the California golden chanterelle
The drive to Jikoji this morning was stunning. I headed up around 7.20 AM to be on-site for the Starlink upgrade. The sky was filled with scattered clouds against the hue of brightening blue. The drive down Saratoga/Sunnyvale between Los Gatos and Saratoga was lined with fall colors, an annual event I witnessed repeatedly when I frequented this route for most of my years working at Apple. Driving up Big Basin Way, the forest was still wet from recent rains. A foggy mist clung to the higher regions, allowing scattered fragments of sunlight to filter through as visible beams. Bright fall colors of yellow and orange were scattered among tree branches, while the burnt orange and burgundy reds of those already fallen thoroughly coated and lined both sides of the roadway. It felt like a scene from a movie. All I could think of was what a gift it is to be able to travel this path and to play a role in the Zen Center. The installation was rescheduled shortly after my arrival, but I had a chance to meet a new guest and have an interesting conversation, and I managed to attend to some board-related tasks and needs as well. It was a great start to my day. Jen and I went to the Stanford Women's Volleyball game against Cal Berkeley. I enjoyed the game almost as much as I enjoyed taking Jennifer, as she really loves to go see them. Tommy was kind enough tonight to break the silence of the past few days by appearing on my walk back from Leigh and offering me a ride. I didn't want it; I wanted the exercise, but I'm also recognizing that such a gesture has more significance to him than to me, in terms of effort. I was happy to have an opportunity to acknowledge that by not hesitating and by accepting the offer. This is a complicated mess with more impulse than ill intention.⚖️177.4(-1.4) ❤️67(59-117) 👣 7,374/3.3mi (🏋️♂️ 🏃♂️)