Summer Days

This August was just incredible, like a Summer out of childhood. First, there was the week-long retreat up in the Colorado mountains. What can I say about that? It was beyond words... from the wildlife to bathing in an icy mountain cascade; from waking at 5:30am to running through a rainstorm; from the peaceful silence to the hilarity of jokes shared with friends.

Next up was a visit from a Tibetan friend of mine and his wife: they drove out to Nebraska to do some relaxing and horseback riding. When we were out riding, Anyen Rinpoche said that the grasslands and the sandhills reminded him of Amdo, Tibet... he felt like he was back home. He regaled us with stories of horse racing, riding competitions, and childhood capers... and then he and I raced around on horseback like a couple of teenage yak herders. We also managed to make it to a private swimming hole on the Niobrara: as soon as I saw it, I took off running, ripping off my shirt while I ran and laughed, and jumped into the river, cooling the very hot Nebraska sun; I felt like a kid again :-)

This week, my girlfriend's dad was in town. He, Marjorie, her daughter, her youngest son and I went kayaking for two hours down the Niobrara. It was my first time kayaking (though I grew up canoeing in Maine), and I was thrilled. That's the best upper-body workout I've had in years... and I want to do it again!

All in all, I couldn't have asked for a better break :-)