Malibu morning picture of the day - Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Good morning family, friends, and gentle readers.
Midweek is here and so is your picture.

Southern California's heat wave continues. Another day in the 100s. It was feeling like 75 at 7:30 this morning even out here on the coast. The air is still, no breeze; the flags on the lawn were hanging straight down. Hang in there SoCal people. They the weather pattern is about to shift.

I've been doing some study on zen training practices. It is interesting on how much of zen practice has made it into pedagogical techniques, but I'm thinking especially of prepared childbirth technique--things done to focus one's attention away from labor pains, such as counted breaths.

We tend to think of Buddhist practices as kind of laid-back. I don't know. Seems highly legalistic and code-bound to me, requiring harsh teachers to get you in shape. In my story, you will soon get to know better a person who will wind up being Clete's unlikely drill sergeant of a sort in some of these techniques, so stay tuned.

Have a wonderful Wednesday. Stay hydrated.

Love,
Pops



Addendum from later in the day.

Every year my school-employer has a Founder's Day ceremony at which faculty, staff, and students from all five schools and colleges get together and hear a reading of the speech given by the school's founder from back in 1937. It's another excuse to wear school regalia and participate in the long chain of academic history.

The older I get, the more I appreciate these sorts of things that we do to connect to roots. I snapped this picture just to put a reminder to myself of what this event is. They ask me to be the disembodied voice that tells you who's marching down the aisle, and when you should sit down. It's like having the morning off. Sometimes they give you a free lunch afterward, but not this time.






And while I was walking down to the fieldhouse for the event, a hawk was perched in a tree above me. You see the above campus every now and then. Such creatures don't usually yet you get too close, but this one seemed unconcerned by my presence.

See you tomorrow.

/vw