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This is how our trip over the mountains and back looked like day before yesterday. At ‘B’ we took a tourist boat to the small island on the right, Anakapa, in the Channel Islands.
And this is what we saw soon after getting out of harbour….
Thanks to Wikipedia and the photographer for this picture of the Common Dolphin.
Being witness to these joyful creatures as they arched in and out of the waters as they collectively rounded up breakfast was quite something else. And then all of the excitement as they and a flock of Brown Pelicans tucked in. Later we cruised along the coast of Anacapa a volcanic Island being told about Kelp Forests and sea caves, ship wrecks and a French hermit who lived there for 25 years. Many sights, sounds (those Sea Lions can bark up a storm) and smells to get attention.
On the drive home we stopped off for a hot drink and this poster caught my eye.
There are very many more than two sides to every story and while California has plenty of everything it’s worth remembering that there is indeed plenty of EVERYTHING.
No time to respond to the comments because I’m driving out of this part of the world this morning heading to Santa Cruz where at least one reader will be waiting for me to take photographs of the SURFERS. Right Pascal?
Somebody asked me in an email if I knew the source of a quote. Here is the full quote which is spoken by the celebrant at the end of the Lay Ordination ceremony.
We live in the world as if in the sky
just as the lotus blossom is not wetted
by the water that surrounds it.
The mind is immaculate and beyond the dust.
Let us bow to the highest Lord.
It has been a long day, it’s actually the next day now, and I’m so very glad right now to be publishing this verse.
Highest Lord? Really the meaning of that, the spiritual meaning, needs to be discovered for oneself. Right off the top of my head and for now I’d say deepest *heart. However the emphasis must surely be on Let us bow.
Coming around a corner this fledgling Pinyon Pine caught my attention
and then, zooming in, this fungus.
This morning as I was taking an early walk I realized my brain is adjusting to the sharp California light and with that I’ve a renewed and deeper sight. The subtle shades of green for example are quite unlike anything I have encountered before. I super saturated these two images and rather liked the result. No, the shadows are not this beautiful blue!
Tomorrow we will be traveling on California State Highway 33, a twisting and turning road over the mountains to the coast, loved by bikers. Much like Hartside Crossing in the UK. Perhaps there will be some photographs of marine mammals in the next post. California 33 is also know as the Petroleum Highway. I’ll have to post the video, taken near Maricopa when I was passing through the oil fields earlier this month.
Thanks for the small rash of comments. And thanks for the e-mail R. I’m doing my best to get back to regular posting because I know there are those of you who log in each day in hope of something new to look at.
It was most gratifying to receive an email from somebody today. She said, There was a moment today to read your blog and I found it uplifting and
amazing to be so in touch with where you are – even though I tend to think
‘real life is too short for reading blogs’.
There you have it. Just one such message, letting me know that visiting Jademountains makes a difference, has me uplifted and inspired to writing. Being in touch is a two way street and I always like to hear from readers either via email and or via comments. So please don’t hang back, leave a comment. (I moderate comments so you will not see what you said until I’ve had a chance to read the comments.) Just saying something simple like, I’m here still means I get a feel for the people who are reading and that in turn has an impact on what I write about.
I’ve just updated my schedule by the way.
The crickets are chirping away in the night and cool air on a light breeze is wafting in the window. Wonderful! This is high country and the air at the moment is dry and thin. Sounds travel remarkably long distances. A dog is barking now, or is it a coyote. I hear tell of wild flowers, abundant in spring, and of seasonal rains and even a drop of light snow in winter. I’m so glad to have been able to spend these days here with two close fellow monastics. It has been a tonic.
Links removed from this post because they didn’t work so well.
Practice Within The Order of Buddhist Contemplatives
