Haiku 4

I hear the flicker
For the fifth year, who's counting?
The flicker isn't

Now is the Season of Effort

So what to do?
Nothing.

The Nature of Nature

Today I was looking out the window at the forest. There about 30 feet up in the lower branches of a tall ponderosa pine sat a lone grey squirrel tail up, hands holding its morning meal. As it was chewing away, the branch suddenly broke luckily not at the tree but further out on the limb. Within a split second the squirrel jumped to the neighboring branch and without a moment lost continued to gnaw. Now, I was going round and round, thinking how lucky the squirrel was and how it avoided a potentially tragic demise. Suddenly it struck me that the squirrel didn't seem to care at all. Didn't even move too far away, didn't drop it's meal, didn't test the current branch for strength, didn't survey the broken branch to find out why it broke. It just moved and continued to eat. That got me really seeing how nature just is what it is. The dormant trees aren't praying to God for a good set of leaves come spring. They don't worry about the overcrowded unmanaged space they are in or the potential of being cut down with the new development coming in the spring. The tree nor the squirrel seem to weep or worry. They just are; taking what comes next.

Contentment

Proof 

- this photo was taken at the Sierra Buttes in 2006. It was a mistake with the white balance. Ironically, (or more likely divinely) before I made the summit, I visualized myself reaching into the mountain for its wisdom. 

I haven't posted in a while because I have been feeling quite content. I am enjoying this sense of peace; a feeling of being content with my life that I am ready to go whenever. I am resting in a sense of love and metta. I have no wants or desires. I have seen all I needed to see, been everywhere I've wanted to go, done everything that I've needed to do. From here on out I know will be icing on the cake. I don't know when I'll come back to the blog but I have let this go too.

Be well my friend for 

All is well

The Gifts of Easter Sunday

Morning meditation and prayer.

A run in the park and communing with the space.

A walk with Lynton. Warm talking and friendship in nature.

An amazing email from Bill that affirmed both Buddhist and Christian traditions in a way for me to embrace whole heartily.

An afternoon with the ladies complete with Easter Egg hunt and potluck.

Sweet intimacy with Bear

Popcorn

Evening Meditation & Prayer

It doesn't get any better than this

Thank you.

Grounding with Spring

Brodiaea-laxa


Busy Bee


Red Succulent

Today I came clean with Bear. Then I talked to Bill too. Bear knew I needed to get out in nature to get me grounded once again. It all worked. I feel back in my skin. My head has stopped reeling. Here are a few photos from the hike in Bridgeport State Park. It was beautiful.

Trinity

Form, Breath, Love
Father, Mother, Child

Buddha, Dharma, Sangha

Father, Son, Holy Spirit

Red, Blue, Green

Earth, Air, Space

Albatross

The air

crisp

lightly scented 

with chimney smoke. 

The rhythmic massage 

of foot and breath 

bounced upon my ear

I jogged down the earthen path. 

The pink hue of sunrise

backlighting 

the mountain

pine view.

Deep Breath.

I broke out of the forest

to open grass field.

There!

A large low flying bird

Winged its way

toward me! 

Was it the Blue Heron

from the other side of the ravine? 

I slowed to watch its flight. 

It broke into the sunlight!

the markings? and outline?

that of a seagull? 

It was much bigger! 

Could it be an Albatross? 

I stopped 

Looking 

Straight up

It passed over head. 

My Breath! 

heaved In and Out

My Mind?

What was I seeing?

I Held my Breath

Was it magic? 

An albatross?

Never this far inland!

or North! 

Large bird 

Yellow hooked beak 

Tapered tail 

Impossible!

But there it was. 

What did it mean? 

and then 

in an instant 

It was behind the trees. 

Strained eyes search

the blue pink sky

Come back. 

Come back!

Did someone else see?

The Albatross. 

Was it my mind? 

It's tricks? 

I laughed! Yes!

As always

my thoughts 

had become

the albatross!