December 19

As promised, this week’s posting provides a glimpse at some of the programs being planned for next year. At this time, nearly all of the programs have been scheduled and we are working on production of the 2012 program catalog. The catalog should be in the mail in mid- to late January and at the same time, program information and on-line registration will be available through the Indralaya website.

Here’s a quick overview of what is in store:

Work Parties: There are six work parties scheduled - three in the Spring and three in the Fall, all of them coincide with holiday weekends in either Canada or the U.S. The first work party will come on President’s Day Weekend (Feb. 17-20), followed by Easter (April 6-8), and Memorial Day (May 25-28). In the Fall, there are work parties on Labor Day Weekend (Aug 31 - Sept 3), Canadian Thanksgiving (this is the big fall harvest weekend, October 5-8) and November 9-11, which is the same weekend as Veterans/Remembrance Day.

Spring Programs (revised Jan. 9 ~ see revisions below and in the January 9 entry)
There will be five Spring programs, beginning with an April 12-15 Mindfulness Meditation Retreat led by Grace Crowley. The following week (April 25-29) Raphael Cushnir will return to Indralaya to lead his well-received program on self-transformation. David Spangler will be here for the weekend of May 3-6 (this program has been moved to August 4-9). Beginner’s Therapeutic Touch, with Sandra Revesz and Susan Wager will be offered May 17-20. Tibetan flutist and former monk Nawang Khechog, will lead a program on “Awakening Kindness” beginning May 31 and continuing through June 3. The last Spring program is scheduled for June 7-10, with Robyn Finseth offering a program on healing, emphasizing physical balance and well-being.

Therapeutic Touch
As has been tradition since the late 1970’s, the last two weeks of June will be devoted to healing and the annual Therapeutic Touch programs. The TT mentoring week will be June 16-22, followed from June 24-30 by “Continuing Explorations in Therapeutic Touch”.

Summer Programs
And then it is on into summer, beginning with our two family weeks. The dates for Week One will be July 2-8, Week Two will begin on July 11 and continue until the morning of the 17th. After a short break, the summer program will continue with Deep Singing from July 21-26, followed by Yoga Week, July 28-August 2. 2012 will mark Melanie Whittaker’s 10th year leading this popular program.

Plans for the August 4-9 program are still being/have now been finalized. David Spangler will be here for the week, exploring the theme of “Beachcomber Consciousness” - it should be fun!

The 11th Connections program will begin on August 11 and continue through the 19th. In addition to the usual area of great projects that are a part of Connections, morning discussion will be lead by Andrie Levey-Bates for the first couple of days and then by Theosophical Society President Tim Boyd. Joel and Michelle Levey will be here to lead the last program of the summer from August 21-26.

Fall Programs
Following on its successful introduction this year, our Fall programs will kick off with a second Theosofest on the weekend of September 14-16. The following week, September 20-23, following on their amazing 2011 Sea Temple Retreat, R.J. Stewart and Anastacia Nutt will return to lead a three day Inner Temples Convocation and celebration of the Autumn Equinox. The program year will then end as it began, with a September 27-30 Silent Meditation Retreat. This retreat will be led by residents Leonie Van Gelder and Minor Lile.


As this is being written, in the early evening under a dark, cloud obscured sky at a northern latitude of 48.7°, we are, once again, on the brink of the winter solstice. It is that time in the cycle of the year when, from our earthbound perspective, the sun seems to stand still as it arrives at the southernmost point of its journey, the line demarcated by the Tropic of Cancer, at 23.4° S. The solstice has been a moment of significance to humanity since time immemorial and its arrival continues to be celebrated in festivals and gatherings all over the world.

In her booklet, The Christmas of the Angels, Indralaya elder Dora Van Gelder Kunz writes,

We must remember that the whole earth is thronged with host of super-physical beings, angels and archangels and all the Company of Heaven, who … are responsible for the guidance and control of the manifold processes of Nature. It is their thoughts and feelings and activities which play so important a part in the creation of that peculiar atmosphere of good will so noticeable at Christmas; and at this time of the year the whole earth thrills with the wonderful forces outpoured by the angels….
(T)he angels see Christmas from the life side, as a turning-point of all the forces of Nature on every plane and at every level, and as a time in which (there is) a direct and mighty outpouring of creative power and spiritual energy…It marks a point of deep significance in the hidden life of Nature.

