A Sanctuary for Life

One August morning, I went to Glen Tana for a walk. It had rained earlier, and the air smelled intensely sweet, a mixture of ponderosa pine and dry grasses. I set out on one of the trails behind the house. Wild turkeys suddenly appeared up ahead – first two, then four, then ten. They slowly climbed the hill, pecking as they went. I walked in the opposite direction, leaving the main trail for a path down to the river. There was a slight breeze; the tall cattails rustled. I was headed to a part of the river I often visited on my childhood ramblings, near the elderberry trees and long, lush grass where the deer bed down for the night. As I passed, grasshoppers flew from the path, their wings clicking. Bumblebees worked in the flowering weeds. A small group of quail burst from the brush to my left. I stopped to watch a three foot tall anthill; the ants were busy hauling twigs in and out of small holes at its top. Two loud rapid snorts came from somewhere in the trees – a deer. I continued on my way.

When I got to the riverbank, the current was slow, the water clear. A dragonfly skimmed the surface. I could see small, smooth stones and pebbles on the riverbed. I stood for a long time, listening to the water’s murmur. When I lived at Glen Tana, this place by the river felt secret and mysterious to me. It was where I first felt the boundary of self and surroundings dissolve – the sensation of being part of a consciousness that was coming from the river, trees, rocks, hills, creatures, and myself. It felt the same now, as if no time had passed, and it brought me to tears. As I turned to leave, I heard the high-pitched call of a hawk. I looked up, and watched the bird slowly fly in ever wider loops overhead. I walked back along the path, thankful to be able to experience Glen Tana again, thankful that it will remain a sanctuary for so much life.

“In 1968, when I was two years old, my parents and I moved to Glen Tana farm. We rented an ‘apartment’ from Tannis Semple – a four-bedroom house attached to the main house where Tannis lived. I spent the next seven years at Glen Tana, years that hold a hallowed place in my memory. When I was nine, we moved from Glen Tana to Iowa. It was my first heartbreak.

I moved back to Spokane in the summer of 2021. Without a doubt, the best thing about coming back here was learning that Glen Tana would be preserved and being able to return to it and walk the pastures, trails, hills, and woods I remember so vividly from my childhood. Every time, it’s like stepping into a dream.”

While Glen Tana is not yet open to the public, Inland Northwest Land Conservancy is hosting a variety of guided hikes and volunteer events on the land. Visit our website at inlandnwland.org/events for opportunities to explore this iconic gem in the Little Spokane River Valley.