Contemplative Days of Spring

This past week, Br. Aidan was away on retreat, staying with our SSJE Brothers at Emory House, in West Newbury Port, CT. This weekend, Br. Carl is visiting his sister in New Jersey. Ben, our intern, in on a one week vacation in Boston.

Here at home, we had three Contemplative Days from Tuesday to Thursday. It is a time of deeper silence and quiet for monks and guests. We get to pray, meditate and reflect at greater leisure as work is discouraged during that time.

Easy times. From top left, clockwise: our Sunday evening movie attracted a larger crowd (it must be Belgian Hercule Poirot - we watched 1978's Murder on the Nile); a glimpse of the river through the trees surrounding our cemetery; a view up the hill to the Southern end of the Guest House; the two friends waiting for sitters and scoping the valley.

Now that the weather is better, I often do a large portion of my daily 10,000 steps outside. To avoid 9W traffic as much as possible, I turn left on it and then first right on Park Lane and make my way towards Slabsides. It's not unusual to cross paths with a guest who had the same idea.

On the way to Slabsides. From top left, clockwise: wild columbines grow through the cracks of rocks; a historical marker on Floyd Ackert road; the spanking new sign at the entrance of Slabsides; the shabby historical marker on Park Lane; a brand new pine cone emerges from tender green needles;

River watching is a favorite of many monks. Lately, the river has been thronged with small boats. While visiting the Sisters of Saint Ursula in Rhinecliff, I was told that the flotilla was probably fishers angling for striped bass. Bass is an anadromous fish. Anadromous fish migrate up rivers from the sea to spawn. We have other such fish coming to our Hudson estuary to spawn; shad and sturgeon.

My online curiosity confirmed the rumor I had heard. Because of PCB pollution in the river, it is unsafe to consume fish from the Hudson more than once a month. One hopes that most of the fish are released for the good of all involved. Depending on the weather, the fishers have a couple of weeks to enjoy their bonanza. Apparently, the bass is sustainably plentiful in the estuary.

From top left, clockwise: a beautiful blossoming in the company of St Mary behind the church; a guest's car in the parking lot (appropriate bumper sticker for Mother's Day); Dutchman breeches; the bass fishers out on the river.

Happy Mother's Day to all the female nurturers of this world!