Blessings of the Season to one and all!

And it’s time for a break ~ the next “This Week” posting will be on January 9.

December 4-10

“Ahhh, it’s nice to be home....”

After being away for just over a week we returned to Indralaya on Sunday.

Leonie relaxes at the cabin in Twisp

Some scenes from around camp on a crisp and sunny mid-December day:

on the way to Madrona Point

the library

the meadow

looking north towards Eastsound

waiting for the next campfire

Art Clemons was up for a personal retreat the week before we left. While he was here, he put in some time helping with the harvest and clean-up of the cabbage patch.


Check back next week for a preview of upcoming 2012 programs!

November 28 - December 3

After a few days back at camp following Thanksgiving, it was back down to Seattle for a meeting of the Indralaya Board of Directors. This was the first meeting of the new board following the annual meeting in October (see October 24-30).

It was a full meeting, beginning with a morning retreat during which Board members shared their perceptions of Indralaya’s strengths and areas where there seems to be room for improvement. It was interesting to observe, among other things, that some of the great strengths of the place are also the sources for some of the challenges that arise.

Following the retreat, the Board set fees and approved an operating budget for 2012. Next year’s fees will rise slightly, with the daily rates for plumbing cabins going from $68 to $69 per person per night, stays in the roundhouse will increase from $70 to $75 per night, and non-plumbing will increase from $47 to $49. Tenting fees will rise from $37 to $40 per night.

It was a full and productive meeting. On Sunday, Leonie and I headed for our family cabin in Twisp where we will be staying for the coming week. While we are gone, Michael Short is staying at camp and keeping an eye on things, for which we are grateful.

No pictures this week...

...as I seem to have misplaced my camera!

November 21-27

It was a quiet week for human activity at Indralaya as we closed the gate and headed to Seattle for the Thanksgiving holiday. While we were gone, the wind blew and leaves fell, as evidenced by the following pictures of the black walnut tree that sits at the base of the garden:

last week

this week

November 14-20

With the end of season work party completed, it was once again time to drain the water from the solarium, dining hall, and plumbing cabins. Just in time, as a taste of winter weather arrived on Friday with a light snow fall and temperatures dipping below freezing for the weekend.

Welcome Back!
One enjoyable consequence of the cold weather and snow was the reemergence of the Buddha who has been hiding among the bracken fern near the RMC since early June.

November 19 ~ Buddha field 5

Buddha field 3 (from June 6-12 post)

Down but not Out
Earlier in the week, Leonie visited the Orcas Medical Center to check on some serious bouts of persistent coughing and learned that she had a case of walking pneumonia. As a result, she found herself inside for much of the week and spent much of the time working with co-editor Carol Bee on completing the Autumn issue of Meadow Musings, the occasional newsletter that all donors and Friends of Indralaya receive.

History Lesson
This week also saw the completion of an application to renew the 1999 tideland lease with the State of Washington for the dock area. As part of the application, we were required to submit the Deed of Trust that proves ownership of the land adjoining the lease area.

This title document is dated May 1, 1928, and states, in part, that

“the property is to be developed as a center serving a working community, and as a retreat for purposes of study, meditation and investigation, with departments for literature, arts, crafts, dramatic representations, dancing, and rythmic (sic) exercises all in harmony with the general purposes and plans of the International Theosophical Society with headquarters at Adyar, India....”

Not a bad vision for what was to come.

eagle in tree above the grove

November 7-13

work party conviviality

With the conclusion of the work party this last weekend, another Indralaya season comes to an end. Night falls early and there is quiet on the meadow. Yet even in this time of rest the seeds for next year are already being planted.

Earlier today, I scrolled back through the 34 posts that have been made on this site since the 2011 season began, way back with the President’s Day work party in February. There have been some challenges and many beautiful moments along the way. In looking back over the past eight months, I was filled again with appreciation and wonder for all that this place provides.

