It has occurred to me that I have not updated the Gardening and Nature section for some time. Many of the Retreats trees are in full bloom. Green spots have started to show on the grounds and at least one of the trees (dwarf peach) is in full flowery blooms. The afternoons have been in the mid 70s while the evenings are cool with mid 40s to low 50s. Overall, it looks to be a warm growing season. There has been some local talk about rain and water. I hope that the summer will have more precipitation than the winter. Overall, the area is still dormant with lawns brown and the desert landscape following suit.
I have begun to take at least one of the Retreats trees to a art gathering I go to sporadically. I will be doing a very basic history and informational about Bonsai for the group next week. I am very excited to do this and I hope that the presentation will spark someone to join the hobby and pursuit. I also did a quick run to all of the local nurserys. While there is plenty of stock, more than usual actually, for planting in ground there is little in the realm of bonsai. I may go back and look at some of the trees and such to find one to replace the yellow weeping willow that did not make it through the winter.
The one “natural” thing that has slowed down progress has been the local time change. The shift to daylight savings time sometimes leaves me in the lurch. This year is no exception. It is funny that someone who talks about Taoism gets caught in the illusion of time and change that society has put into place. In the end though, I have to work. This means getting up, moving around, etc. outside of habit. The one thing to takeaway is the power that routine has over our lives. Evening trying to live in the now, taking things one day at a time, our bodies prefer some kind of plan to operate.
Xiong Nai Xin Retreat 
Share Your Insight