I remember a couple of the winters I lived at Tassajara where we had back-to-back storms bringing many inches of rain. This past week has been the equal of those in the Bay Area, and once again we have local forecasts suggesting it will rain for the next ten days.
On New Year’s Eve, thankfully I didn’t have to be anywhere all day; we had five inches of rain, more than had been predicted, with plenty of damage around the area. I was motivated to undertake a complete clean of my place, in the way that we do at Zen Center, to start the year with everything fresh and clean; I ended up even rearranging the furniture to match the way I had envisioned before I moved in, but which I had thought might be impractical. So far it seems to work.
And the next day was clear and sunny! I rode out to catch the first sunrise of the year on the Embarcadero once again, and set off around the city with no particular ambition, though once I had seen some of the aftermath of the storm, I did go to check that the trail to Marshall’s Beach was open, which it was. We had a lovely roam that same afternoon, marred only by ridiculously heavy traffic heading towards the bridge on every available street, which made it hard for some people to get to the meeting point.
Slowly I have been landing back in my regular routine, although I did have a few commitments in the week between Christmas and New Year as rain moved through and the wind blew hard. As always I try to plan for time outside, but right now it seems like I will just be able to snatch some short rides between showers on the days I am free. And I welcome the earlier morning light: I remember being surprised to learn a few years ago that sunrise and sunset did not shorten and lengthen symmetrically, and it is their combined rate of change that gives us the shortest day on the 21st. The latest sunrises are right now, while the afternoons get incrementally longer. Certainly it was a little lighter when I went down to Zen Center for a peaceful sit on Friday afternoon.
Shundo David Haye 