Last Weekend

Last weekend I was up at Wilbur, for the second time this summer. As with the days at Tassajara, this return to such a familiar place had some poignancy: there were many places I wanted to revisit, and at the same time I knew I wanted to relax.

Once again I did not bring my laptop with me so I wasn’t tempted to catch up on any number of unfinished projects on screen. I read a lot, did some sewing on my rakusu, and stared off into space for long periods of time, which helped me crystallise some thoughts for my talk.

Typically, I found it hard to stay awake in the evening. I ate dinner early, enjoyed the baths after the sun had dipped behind the hill, while it was still very warm, and slept even earlier than I do in the city. This allowed me, since we were further from the solstice than on my previous visit, to wake up early enough to see the stars and the Milky Way. Before the sun came up I rode one of the clunky house bikes up the valley, seeing turkey, quail, deer and rabbits. On the way back, the first light on the oaks and the golden grasses was magical. At the bath-house, I saw a young rattlesnake lined out on the concrete warming itself up; I got one of the staff to pick it up and take it away, as I used to do at Tassajara sometimes.

It was in the hundreds each day, with a few incongruous bright clouds and a little breeze. I enjoyed doing zazen on the yoga deck, as I always do, and chatting with various people over the weekend about practice. As the sun went down, the half moon shone above the trees. I thought about another morning hike, but ended up having a conversation over breakfast, and feeling glad that I just got to be lazy. It is probably my last chance to bask in the intense heat until next year.