Back in robes

While it has been very refreshing to have a restful week - even if I did wake up around five or five thirty almost every day - it is always nice to put my robes on again after a hiatus.
Today we are back in the schedule, with a full zendo this morning, and an overflowing Buddha Hall, including a spider that I watched making its way from the mokugyo (reminding me of the famous story from Tassajara), all around the foot of the altar, which it proceeded to climb. I last saw it scampering along the picture rail near the ceiling...

There were several ends to interim this time - I went and sat on Friday afternoon as a prelude to the Suzuki Roshi Memorial before dinner; we had the second part of the Memorial on Saturday, and I went to 9:25 zazen, and the dharma talk, ending up with the newcomers' table at lunch, which was as entertaining as ever.
Also on Saturday, there was a tokudo for Alison  Kreider, whom I practised with at Tassajara a few years ago. Kosho did the ceremony at Sokoji, as he had Jared's, but there was a strong turn out from Zen Center, as well as the contingent from Austin - I think I counted about twenty priests. I was the official photographer, and this is the 'official' picture: