Alistair and I emerged from our camping/hiking/retreating into the Wallowa Mountains like two gliding geese landing atop a frozen lake. Cloaked in confident demeanors we did our best to gracefully slide through the exciting events ahead.

Ajahn Pasanno traveled to Oregon along with attendant Tan Titabho for a six-day visit. Within this short time frame and with nary a sigh, Ajahn accepted three teaching engagements, a request to preside over a thoroughly organized ‘Hermitage Picnic’ and an invitation to accept ‘Alms on Hawthorne’. Impressively and to the benefit and appreciation of many, he met all of these duties with seemingly ease and lighthearted joy. I say “seemingly” because naturally I don’t really know what goes on for him internally. Still I was struck by his deportment. His manner of expression, whether that be with body or speech seemed consistently poised between integrity and joy.

Michael Stevens and Mimi Maduro’s generous offer to house the monks for this three month Vassa was also the location for the Hermitage Picnic. The events included a bountiful meal, children’s Dhamma program and offering, bubbles, hikes and Dhamma talk and discussion. The weather was warm, windy and all around pleasant. Ending the day with a hike lent an affirming visual to the experiences of this past week, just how lovely the view is when coming from Dhamma.

Portland Friends of the Dhamma taped Ajahn’s Dhamma talks and discussions for anyone interested. As of this writing they are not yet posted so you’ll want to check back in just a few days time. You’ll also find more photo’s of the Alms Round on Hawthorne and Hermitage Picnic.

For some reasons I’ve been stuck lately, having a hard time writing to this blog. Not sure why. Maybe after I return from a ten day camping trip with my husband Alistair I’ll be back up and writing. Don’t know.

We’ll be camping in a ten by fourteen log cabin with a wood stove for cooking on one end and a huge river rock fireplace on the other. The toilet is an outhouse a hundred feet west of the house, the bath is a stream meandering just beyond.

The nearest town is an hours drive by car. We’ve been here before. We hiked nearly every day and only ran into another person once, a person with a cross bow on his back and camoflage on his face. Unfortunately for the deer he looked as determined as he did fit.

If we stick with the routine we’ll have predawn meditations, long, strenuous hikes and icy cold bathes. No cell phones, no computers, no one but the bears, cougars, deers and a whole lot of chattering birds to pull us away from our meditations, from our silence.

I hope it snows.

Will write again in about two weeks time.

Sakula