Work has been done ~ thoughts and ideas expressed ~ hearts filled ~ lives changed. This extraordinary ‘ongoing experiment in theosophical living’ that we know as Indralaya carries on. May it be ever so!

western sky at sunset

October 31 - November 6

frost on the cabbage

There were a number of things to attend to and follow up on in the wake of the annual meeting of the Indralaya board last week (see October 31). By mid-week things had settled back down, providing time for us to attend to looming piles of paperwork and begin some long planned overhauling of the filing system. Leonie spent several hours working in the archives, while I attended to the RMC office filing cabinets and various stacks of paper that had piled up over the course of the program season. By the time we were done, we'd generated a 33 gallon garbage sack full of recyclable paper waste!

Minor's desk (before)

Minor's desk (after)

On Sunday morning we joined Tina Rose at her home in Olga for a long-ago planned three mile walk to Doe Bay Resort and Cafe for breakfast. Tina has been the graphic designer for the Indralaya program catalog for twelve years now, since taking over from Carol Stanley in 2000. This was the initial meeting to begin planning next year’s catalog, which will be out in mid to late January.

Leonie & Tina, overlooking Buck Bay

As we turned into Doe Bay, it was a great pleasure to see Indralaya’s former resident managers Shandra and River Augenstein, along with their new born daughter Julia and River's mother, Marlene. They were also on their way to breakfast so we all had a chance to sit down together and catch up on happenings over a delicious meal. The most significant happening, of course, being the birth of Julia three weeks ago.

mother and child

October 24-30

Fall Colors

This last weekend Indralaya's Board of Directors gathered here for their annual meeting, which, according to the by-laws of the organization, is held in the Fall of any given year. This meeting is when results for the annual election process are tabulated, additional board members are named, and officers are elected for the coming year.

The activities of Indralaya are overseen and guided by the seven member Board of Directors of The Orcas Island Foundation. The Foundation is incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3). It was formed during Indralaya’s second year of operation, all the way back in 1928.

In order to serve on the Board, an individual is required to have been a member of the Theosophical Society for at least one year. Eligible voters must be members of the Theosophical Society and members of the Friends of Indralaya. In most years, the Board meets five or six times.

The election process began back in April with a call for nominations. It was an unusually interesting election cycle this year as six people were nominated and agreed to stand for election. In the second round of the process, which took place over the summer, the number of nominees was narrowed to two. And, finally, at the annual meeting, the results of the final round of the election were announced.

October Sky

The person elected to be the Voting Member Representative for the coming year is Crystal Mossman. Crystal was also elected as the Member’s representative three years ago and was running for her second term on the Board.

Two other board members were leaving the Board after completing their terms. John Levey has served as Treasurer for six years, and Laurie Rotecki has been on the board for the past three years. As a result, there were two additional open seats on the Board.

Kelly Bachman and Megan Barnes were named to these two seats. This will be Megan’s first time on the Board, while Kelly has served previously. Officers for the coming year were also elected at the meeting. They are Jeannie Chamberlain, Chair; Kim Erickson, Vice Chair; Crystal Mossman, Secretary; and Kelly Bachman, Treasurer.

Congratulations and THANK YOU, one and all.

October 17-23

Fall in the Methow Valley

A short entry this week as we were away at our family cabin in Twisp (located in the Methow Valley in North Central Washington). Leonie's brothers Michael, Ian and Arthur, along with their families, joined us for the weekend. Thanks to Carol Bee for staying at camp and keeping an eye on the place while we were gone!

October 10-16

Last night while I was sleeping

I dreamed–blessed illusion!–
a fountain flowed inside my heart.
Water: tell me by what hidden
channel you came to me
with a spring of new life
I never drank?

Last night while I was sleeping
I dreamed–blessed illusion!–
I had a beehive inside my heart,
and from my old bitterness
the gold bees
were contriving white combs
and sweet honey....

(Antonio Machado ~ Border of a Dream: Selected Poems)

from the evening program at the silent meditation retreat

retreat altar

It was the weekend of the Silent Meditation Retreat, the last program of the 2011 season (one work party remains in November). This annual retreat offers participants an opportunity to immerse themselves in the stillness and healing environment of Indralaya. As one participant put it, “Indralaya provides a safe, nourishing environment that feeds the soul and allows the natural flow of communion with people and nature”.

