Out And About

We certainly got lucky with the weather for the residents' retreat: Mark, the manager of the Point Reyes Hostel, where ten of us stayed the night, said there hadn't been a weekend like this since June. It probably would have been fun even in the fog, but the clear skies helped; I enjoyed the warm weather, and it was hard not to take good photos with the stunning light.
On Saturday, we all arrived in time to drive down to Limantour Beach and walk along as the sun was setting, returning to find that Gretchen had got dinner mostly prepared. We ate well, looked at the stars, hung out in the lounge of the building we had to ourselves, played games and slept soundly. In the morning a group of us hiked down to the ocean, came back to make brunch, joined by two more car-loads of residents, then we split into two parties - half going off to Abbot's Lagoon and for a swim in Tomales Bay, the rest of us staying local for a different hike to the beach.
I think all of us enjoyed getting out of the city to such beautiful surroundings and some peace and quiet. Like all Zen Center social events, we know each other well enough that interactions are very relaxed. While we were supposedly off-duty, there was something wonderfully joyous about doing the meal chant together before dinner and brunch, as we reflected on the effort that had gone in to making this all happen and looked forward to feasting together.
I'll let the photos tell more of the story.

Tanya and Heather on Limantour Beach

Richard and Martha walking back

Renee in the sunset

Taking over the hostel dining room

The meal chant at brunch

Once more onto the beach, dear friends