Snowshine
Sunshine on snow: snowshine! In the picture below, the sun illuminates the snowbound Dharma Wheel on the roof. Those figures flanking the wheel are deer. This traditional image represents the Buddha’s first teaching, the first “Turning of the Wheel of Dharma,” in the Deer Park.
This view across the lawn had a whole different look the day after the storm. The wind is calmer, and the prayer flags are more gently disseminating the prayers on the wind.
Inside the temple, we were pretty short-staffed for a Sunday! Broadcasting the 2 p.m. teaching, Ani Aileen had to play multiple roles: techie, umdze (chant leader for opening and closing prayers), and announcer. She’s NOT used to being on the user end of a microphone. Gyatrul Rinpoche gave her the name “Ani NBC” years ago, when her job on the NBC news crew was, as some have put it, “putting lapel mikes on presidents.”
Everybody else is outside, trying to clear enough snow for sangha and visitors to get in. What about that snow plow that arrived the previous evening, you say? Well . . . there’s a story about that! (Watch for the next blog post for the whole story.) For now, let’s just say that, as of Sunday afternoon, the driveway was clear, but not the parking lot. In other words, people can get in, but they can’t stay! The picture below shows what happened to the snow plow, our neighbor’s Bobcat: stuck!
Pete is a KPC volunteer who lives not far from the temple. He’s trying to open up a path down to the aviary, where the Bobcat is stuck.
But the snow blower is jammed up! So he has to go for help.
Fortunately, he did not arrive alone: Ani Dawa and Ani Dolma picked him up in an SUV. 
They’ve been shuttling volunteers around to sites where they’re needed today.
Ani Dolma has experience with machinery. She’s going to take a look at the snow blower.
While he’s waiting, Pete picks up a shovel and works on the front walk.
He’s already done a lot of snow clearing today, and there’s more to come, once the blower is up and running again. He deserves a break today!
Meanwhile, the parking lot hasn’t been plowed yet, and the residents’ cars need to be dug out. Gonpo is surveying the scene.
Why did we park so CLOSE to each other? Must have seemed like a good idea at the time!
A couple of carloads of visitors arrives–and, yes, they get stuck. Hello! We’ll be a little later than we thought! (Gonpo and Pete helped them free their vehicles.)
But the kids loved the snow, and Mama got a few good shots in.
Here they all are: see picture below.
On another front: our feathered friends, the birds. They’re hip to the system, and KNOW that those cans aren’t full of trash! (We store birdseed in them.)
And the tree above the cans is usually full of birds!
Finally, we went inside, where we found the kids getting warm and eating a snack.
We checked back with Ani Aileen in the Dharma Room. At the end of the broadcast teaching, she’s making an offering for receiving the teaching, first as always.
KPC depends on members, visitors, and friends for support. You can click here to join them in offering–and thanks!
