light was one of the spirits from inside the mountain. I did feel very energized at this spot."

In the weeks and months prior to my trip to Mt. Shasta I would text my friends, family and clients about my upcoming vacation. Almost every time, the Auto Correction on the I phone would switch Mt. Shasta to My Shasta. I found this irritating, going back into messages to correct the auto correct over and over. But reflecting on this, I see that perhaps this was a little angelic message from the spirit.

Because my visit to Mt. Shasta was indeed deeply personal

and transformative. My Shasta.

I had arranged for a tour guide to show me the power spots on the mountain. My daughter, Annie, came with me. That was especially nice. I was so glad to be able to share this experience with her. We stayed in a little motel the night before our hike and I did not sleep well. Strange place, strange bed, I never do. Woke up sleepy the next day. We went and rented snowshoes and ski poles. That was another thing I was dreading. I was already tired, how was I going to walk miles wearing snowshoes when I had never done before? But thankfully, that did not prove to be a problem.

It was cold and clear with bright California sunshine. We were dressed for the weather so we did not mind. The mountain air was amazing to breathe. Our guide first took us to lovely

It’s a big natural lake at the foot of the mountain. Its waters are clear and there was no wind that day so just gentle little waves lapping the shore. Our guide gave us quartz crystals and we had brought some of our own and we were instructed to put them into the water and let them “charge up”. We sat at the shore on some handy rocks and did a little meditation while our crystals were charging. I noticed a big bird flying overhead. Probably a buzzard I was thinking. In Kentucky big birds are usually buzzards. But it seemed too large for that and it had a white head. Oh my! A bald eagle! Paul, our guide, said that he had only seen one other in all his years there. I felt honored and felt it was a powerful omen. Perhaps he was saying Hi and Thank you for all the raptors I had rescued and doctored over the years. Owls and hawks hit by cars or guns or poisoned. I had not saved them

all but most had lived.

After the lake we drove to another area which Paul said was the source of the Sacramento River. We walked a brief way to a large rocky ravine where a torrent of water was gushing straight out of the side of the mountain. Several folks were there filling water bottles. I was skeptical. The scientist in me was thinking about Giardia and Leptospirosis but it did not seem like an area that would be contaminated by animal droppings because of the abrupt way it came rushing out of the mountain. So, I bravely filled my little plastic water bottle and took a swig at Paul’s urging. He said he never drank any other water. Paul indicated that there was a little park with bridges that followed the stream so we went for a little walk. It seemed like a perfect haunt for fairies. I cannot see ghosts or fairies but I can feel their presence. The bubbling mountain stream was full of greenery even in the cold. Pretty bright green duck week, some kind of reeds growing in the shallows, and trees everywhere. Some with their branches and roots entwined in weird shapes. It was a magical garden. I did feel fairy and deva spirits there. They love it

when you delight in natural splendor.

We drove on up the mountain for about 7 more miles. The road was quite good and well maintained but there were giant 6 foot tall walls of snow on each side. We pulled over into a little lot parking space and then it was time for the dreaded snowshoes.

I was pretty tired still. I did manage to put on the shoes with Paul’s help and we started out. First we had to climb the six foot snow wall. We found a place where there was a dent in it and edged up over it onto the blanket of snow. The snowshoes were great! Very light and of course you did not sink down into the snow which was good because in many places it was four feet deep, entirely covering the manzanita bushes. We were walking on top of them in some spots. All around us were majestic red fir. They look like mini redwoods. Glorious trees. Snow covered all the trees making weird shapes. They looked like priests in robes or chess pieces. And now and then a puff of wind would shake a branch and a cloud of crystal sparkly snow would fall off. Like pixie dust. We walked for about a mile with frequent stops so I could catch my breath, and then we came to a clearing shaped vaguely like a merkabah or Star of David. It was not artificial though, just happened to be shaped that way. Paul said this area was a special portal and that down below us was a giant crystal buried deep in the mountain. He said it was a place where two ley lines of the earth crossed and had been discovered by another man years ago. I forgot his name. Paul spread a mylar blanket for us and my daughter and I sat there directly at the center, right over the crystal. It was a bit of a feat to sit whilst wearing snow shoes. Turns out you just stick your legs straight out and kick the heels away from you. The toes of the shoes are pointing back at you. By the way, you can go forward fine in show shoes but don’t try to back up. Ha ha.

We meditated for a bit. Paul said to imagine we were dropping anything troubling us down into the large crystal below us. I did. Curiously, a few minutes after that I was re-energized completely. Never had anything like that happen so dramatically. I got up from that meditation fresh and rarin to go. All the morning tiredness gone. Paul took a photo of me there and I was wrapped in purple light. He just had a regular little Nikon camera, dont know where that came from. It was cool though. Paul said it was the light from an Avatar from within the mountain as if it was hugging me. Very nice! The picture he took of my daughter there showed little lights around her head.

Paul said they were fairies. We hiked back to the car.

