February 18-24

It has been a relatively quiet week at Indralaya, and this provided an opportunity to devote some time to laying the groundwork for upcoming activities and programs. We are looking forward to two upcoming  “Indralaya on the Road” events next month. We will be holding town meetings in Bellingham on March 16 from 3:30 to 5:30 and in Vancouver on the 17th from 4:00-6:00.  A core idea behind these events is that there is a dimension of Indralaya that goes beyond its physical (or geographic) location and that it is beneficial to bring together people involved in the camp community to enjoy each others company. All are welcome - if you would like more information, please let us know.

On Friday, Leonie headed to Seattle for a meeting. I joined her on Saturday for a weekend in town, and will be here for the entire week, taking some break time and attending an RJ Stewart workshop next weekend.

Hej Sverige  (Hello Sweden)
Since beginning this blog roughly two and a half years ago, one of the unanticipated and surprising aspects of has been to directly experience and observe the global reach of the internet.  In the past few weeks, there has been a significant upsurge in viewing of this blog from Sweden. For the past month, there have been more page views from Sweden than from any other country outside the United States. We’d like to know more about our global observers and invite anyone who would like to share who they are and where they live in the comment section.

February 11-17

a sun dappled meadow greets the start of the new season ...

It was a beautiful beginning to the 2013 Indralaya season as people began arriving on Friday for the President’s Day Weekend Work Party. A time for beginning again as the wheel of the seasons turns and the first tender shoots of the year to come begin to reveal themselves. 

Approximately 20 participants were on hand through the weekend. Plenty of good work was done, friendships and family connections were renewed, good food was consumed, and a foundation was set for the season that lies ahead. 

Bella rings the first bell of the season

Lars shows off his stylin’ new Indralaya apron

Joe was everywhere

Joe Macari had a hand in many of the weekend’s projects, including re-plumbing the drain under the vegetable washing sink to comply with new Health Department regulations and cleaning the kitchen hood fan. He also helped kick around ideas for heating the teepee, built the morning fire in the dining hall. On Sunday night, Joe became the newest life member of the Friends of Indralaya.

  

completed cupcake puzzle

A cupcake theme emerged over the course of the weekend. As at most work parties, a jigsaw puzzle was begun on Friday night. Someone choose the above 1000-piece puzzle to work on, which gradually led to a decision to have cupcakes for desert on Saturday night. The cupcakes then helped provide the fuel that was needed to complete the puzzle on Sunday night. Could the cupcake theme continue to develop over the course of the coming year? Only time will tell...

Saturday cupcake

hood fan cupcake koan

... and so we start again

  

February 4-10

Meg, Jen, Andy, Leonie & Minor

For the past few years, we've used a mail service to send out the annual program catalog and it has taken up to six weeks it to reach Canadian mail boxes. This year we decided to do it ourselves, so on Monday, we left for an overnight trip to Vancouver BC, where we mailed the 2013 program to the 500-plus people and families from Canada who are on the Indralaya mail list. It was heartening to hear that it was arriving in people’s mailboxes within the next few days.

Back at Indralaya, Leonie led an interesting discussion of a theosophical classic “At the Feet of the Master” during the Wednesday night study group. Meanwhile, I was busy processing the initial week of registrations; a process that took the better part of three full days, with 320 people already registered for upcoming programs.

the happily married couple

Over the weekend, we noted an historic milestone as Indralaya hosted its first same-sex marriage. Megan Sather and Jen Moffat legally formalized their relationship in a simple ceremony that involved walking the labyrinth and joining us for celebratory waffles at the RMC.

  

January 14 - February 3

We were away on vacation for the last two weeks of January, visiting friends and seeing the sights on the East Coast. Stops included Philadelphia, the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg, Leesburg and Charlottesville, Virginia, Washington DC and New York City.

