Deer Park Monastery, Escondido, CA

Last Day:
The past week has been pretty routine, and I've been mentally checking off the last time doing things. Last Wednesday was my last cooking day, but I was relieved of both lunch and dinner duty because I was slightly sick. Last work meditation was on Saturday, sanding and sealing the exterior wood on the meditation barn. Last evening sitting/chanting on Saturday I missed because, well, just because. Last night was my last kitchen wash up day.

I don't know if this means anything, but with departure imminent, all of the things that were otherwise normal seemed like such a drag. When I was relieved of my last cooking day, I was really relieved! It felt like a reprieve. It seems my mindset is adjusting in anticipation of not being here anymore and being here doesn't seem so great anymore. I've been taking showers and really enjoying being clean afterwards. It's interesting. I'm looking forward to leaving. Most people want to stay longer.

Breaking the routine this morning, one of the lay guests had an accident. I don't have all the details yet, but he was on a trail in the small valley down from the monastery, and something about bees and he ended up spraining or breaking his ankle or leg. It was pretty bad. I happened to be wandering around when the news came up of him being injured, so I ended up on the "rescue team". It looked pretty bad and he was in a lot of pain. He's a big guy, too, so getting him on a stretcher and carrying him to the pick-up truck took a lot of care, and off he went to the hospital. Strange, right after I arrived here in October, one of the brothers slipped while jogging on the western ridge and broke his hip. And the first time I visited in October 2003, there was that firestorm!

Thank god these brothers aren't superstitious, or else I could forget any thoughts of coming back.