Rain...

A welcome rain for much of the day yesterday. It has been too long since we saw any here in Southern California, and I think we are still twelve inches below normal for this time of year. That's twelve out of fourteen or fifteen... You could almost hear the sign of relief as the earth drank it in. Then last night, as I took George for his evening walk, a strikingly clear crescent moon and the shadow of the unseen remainder of its sphere amongst the few remaining wisps of cloud, along with the brilliant silver pinpoints of the stars and planets.

This morning, the birds sing joyfully...

I followed yesterday's meditation on happiness with a second one today. The first step of metta only, happiness for myself. And found myself, after a half hour, moving on naturally into that second step, the family, Ellie and Sarah, my two sons, the grandchildren, our sisters and their families... The breath felt effortless and smooth, and I managed to maintain a good level of attention throughout--though I did notice how the mind became impatient to move on to "more important" things toward the end.

As usual, I am happy to wake up here in our little cottage in Laguna Beach. There is a quality of relative calm here that contrasts with the intensity and bustle of Los Angeles, which makes itself evident even in the early morning hours. A kind of electricity in the air, a stir of energy, a glow of city lights throughout the night, a ceaseless hum of sound. Here, in the early hours, even where we live, a few blocks from the ocean front, you can almost always hear the waves break...