September 17-23

This week the plums were all brought in and fruit processing began in earnest. With the first big harvest of plums in a few years, it felt good to fire up the fruit dryers and begin to replenish our plum stores. Two large batches of plum jam were also prepared and sealed in jam jars for later use.

Marcia gets ready to put plums in the fruit dryer

Early in the week we also learned that the pump that moves water from Tanks B&C up the hill to Tank D had run dry. Fortunately a replacement pump was on hand and ready for installation and by Thursday water was again moving up the hill, just in time for the weekend.

Water Tank C

Mack & Mary brought beautiful micro-greens for the program 

On the weekend, the long anticipated Inner Temples Inner Convocation program with R. J. Stewart and Anastacia Nutt arrived. This program has been fully registered since February and there was a lot of excitement among the 44 participants as they arrived. The program was composed of a blend of teachings and experiential practices accessing inner realms of experience. On Friday night we gathered in the Grove and welcomed the arrival of the Autumnal equinox with what might well turn out to be the last campfire of the 2012 season.

September 10-16

Here in the northwest, September 2012 has been notable for providing day after day of sunshine and clear skies. This weather pattern is expected to continue for the foreseeable future; perhaps as long as the Fall Harvest work party coming up on the first weekend in October.

 Meeting with Taiwanese students in the Dining Hall

On September 11, Joel & Michelle Levey dropped by with a group of their students from Taiwan. After a tour of the grounds and meditation at Madrona Point, they came to the dining hall where we shared some of Indralaya’s history and philosophy.

Over the weekend Indralaya was the setting for the 2nd annual Theosofest. It was a low-key and enjoyable weekend with a wide array of activities, beginning on Friday evening with a reception and spoken word event with local writers and story-tellers exploring ‘the labyrinth in time’.

On Saturday there was an open house and presentations on several different topics, including dreams, education, theosophy, meditation and creativity. concluding with Deep Singing in the teepee that evening.

Van Gelder brothers Arthur & Michael

The weekend concluded with a benefit pancake breakfast on Sunday morning. Almost $300 was raised on behalf of the Orcas Island Food Bank. Many thanks to all who helped make the weekend possible, especially Antoinette Botsford, who helped organize the Friday night program, Helen Bee for leading Deep Singing on Saturday night, and presenters Stanton Stevens, Leslie Schwartz, David Marshak, and Penny Sharp Sky.

September 10

Theosophical Society President Tim Boyd and his wife Lily were at Indralaya for this year's Connections program (see the August 8-15 post for pictures and more information). In his most recent monthly video blog, Tim talks about their visit at about the 5:30 mark.