Deep Quiet January 20, 2016

It is not often that I stay at Pi longer than the two nights of a weekend, but with the advent of the new year and no commitments in sight, I sought to invert the balance for two weeks.  My focus changed from the frenzy of San Francisco to the simplicity of life off the information grid and a return to nature.  How I needed this retreat to digest the difficulties of 2015 and to allow myself to receive a sweeter 2016!

Indeed it was my own (nearly) silent retreat.  I popped in and out of the local library, and with Pogo the cat at my side, I devoured several books and movies and caught up on my journal.  I signed up for the annual Yoga Toes challenge of 24 classes in 60 days, and even though I knew I would fail to achieve the goal, I made early headway, even packing in two classes in one day.  I made a new friend, Kathy, also a retired professor who moved here from Maryland with her husband.  She invited me for a cup of coffee but surprised me with freshly baked muffins and homemade jams. 

Life is good out here.  I am restored.  Pi centers me, and I practice letting life unfold as it will. 

The Return of the Herons January 2, 2016

In December, just after the first rains of the season, I was met by a great blue heron upon my arrival at Pi.  How majestic and calm he was, just 15’ from my front door, and how long he had been absent!  The rain brought him back, my “wetlands” must have seemed inviting.

Today as I was working outside, I overheard some squawking and looked up to discover a heron and a red-tailed hawk fighting it out, perhaps over rights to a gopher both had sighted.  The hawk flew away, the heron remained.  I have no idea what might have happened to the gopher.

The Late Autumn Ritual November 20, 2015

Each fall, usually in late October, I pack in the accouterment of sunny days and prepare for the winter storms of West Marin.  This year’s drought pushed back the timetable, allowing me to linger outside longer than usual.  With Thanksgiving on the horizon and El Nino predicted for the winter, it was time, finally, to turn inward.  I pulled out the sun umbrellas, took down the cotton hammock, stowed the grill in the studio, trimmed the lavender, turned off the meager drip system, and set the radiant heat to a baseline of 60^o.  Almost Pi is ready for the deluge.