Though the retreat is largely unstructured to provide as much latitude as possible for the participants to follow their own path, it includes optional group meditations in the morning, afternoon, and evening; shared silent meals; and an evening program.

This weekend also saw the departure of fellowship staffer Caitlin McKinney and kitchen intern Jacob Doty. Caitlin had been here for six weeks, and Jake had been with us since early May.

We are especially appreciative of Jake’s contributions on many levels over the past 5 & ½ months. Now he is off to help his family move from one home to another. After that, he has plans to head to Hawaii to live and work at Joel & Michelle Levey’s Kohala Sanctuary on the Big Island for some of the winter. Thank you Caitlin & Jake!

Magical Jacob Doty

An Ill-fated Tree
The mystery around a troubling incident at the Fall Harvest work party deepened this past week. During the work party, we decided to transplant a Sequoia tree that has been in a pot in the garden to an open area between the water storage tanks on the hill above camp.

The volunteer planting the tree left the site for a few minutes to get a shovel and pick. When he returned, he noticed that some edible shaggy mane mushrooms near where the tree was being planted were no longer there. A few minutes later, after planting the tree, he realized that his fanny pack was also missing, along with a camera and two day old iphone. Our best guess was that there may have been someone out foraging mushrooms in the forest who came across the fanny pack and took it.

One consequence is that for the past week we’ve been spending a fair amount of time out along the trails and in the forest. And this past Saturday I was on my way up and over the hill when I detoured to take another look around the area where the tree had been planted. I was quite surprised to find that overnight the tree had been stripped of many of its branches and its bark. It looked like the work of an animal, perhaps driven into something of a frenzy by the sweet taste of the bark or the tree juices beneath.

Later Saturday night, three racoons were observed in trees down near Madrona Point - were they the culprits who tore the tree up? And might they have had something to do with the missing fanny pack? Perhaps more will be revealed with time.

“I don't feel so good”

Off the Map?
Some say that one of the tell tale signs of being in Tir Na Nog, the legendary island of Irish tales that is said to be far far to the west beyond the edge of any map, is that it is a place where the apple trees blossom and bear fruit at one and the same time. The picture below was taken during the fall harvest work party. What stories does this tree of the Indralaya meadow have to tell us about the true location of this place? A place that many say is so different and far from ‘the real world’ beyond?

Has my heart gone to sleep?
Beehives in my dreams,
have you stopped working?
Is the waterwheel of thought dry,
its buckets empty,
spinning and filled with shadow?

No, my heart is not asleep,
It is awake. Awake.
Not asleep or dreaming, it looks
with open bright eyes
at far signals and listens
on the shores of a great silence.

(Antonio Machado ~ Border of a Dream: Selected Poems)

October 2-9

This was the weekend of the annual fall harvest work party and over 80 people were here for some or all of the weekend. In addition to harvesting and processing apples (with 70 gallons of delicious cider put away for future use!), people worked all around the camp on various other projects.

apple pickers

apple washers

apple choppers

apple grinders

apple juicers

apple juice!

Adia & Axel

Victoria & Jen

Darla

Michael & Leif

the swing set set

who's feet?

September 26 - October 2

While I was away in the Seattle area for the week, helping with preparations for my mother's 80th birthday, Leonie, Jake and Caitlin were back home at Indralaya.

Linda Jo surveys the meadow

On Tuesday, Linda Jo Pym visited along with her brother Bruce, his wife Celia, nephews Darren and Andy, and friends Ellie Lang and Betsy Wada. They were on Orcas to see Linda Jo's new cabin, which was constructed by Rolf Eriksen and is located on property just south of Indralaya.

Ellie, Andy, Linda Jo, Celia, Bruce, Darren, Betsy

The Orcas Island Theosophical Study Group, which meets at the Indralaya library from October to May, came together for their annual fall potluck on Wednesday night.

Leonie headed to Seattle and joined me on Thursday. We returned to Orcas on Sunday and began preparing for the big fall harvest work party coming up this next weekend.