This Moment, Now

I’m struggling with the political news in this country, and yet, yesterday as I sat on my deck and savored my first sip of a fresh cup of coffee, I felt complete happiness and remembered the words of the Dalai Lama who when asked about the happiest or best moment of his life, responded “this moment.” 

When Tara Brach  asked the Dalai Lama his happiest moment, he replied, “this moment is happiness”.  She shares this: On a visit to D.C., the Dalai Lama was asked by a reporter to share about the happiest moment in his life. He paused and then gave a very mischievous look. His response: ‘I think now!'”

This morning as I read the news, I’m carried on the musical composition of three different garbage trucks coming through picking up debris from three different bins: garbage, recycling, and compost.  We are a community. This moment, now!  

This Moment, Now!
Gong – vibration spreading like wings!
Flourish and Flow

Beauty and Art Around Us

On Friday I was at Cornerstone gardens in Sonoma and Saturday at the Las Gallinas Reclamation ponds in San Rafael.  I offer a taste through photos.

Dipping into and expanding with Roses
Laced Hearts
Agave Flower
Ball of Rocks
Metal Goddess in the Garden
Reflecting Pond
Thank you Hispanic workers for our food
Wider View of the Gardens
Mr. and Mrs. Duck in the marsh pond
Swan Landing
Swan in a gentle float

Morning

The crescent moon was bright in the sky this morning.  Squirrels are running up and down the trunk of the redwood tree and bouncing on the branches.  Birds are singing.  A crow plays the windchime.  I sit enchanted.  I’m with the words of Thich Nhat Hanh:

“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world revolves.”  

And so it is – our reverence and appreciation opening and turning like keys.  

Reaching to meet
Grounding to Rise

It’s Spring!

I’m struck by the flowers blooming along the path into the library. The rise seems so effortless. I’m with these words of Bruce Lee from his book, Be Water, My Friend.

Who is there that can make muddy waters clear?  But if allowed to remain still, it will become clear of itself. Who is there that can secure a state of absolute repose? But keep calm and let time go on, and the state of repose will gradually arrest.

Yellow Iris – like sunshine
Breathe in the freshness and clarity
Among the rocks
Royalty

Butterflies

When I’m outside these days, butterflies are fluttering all about me. It’s springtime, a time to connect.

Saturday, I came upon two Monarchs mating, and stopped to take pictures thinking it would be short-term, but finally exhausted from watching all the fluttering, I left. At home, I read that when monarchs mate, the male uses the claspers on the end of his abdomen to attach to the vaginal groove of the female. Once attached, the female cannot get away, and the male transfers spermatophore components to the female in a process that can take up to 16 hours.

16 hours and without Viagra. Amazing.

Guided by the Season
Movement in Camouflage
This bumper sticker offers another form of camouflage



Above the Fog

Because I’m too old to be an astronaut viewing our fragile, diverse planet from space, I left the fog to drive up to the top of Mt. Tam, and circle through landscapes.  

Looking west into the bank of fog
Looking south as fog begins to dissipate in the climb
Eyes in the Fog
Mount Diablo to the East
The sky begins to clear
Reservoirs to the North



Sunshine

I walked Tennessee Valley today along with many others who were drawn outside to celebrate the day.  It was so warm I felt like a cormorant drying my wings as I walked with arms outspread. Butterflies called by the sun swarmed around me like a cocoon. Water streamed down the hills to join the ocean as one.

Call of the Stream
Monarch
Endangered Mission Blue Butterfly
The ocean awaits

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Fire and Snow

It’s the Chinese Lunar New Year, Year of the Fire Horse.  The last two nights I’ve made a fire in the fireplace and lit candles, as I absorb the energy of this new year. The snake has molted and is ready to gallop with energy, clarity, and courage.  1966 was the last Fire Horse Year, and that was a powerful one too.

My grandson is at Tahoe with his family and a very perky puppy.  It’s been snowing and is beautiful.  I look at the photos and feel what it’s like to play with this new texture, to immerse as in water, to form flakes to come together as snowmen and snowwomen, and toss snowballs with glee.  I remember my childhood, and all the years and give thanks for how water is liquid, solid, and gas, able to change like perception.

Up and out at 7 in the morning to be with the snow.
Building a snowman with the help of Mirabel.
Paradise for fully fluffed Mirabel

Respite

This morning at Stinson Beach.

Creativity
Valentine’s Day – Painting on Driftwood

Looking north toward Bolinas
Rocks savor a water massage
The tide comes in
Shelter
Gull checks out the waves

Morning

This morning, I sat by the window andI watched the day come to light.  Already I see and feel a change, an internal harmonizing with the tilt of the earth’s access which brings this change where I live.  The light is young, new, and tender, as it reaches into our own internal and receptive light.  

I’m reading One Hand Clapping: Unraveling the Mystery of the Human Mind by neuroscientist Nikolay Kukushkin. It allows me to appreciate even more the evolution and adaptation that lead to the creation of lungs, sight, perception, connection.

I contemplate this poem by Zen Master Issa:

This world of dew

Is a world of dew

And yet, and yet …

And I welcome and meet what’s continually new., the changing of the Light.

Thank you rocks and plants!
Learning from a dock that senses it’s time to drop
Reflecting