Lifespring

The early spring weather was beautiful today with temps in the 70s so I donned neoprene and paddled about 8.5 miles on Little Seneca Lake - 10 minutes from home. This is the water I normally paddle first in early spring and the last place I paddle in late fall/early winter before the yak enters winter hibernation - as the lake is close to home and if something goes awry its a relatively benign setting.

In order, the snaps below are: 1) the Clarksburg Bridge; 2) one of many beaver lodges on the lake; 3) 10 Mile Creek section of the lake; 4) the dam; 5) another beaver lodge with a visitor, and 6) the visitor center. If you enlarge it and look closely, in the 5th photo you can see a great blue heron standing atop the beaver lodge near the water. All in all a fine first paddle.

The original meaning of the word sin in the Christian tradition is to "miss the mark." Thomas Keating speaks of the root of sin being the psychological experience of a separate-self sense (from Ultimate Reality). And when learning Zen in the art of archery one learns to release not only the arrow but also the "seperate-self sense." When such arrives hitting the "mark" ("bullseye") happens without effort.

"What must I do then?" I asked thoughtfully.

"You must learn to wait properly."

"And how does one learn that?"

"By letting go of yourself, by leaving yourself

and everything yours behind you..."

Zen in the Art of Archery - Eugen Herrigel

Sent from Ron's iPhone

On a bike trail in Black Hill Park this view presented itself. Seen is part of Little Seneca Lake near my home.

On leaving Starbucks this morning I was greeted by this fount of wisdom on the spare tire of a Honda.

At present there are four remaining fords through which run public roads in Maryland. This is one that affords a crossing of 10 Mile Creek while driving on the Old Baltimore Road, near my home. There are plans to build four bridges where one now simply crosses by driving into the water and across. This first time I came this way I had no idea there was a ford and as I drove around a bend there it was - what a surprise - now what!?

I'll be facilitating the first of three morning retreats starting March 6th. I look forward to being and sitting with the like-minded.

I suppose home alters and/or shrines have existed for centuries as symbols of spiritual realities. Here is my homemade one where I go to retreat each day. The wooden statue of Christ came from my mother -- the little chair from her mother -- the bronze incense holder was part of my parents living room for many years when I was a child - I eventually claimed it -- and the gong is Japanese. I've added a Contemplative Outreach logo of "patience waiting" (apt term for meditation) and a photo of the chapel at St. Benedict's Monastery, Snowmass CO.

A snowshoeing article with slides in the NY Times this a.m. inspired me to hit the trail. The melt helped forward progress, i.e. not too deep, but I was able to generate a good sweat for an hour.

These snaps were taken at the North Germantown Recreational Park. The footprints in the snow are likely fox and the large structure is the indoor aquatic center where I swim. The last snap shows the top of Sugarloaf Mt. on the horizon.

Not much new here - snow, snow and more snow. After shoveling out my car and a neighbor's a fellow clearing sidewalks took a snap of me. Yestereday the winds of 30+ mph shaped the icecicles leftward.