In Philadelphia, we ate our first dinner of the trip at the White Dog Cafe, which is renowned for being at the forefront of the locovore movement in the US. Nearly all of the food they serve comes from within a 50 mile radius of the city. It is also slightly less renowned for its being named in honor of Theosophical Society co-founder HP Blavatsky, who lived upstairs with a white dog at the same address in the 1870’s. If you look up the cafe on Google Maps and click on the photo of the cafe interior and look around, you'll see a picture of Blavatsky hanging in the entryway just outside the kitchen.

While in Virginia we spent a night with Indralaya friends John, Dorena, Emma and Olivia Toomer in Leesburg, and several nights with Alise Nielsen near Charlottesville. All in all, it was an enjoyable trip and we felt refreshed when we returned to Indralaya last Tuesday.

at the Toomer’s

Once we got back there were an intense few days spent setting up the website for online registration for the 2013 program season. Registration opened up on February 1. And things are off to a fast start! In the first 48 hours, nearly 150 people registered for upcoming programs and work parties.

January 7-13

This was our last week at camp before an Indralaya board meeting followed by a two week break, so there was a lot to do in working through various check lists and getting as much as possible finished before leaving. 

Among other things, the 2013 annual program mailer was completed and sent to the printer. It is currently in production and should be in the mail within the week. The mailer has been redesigned and reduced in size for the new year - we hope you like it and look forward to hearing your response. 

Membership renewal notices for the Friends of Indralaya and 2012 donation acknowledgements were also completed and mailed.

As mentioned last week, online registration is now available for all of the 2013 work parties. Program registration will begin February 1.

Erosion happens: a rock slide on trail to Inspiration Point

On Friday it was off to Seattle for the Board meeting, which was held at the home of Board chair Meg Sather. This was the first meeting of the new Board and it began with a morning retreat. During the business portion of the meeting, agenda items included a discussion of how to retain ‘institutional memory’ during which a number of good ideas were raised, and the 2013 operating budget was adopted. 

Tomorrow we are away for a two week visit to the East Coast, including stops in Philadelphia, Leesburg and Charlottesville, VA, Washington DC and New York. While we’re gone, David Kozora and, later, Jen Moffat will be staying at camp. We appreciate that they are there keeping an eye on the place. 

And with that, our break begins! The next posting here will be in early February. 

Looking north towards Eastsound

January 1-6

Happy New Year!

The first week of the new year has been full. Leonie’s brother Peter was here visiting for several days and there was a lot of family activity, including a Turtleback Mountain hike and New Year’s Day waffles at the RMC.

Intrepid hikers Arthur, Ian, Peter & Leonie

Registration Update
Online registration for this year’s work parties is now available at the Indralaya website. The first work party is coming up February 15-18.

There have been a few last minute changes in the 2013 program schedule. Theosofest has now been moved to August 24-26. This to make room for a new Deep Singing weekend program that has been set for September 5-8. Our hope is that this addition will make the joy of the Deep Singing experience available to some who are unable to attend the program in the summer for one reason or another.

The full calendar of 2013 programs and work parties is also now available for viewing on the Indralaya website.  Program registrations (other than for the work parties) will open on February 1.

One additional programming note to mention is that this year we will not be holding early registrations for the popular family weeks or for Deep Singing as we have in past years.  In other words, registration for all programs will be on a first come/first serve basis.

From the Archives

In a letter from Indralaya dated January 13, 1973, John Abbenhouse mentioned that “we (he and Dorothy) got our phone just yesterday. Our number is 376-4526.” It might be difficult to imagine in this day of iphones and droids and other such devices, but this was the first phone in camp. Not surprisingly, after 46 years and a tradition of having to go to town and finding a pay phone to reach the outside world, there was a certain amount of controversy around having a telephone in camp. 40 years later, this number continues to serve as the main telephone line for Indralaya.

January frost

December 17-31

May the Peace of Indralaya be ever in your Hearts!

On our way to a Solstice gathering in Seattle

Ho! Ho! Ho!