Next stop was Ascension Rock. As we arrived at the parking space to get out for that hike I saw some people coming out of the woods with a dog. It was a beautiful Belgian Malinois. I have several patients of that breed so that was cool to see one here. They are not a common dog. More trekking through the snow on the snowshoes. More gorgeous trees. Rabbit footprints in the snow, prints of something bigger,too. We arrived at Ascension rock. This is a powerful energy vortex within the energy vortex of Mt. Shasta so a double vortex and

it is the doorway to the legendary inner realms of Mt Shasta where light beings are said to exist. I felt good there but nothing special. Nothing like the first portal we visited. Also it was kind of crowded. Lotsa folks coming to see it. We stayed there for a bit,took some photos and then we left, trekked back, removed our snowshoes, got in the car and drove back the last little bit of the mountain road to the very end to a place called Bunny Flats. There was more road but the snowplows only went to Bunny Flats. In the Summer Paul said you could drive up further. Bunny Flats looked like a place where people do a lot of sledding and snow boarding.

Many people there that day, fine weather. It afforded an excellent view of Mount Shasta and we got some pics of us there and then turned and saluted the great mountain and said goodbye.I have never been religious. I have no church affiliation. I always felt uncomfortable with the word God because it conjured up the image of the old

man with the beard. My church, where I feel most spiritual,

is when I am in a place with great natural beauty.

Mount Shasta for me was like a cathedral. My Shasta

UPDATE: DECEMBER 19-27, 2018 Going to Mt. Shasta

From Dr. St. Germain: in Februray of 2019 I will be traveling to California to visit Mount Shasta which is a spiritual destination for many New Agers since there have been sightings at Mt. Shasta of various otherworldly entities. Also, the energy there is pure crystalline grid earth energy which is the Christ= Love energy so visiting the mountain can be a transforming experience. I am going on a "spiritual tour" of the mountain so I am really looking forward to that and to perhaps enhancing my psychic abilities and intuitive side. Once before when I visited California I felt a surge of energy like no other. I was near the part of California where the Juan de Fuca plate meets the San Andreas fault. I was different after I returned from there and I anticipate another "jump" in my energy after visiting Mt. Shasta."

10/17/17: UPDATE ON CANINE DISTEMPER and PARVOVIRUS

Avatar will now be offering in- house titer checks for dogs for Canine Distemper and Parvovirus in lieu of vaccinations. (Recommended for dogs 3 years and older)

7/17/17: UPDATE ON CANINE INFLUENZA

Lots of my clients have been asking me about the recent outbreak of Canine Influenza, asking about whether to vaccinate.

It depends on your dog's exposure to sources of the flu. If you live way out in the country and your dog hardly ever leaves your property can your dog still get the flu? Yes. You can carry the virus home on your shoes or clothing. But of course the risk is way less for that kind of transmission than for a dog that lives in the city, sees other dogs daily, drinks from community water bowls, etc. By the way, community water bowls are to be avoided until this epidemic burns itself out.

Signs of the flu are usually respiratory: fever, coughing, runny eyes and nose. Some dogs only have mild signs, others have developed pneumonia and have had to be hospitalized, still others have died.

Flu is highly contagious, spread on surfaces and some aerosol transmission from the spray of sneezing and coughing

so it spreads through a kennel like lightning.

Should you vaccinate? Dogs cannot get the flu from the vaccine. It is a killed vaccine. There is a new vaccine that contains both strains of the flu and that is what you want. The old flu vaccine will not work on the new flu. The manufacturers of vaccines put something in the vaccines to make them work better. These are called "adjuvants" and these products can also cause problems for dogs who are shot reactors. If your dog has had some reactions to vaccines in the past and has low risk of exposure to canine influenza, I think I would consider maybe not vaccinating and keeping your dog away from areas where dogs congregate for a few months. If you want the vaccine, remember that it is not a perfect solution. There is no real protection until the booster is given 2 to 4 weeks after the first vaccine. And then the vaccine only promises to make the dog have a less severe case of the flu, and may not stop it altogether. Also we must remember that the flu in dogs, like the flu in humans, is a virus that mutates quickly.

So we may see a third strain of it in years to come and will

have to get a new vaccine for that strain.

Also visit our Avatar Holistic Diet page for more info.

MARCH 19-22, 2018 Smith Ridge Veterinary Center

On March 19, 2018 I traveled to South Salem, New York to study with Dr. Martin Goldstein at Smith Ridge Veterinary Center (left). I went there specifically to study Holistic therapy for animals with cancer. In the future I hope to offer these therapies

for my holistic patients.

7/17/17: Update on Canine Infulenza

Lots of my clients have been asking me about

the recent outbreak of Canine Influenza, asking

about whether to vaccinate.

Flu is highly contagious, spread on surfaces and some aerosol transmission from the spray of sneezing and coughing so it spreads through a kennel like lightning.

Also visit our Avatar Holistic “DIET” web page for more info.