I think the animals have really been enjoying the increased moisture after the recent rain. I’ve noticed a lot more birds flying around our yard and even saw a couple of jackrabbits — which are usually only out and about before dawn or during twilight.
And then today, for the first time ever, I saw a bobcat!
I was sitting on the patio enjoying some afternoon sunshine when he walked by — a little way out from my chair — as cool as you please. I quickly (but quietly) ran inside to grab my glasses so I could be sure of what I was seeing, and sure enough that’s what it was.
I could see the short tail with a dark end, markings on the front legs, and the distinctive ears.
I didn’t have my phone to grab a pic but he looked almost exactly like the photo above. Incredibly beautiful, but I hope he doesn’t discover the chickens at Ananda Village’s goat dairy. 😟
The saga of my broken tooth has finally come to an end. This morning the oral surgeon extracted the tooth and applied a bone graft, in preparation for an eventual implant.
The tooth first felt “funny” way back in March, then caused enough painful moments while we were in Europe to make me quite nervous. Even though it stopped actively hurting, it remained precarious.
For various reasons I had to simply work around it while waiting to have it taken out. In fact, that tooth has been on my mind for a full six months and my primary emotion right now is relief.
I’m also feeling spacey and more than ready for an early night.
In the courtyard of the Ananda Palo Alto community, back in the day.
I’ve been receiving an increasing number of out-of-the-blue comments from people hoping to hear me play flute more often.
I’m also getting a lot of encouraging feedback about my recent, more regular practice sessions.
Then — to top it all off — I just “happened” to stumble on an old blog post from August 2019, in which I shared something I wrote way back in the early 2000’s, when I was new to Ananda:
“What I want more than anything is to be able to simply be the vehicle for music to course through. I want to be the pipeline and the music the water. And I want to be a wide-open, pure, smooth, silvery pipeline for the sacred water to flow through, not a rusty, corroded, constricted, obstructed pipeline that blocks the flow.”
I can still remember that the inspiration behind writing those thoughts was to more deeply understand (and communicate to others) WHY we need to practice and improve and aspire toward perfection.
Not to impress or to compete or to gratify our ego. But to be an ever more pure channel (or vehicle) for the Divine Flow and, through our ever-deepening attunement, to eventually merge into oneness with that flow of the Divine.
My nights have gradually been getting later, which means my mornings have been getting later as well.
Important habits are falling by the wayside as a result, making this a trend that can’t continue. So, tonight I’m determined both to keep this short and to not get sucked in when I post the link to Facebook.
I’m going back and reading some of my blog posts from a year ago. It’s the only way I can really tune back in to what life was like in the lead up to my stem cell transplant.
We had been in Sacramento for a few days at this point. The tunneled catheter was in my chest and we were preparing to have my stem cells collected the next day.
Hard to believe what a different reality that was compared to now. As I reflect on it, I think a part of me is in a sort of “reactionary” mode — experiencing lots of resistance to discipline, consistency, focus.
Maybe that’s why I’m so into upgrading my garden at the moment. Creating wine barrel planters is a way to channel my energy into something productive, but that’s also a treat.
There was lots of joy in the Temple of Light this morning as we sang “There’s Joy in the Heavens.”
I was particularly gratified to hear (and feel) how “tight” the ensemble is sounding. My favorite thing is being able to completely relax and simply enjoy singing with the group…and that most definitely happened today.
Our community takes preparing for wildfires very seriously and one of our members had organized a practice drive of an alternate evacuation route. So six cars of devotees joined her for that adventure this morning.
On the one hand, I was enjoying seeing some beautiful new countryside, while on the other hand I was praying that we never have to make that drive in an emergency. Almost all of it was narrow and winding, with steep uphills and downhills, and much of it was unpaved. The dust from the cars ahead of me decreased visibility substantially, giving me an idea of what it might be like to drive it with smoke in the air. A sobering thought.
We eventually reached Nevada City, where another new experience awaited as I joined a couple of friends (and fellow caravan participants) at the Communal Cafe — a lovely new coffee, breakfast, lunch place on Broad Street.
Next was a car wash (all that dust!), followed by visits to a couple of garden supply stores that were also new to me. I’d heard about Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply, but had never checked it out. A beautiful space with lovely people. I bought gopher cages (which were on my list) and three plants (not on the list!).
My main shopping intention was to find two wine barrel planters; they didn’t have any at Peaceful Valley but someone suggested I look at Hills Flat Lumber.
This is a store up on a hill that I’ve seen a gazillion times while driving up and down Hwy 49, but I thought it was only lumber! I was totally surprised to discover household goods, a garden supply, and a well-stocked nursery (and I didn’t even explore three quarters of the store).
Plus they had wine barrel planters — yay!
I really enjoyed a full day of new and different things. I realize I need to do it more often.
