Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

Last time I was at Wilbur, it was all about the gnats and the biting flies. This time, equally unprecedent, there were yellowjackets everywhere. They seemed fond of nibbling my toes, and it was challenging not to immediately swipe them away, although the only sting I got was from doing just that. One of the participants in one of the meditation sessions had to leave, as she is severely allergic to wasp stings, and could not relax with them buzzing around, with her epi-pen back in her cabin. I had a good crowd for the Sunday morning sit, which was very encouraging.

It was great getting away from another grey damp Friday in the city to sweep up the 80 and hit the sun on the other side of American Canyon, take in the gorgeous landscape of the 16 and the peacefulness of the Wilbur valley. After arriving I had a somnolent afternoon in the luxurious heat; I rested a lot and did a good chunk of reading as well. As always, it was great to be offline for a couple of days.

Both mornings, when it was still cool and fresh, I took hikes to catch the sunrise. On Saturday I walked down the road to the bridge that connects to the Bear Valley Road. I saw a lone boar on the hillside just before I got there – another first for me at Wilbur – which thankfully ran away when I called out to it. Then I sat and watch the rays of the sun like a cinema projector from behind the hills, until it finally came up and illuminated the oaks and the golden grass. 

The next morning I headed up Manzanita Hill again, as the sun was coming up, and then took a short cut back down to the valley, which I had done a few years ago when I was still running around the hills, and wanted to revisit. It was so invigorating being out on the hills in the early light, with just deer, rabbits and a hawk for company this time.

Speaking to the staff there, it seems they won’t schedule any activities on the yoga deck, where we sit, over the winter, as the heating system there has been a little fitful; I don’t always enjoy the challenge of sitting up there when it is cold, but I will miss Wilbur if I don’t get to return until the spring.