This photo followed a storm in May, but you get the idea:



I feel rather cheerful tonight. Maybe it's because the flu bug I had this week is nearly gone. And the sound of frogs and crickets chirping creates a very pleasant chorus.

Early in the day, I was anxious, trying to catch up on work that had been delayed. A storm came through, and it really poured, creating small reflective lakes across the yard. Meanwhile, I came upon a web page on mindfulness. One section describes the many ways the mind gets out of hand. The message is repeated: 'remain still like a piece of wood'. I haven't focused on meditation of late; the reminder to quiet the mind seeped within me. And that someone out there had patiently created such an extensive, beautiful website devoted to the teachings of this Shantideva moved me. It had certainly brought me to center.

I still felt that inner peace later when I looked out the window. A broken, heavy pine branch--a log, really--seven or eight feet long--lay in the wet green grass. It fell during the storm. There's a big dent in the hood of the tractor.

Ha! Paradox.

There's always a wise guy.