March 23-29

There was a profusion of delicate shadings of pink and white and yellow in the meadow this week as nearly every pear, plum and cherry tree burst forth in blossom. The entire lower end of the meadow was abuzz with the accompanying horde of pollinators. An exception to this riotous bursting forth of activity could be found up near the great cedar that overlooks the volleyball court. Here the long shadows of the fir trees that have grown so tall over the last decades delayed the blossoming of these plum trees by nearly a week.

 there’s a riot going on

tall shadow casters

tall shadows

Meanwhile at the kitchen, repairs to the water heater closet got underway. Over the years, 

the wood floor under the heaters has deteriorated and needs replacing. 

More Bird Stories

While work was underway outside the kitchen, this little guy was found inside, exhausted and barely able to move. I was able to pick him up and carry him back outside. After a little bit of therapeutic touch and a few minutes rest, he flew to a nearby bush and hasn’t been seen since. And just today, the first two tree swallows of the season were spotted circling around the garden and considering their nesting options.  

March 16-22

Augery II
No sooner had last week’s blog been posted than the augury of the past repeated itself. Way down at the far end of the meadow, at the top of the tall fir tree just left of the center of the photo, two eagles landed and began chattering with each other. Were they the same two that had been there all the way back in 1997? It’s possible. Bald eagles will mate for life and live for up to thirty years. And in their chattering there was something of an old and familiar refrain being rehashed once again.

Let’s take a little bit closer look:

Administrative Support

There is a surprising amount of office work that goes on behind the scenes at Indralaya. For years, this arena has been one of my primary areas of responsibility. Despite, or perhaps because of, the gradual computerization of registration, bookkeeping and other camp administrative routines, the hours that are necessary to keep things running smoothly has continuously increased. 

This week, in response, we completed our search for an administrative assistant to provide additional support in this area.  After interviewing several qualified candidates for the position, the job was offered to a person who who will be familiar to many of the readers of the blog. 

first day on the job

Crystal Mossman has been involved with Indralaya pretty much her entire life. In addition to being on fellowship staff several times, she has also worked for a summer as kitchen manager and just completed two terms on the Board of Directors. She has experience with Quickbooks (our financial management software) and worked in a similar position with a prominent real estate firm before moving up to Orcas Island several years ago. We expect this new job to take between six to ten hours a week. So welcome to Crystal as she takes on this new role!

Work Party Weekend

For the first time in many years, the 2nd work party of the season was held on a weekend other than Easter. This year the weekend coincided with the Spring equinox and the arrival of a new moon. Over thirty participants were here to welcome in the season and help shake out the winter cobwebs. 

Hawthorn berries & seeds

Spring is the time of the year that is associated with the planting and germination of seeds. At the Saturday, two bowls of hawthorn berries were passed around the morning circle. Among other qualities, Hawthorn is used medicinally for strengthening and sustaining the heart. With this in mind, everyone was invited to carry the berries with them throughout the day as a means of meditating upon what it is in their own heart that is wanting to be planted and strengthened in the season to come.

Sunday morning at the work party

March 15

We Never Step In The Same River Twice

Well, as I said way back in August, nothing lasts forever in this world. So now, after a seven month hiatus, This Week at Indralaya is back. And it feels good to be posting an entry again. There's been much that has happened since the last posting here -- a lot of water under the bridge, as they say. But that was then and this is now. Let’s fast forward to the first of the year and catch up on what's been happening since then. 

Adyar

Our year began at the International Headquarters of the Theosophical Society, which is located on a large estate in the city of Chennai, India. It was our first real visit to the headquarters (we stopped by for an afternoon on a previous trip to India in 2005), and the trip was occasioned by our desire to offer support to the new International President, Tim Boyd, a friend of ours and of Indralaya. We were there for just over three weeks and it was an enjoyable and interesting time.

Blavatsky Bungalow

The photo above is of Blavatsky Bungalow, which is where Madame HPB herself lived. The building is currently used for occasional lectures and for sessions of the School of the Wisdom. Below is Leadbeater Chambers, which is where Leonie and I stayed and is one of several residential facilities.

 Leadbeater Chambers

From the roof of Leadbeater Chambers, overlooking the 

Adyar River, with the Bay of Bengal beyond.

In late January we returned to Indralaya, just in time for registration for the 2015 season to get underway. In mid-February, the first work party of the season (annually held on President’s Day weekend) gathered. It has been a mild late winter and much has been happening on the grounds in preparation for the coming season.

Home Sweet Home

 a traveller from an ancient land

before         garden starts            after

tulip in the garden

a select work party crew

(Leonie, Kelly, Luba, Raiana, Colin, Tana & Joe)

 Kelly preparing financials in the RMC office

              

new trail signs (thanks Alise!)

Thea & Leonie in front of the new windows in Tamarac cabin

Augery

During the work party, a dead raptor - probably a sharp-shinned hawk - was found in the upper garden near the rose bower. Some of you may recall from postings over the last couple of years that hawks have been closely associated with the bower since it was constructed to honor the alliance among the human, fairy and animal realms in the Fall of 2013.  

In ancient Rome, augery was a way of divining the will of the Gods based on studying the behavior of birds. My active interest in augury was sparked back in 1997, when Dora Kunz and I were standing outside the dining hall near the large map board. It was the first day of one of the big Therapeutic Touch programs. There happened to be two eagles perched at the top of a tree above the Grove, and when I pointed them out to Dora, she said, “That seems to be a good augury.” And indeed it was.

Speaking of ancient Rome, let us not conclude without also noting the soothsayer who warned Julius Caesar of this very day in pronouncing, “Beware the ides of March.” Was this warning based on his observation of the birds? That I do not know...

Koma Kulshan (Mt. Baker) from above Mountain Lake