Fire is in the neighborhood again at Tassajara. No surprise as there is plenty of kindling left over from the 2008 fire, and we had so little rain this winter. Updates are being posted on Tassajara Zen Mountain Center's Facebook page. Please keep Tassajara and all beings in the burn area in your protective thoughts--especially the firefighters braving the steep, dry Ventana slopes. And...more monastic fire news... Zen Mountain Center in Idyllwild was evacuated earlier this week. Sadly, homes in the area were lost, but it appears that ZMC was successfully saved by fire … [Read more...]
Five years ago today…
Fire surrounded Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Gratitude for all of the heart and effort that went into preserving that refuge in the wilderness! Fundraising for a permanent Dharma Rain sprinkler system is well underway. I took this photo in May when I was down at Tassajara: … [Read more...]
Fire on my Mind
Happy Interdependence Day, everyone! It's July 4th, the pyromaniac's favorite time of the year. Please be careful if you are lighting fireworks or playing with fire in any way. It's hot and dry out there. It's been a quiet few months on this blog as I've turned my attention to other interests and writing projects, but fire season is in full, hot fervor. We need no more dark reminder than the recent deaths of 19 firefighters on the Yarnell Hill fire. I've been working on a written response to the disaster but have nothing that feels at all adequate to the loss. I am holding … [Read more...]
Pub Day & Red Flags Flying
Today is pub day for Fire Monks in paperback. I'll be reading at Diesel in Oakland tonight to mark this happy occasion, but I'll also be thinking about the people in Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah who are experiencing the same sort of weather that led to the Basin Complex fire that threatened Tassajara in 2008. Red flag warnings have been issued in all three states today as forecasters predict dry lightning, low humidity, and high heat--not the kind of forecasts fire managers like to see. May cooler temps come soon. … [Read more...]
Paperback release on the horizon
Fire Monks will be out in paperback in June! I've just posted some new Bay Area readings on my Events page. Many summer and fall events are still in the works and will be added as they are confirmed. In April, fire monk David Zimmerman and I spoke at the International Association of Wildland Fire Human Dimensions conference in Seattle. It was a heartwarming experience to present to such a receptive audience of fire professionals. Lots of great people doing good work studying our complex relationship with fire and the landscapes it touches. San Francisco Zen Center is in the … [Read more...]