September 9-15

We’re taking a short break - This Week will return next week...

September 2-8

green returns to the meadow

The early part of the week was notable for the arrival of rain and the departure of several of stalwart staff members who had been here for most of the summer. Alec, Emlyn and Jacob left on Tuesday. Alec is headed for the Big Island soon, and Emlyn will be returning to Australia at the end of the month. Jacob will be back later today after taking the weekend off for a visit to his family home in Moser, OR.

Nearly 40 people arrived on Thursday for the Deep Singing weekend. Participants gathered in the teepee twice a day to sing and chant.  On Friday, the rains departed and it was a lovely weekend.

We are so blessed. We are so blessed.

We are so grateful for all that we have.

We are so blessed. We are so blessed.

We are so grateful. We are so blessed.

August 28 - September 1

It is Labor Day weekend, as appropriate a time as any 

to celebrate the leisure provided by the benches of Indralaya.

Inspiration Point

Two new benches, one for the meadow and one for the garden, 

were built during Connections week.

This bench at the dining hall was constructed from a slab of the cedar tree that fell 

on the solarium in 1998. The legs are from driftwood collected at Near East beach. 

This meadow bench was donated by family and friends of Bob Vail.

As the Labor Day work party got underway, Leonie and I took a break from our labors and slipped away on the Friday evening ferry for a few days of rest and relaxation in Seattle. Many thanks to Victoria, Crystal, Jacob and Emlyn for heading up the work weekend, and to all who were there volunteering on behalf of Indralaya.

hidden legend that tells a tale

 The cedar log on the left also came from the tree that fell on the solarium

August 21-27

This was the last week of the 2014 summer program season. Joel and Michelle Levey’s Sacred Portals program ended on Thursday. Nearly 40 program participants arrived on Saturday for a program lead by Heartmath facilitator Sarah Moor. The Heartmath Institute has developed a number of heart-opening techniques based on a blend of rigorous scientific research that have affirmed many of the intuitive premises of traditional practices rooted in many of the world’s spiritual traditions.

With the end of the program on Tuesday morning, those remaining in camp joined in a procession to the camp entrance, where the gate was closed in recognition of the transition to the fall program season. And although the gate is now closed and camp is at rest, it will re-open on Friday for the beginning of the traditional Labor Day weekend work party and a busy fall program season.

August 15-20

pre-breakfast movement meditation

Joel and Michelle Levey returned to Indralaya this week to lead their 14th annual summer retreat here. This year’s theme is Sacred Portals and the 45+ participants are exploring nature, meditation and community as pathways to deeper self awareness and understanding.

One of the traditions that has developed during the week is to ornament the meadow with beautiful tapestries and prayer flags. 

This week also saw the emergence of our garden sunflowers, and, more challengingly, resident yellow jackets entered the aggressive phase of their life cycle. There are a lot of them this year, in part because of last winter’s mild weather, and several people received stings or bites on the first day of the program.

Solar Update

In the ten weeks since our new solar installation began generating power, it has produced 2.62 MWh. The peak day was July 15th, with production of 47.4 KWh, and the least productive day was August 2 at 8.6 KWh. More information on the Indralaya solar arrays can be found at this link. 

Financial support for the project continues to be strong and we have now received donations for more than 20 of the 34 solar panels that were installed. 

August 7-14

Connections Week has now come and gone. Over the course of the six day gathering, innummerable projects big and small were tackled. The big projects included constructing a greenhouse frame in the garden, knocking down Laurel cabin, and foundation work for the new addition at Kunz cabin. Theosophical Society President Tim Boyd led morning discussion and approximately 70 people participated in the program.

around the circle on the first morning

 the Levey family was well represented

greenhouse 

 Laurel cabin

 in the kitchen

Kunz cabin

It was a great week! Many thanks to all who were here.

July 31 - August 5

East Sound

It was a quiet week at Indralaya. The program that had originally been scheduled for this time was cancelled for various reasons. This opening in the schedule provided an opportunity for those who were here - mostly fellowship and resident staff - to relax and catch our breath a bit in between the busy weeks just finished and those still to come.

fig

thistle

pear

apple

buddha field 10