Sunday, July 19, 2020

;PANDEMIC DIARY - How I Spent My Sequester - Pt. 2 (b)








PANDEMIC DIARY 
How I Spent My Sequester - Pt. 2(b) 

As the summer gets hotter but thankfully with 'dry heat' here in Ojai, my girlfriend and I still meet to hike-walk a few mornings each week.  The bike trail or on sidewalks in the town's tony neighborhoods are our most frequent early morning walks, but during this pandemic time when we all need a bit of spirituality, even those who are not particularly spiritual, the Krotona center overlooking the Ojai Valley, has become a special morning walk.

 Ojai, famous for its new age-y vibe and Krishnamurti's home and spiritual center, recently reported UFO sightings by residents during 2020's harmonic conversion celebration.  Friday, the Ojai Valley News, our local paper, ran a story on the front page, "above the fold," the headline of which was "Mass meditation held to summon ET to Ojai."  What a town!  Probably why Frank Capra filmed exteriors for his "Lost Horizon" Shangri-La movie here in Ojai.  So you can see why the most 'jaded' among us might seek out a walk-hike in a place filled with spirituality during this period of isolation.


Krotona is just one of several spiritual venues that include Meditation Mount, which overlooks the Valley from another POV with its beautiful gardens, yoga classes and other sessions.  I'll save that one for another blog.  Here are some highlights from the Krotona website:

"Krotona is an international center where residents aspire to live in mutual helpfulness while reaching out to share the profound truths of Theosophy. These truths can change one’s direction of life, bringing about renewal and harmony. With an emphasis on meditation, earnest study, and inspired action, Krotona promotes worldwide healing through the uplifting of human consciousness."

"As a spiritual center, Krotona seeks to inspire and strengthen aspirants for the opportunities of daily life. The peacefulness of the estate, which also serves as a sanctuary for wildlife, reflects the ideals of the resident TS members as well as the aspirations of committed faculty, students and other friends."

Besides, it's really a pretty place to hike-walk.


The estate also has two rose gardens, a library, meeting rooms, and rooms to rent for short stays as well as the many permanent homes.

I can't say I find a feeling of nirvana walking there, but it is pretty and lifts my sequester spirits.



Tuesday, July 14, 2020

PANDEMIC DIARY - How I Spent My Sequester - Pt. 2 (a)




PANDEMIC DIARY
How I Spent My Sequester - Pt. 2 (a)
The Bike Trail

So, after eleven months, I had scheduled a mani-pedi for today, but - alas - my governor re-shutdown hair and nail salons, gyms, etc. yesterday because of the surging cases of Covid in California.  I shaved my legs for nothing.  But not to worry - no "woe is me" necessary as I live in the beautiful, rural valley of Ojai (Shangri-La or Oz to many residents) an artistic, mystical, spiritual, farming community an hour and a half north of LA, with residents ranging from farmers and winemakers to shopkeepers, writers, actors, directors, painters, sculptors, spiritualists, even movie stars. (How's that for a run-on description?)

Ojai is a unique valley and village which hosts a world famous classical music festival, the oldest amateur tennis competition in America... has an international film festival, a thriving theater community, and one the country's most sought-after resorts, an inn and spa with a PGA world-class golf course boasting breathtaking views.  Not to mention, Ojai is famous for its "pink moments" when the sun is setting and turns the Topa Topa mountains a gorgeous pale pink.  That spectacularly peaceful visage brought Krishnamurti to Ojai decades ago, along with Beatrice Wood, the mother of the Dada art movement.

But, like everywhere else in America that has a governor and a mayor with good sense, most all of the above activities have come to a halt once again.  But, we have trails and retreats where we can get outside and hike, or in my case hike-walk (hey, getting old with arthritis isn't always pretty), so today I'm focusing on my bike trail hike-walks that I've been doing with a friend (yes, we mask) during our sequester.

Our most frequent hike-walks is on the eleven mile bike trail from Ojai to the Pacific Ocean beaches of Ventura.  The trail used to be train track route for Ojai farmers to get their produce to market.

The part of the trail we hike-walk the most:

Ojai's original jail.  Drunk tank?
We pass Richard's athletic/tennis club
stone walls and arches from days gone by
a house on the trail from days gone by
Another section of the bike trail we frequest...



And yet another bike trail walk-hike...


One of the most beautiful places in America to take a hike...  so, we walk the walk while we talk the talk thru our masks.  Trail along with me as we leave the bike trail and head out to the Ojai nature conservancy and the Krotona spiritual retreat in my next blogs.

Y'all stay safe.  Wash your hands often.  Wear a mask in public.  Don't drink bleach.