Two Monks Chanting in the Cold Morning

 

I am still accompanying Mother-in-law out to give alms to the monks at dawn.  She had an episode recently of dizziness when standing up to put food into a monk's begging bowl, falling back into her chair.  So, I've been taking her out in a wheelchair to the corner. 

The same monk has been coming by every morning, but last weekend a second monk came with him.  When they chanted their sutta together in Pali, they did it in a beautifully complex baritone harmony.  It was wonderful to hear. 

We have just had a few days of the coldest weather so far this winter.  Temps at night got down to 65*F – as cold as it gets where we live – and daytime highs only in the 70s.  The wind from the North was chilly in the morning, making us put on more clothing than normal (e.g., long pants and an extra shirt).  The dewpoints are as low and dry as they ever are, and I rarely sweat.  Sweet comfort!  But we will soon get normal highs in the 90s along with increasing humidity heading into the Hot Season by March. 

We do have uncommonly clear skies, and my new routine of getting up before dawn makes me appreciate this season even more.  I have been showing Tuk the Moon's phases in the mornings and evenings, as it cycles through the month.  And, we are watching Venus, the present Morning Star, slowly shift position in the East, observing it every morning at the exact same time from the same spot. 

The long New Year's weekend starts tomorrow, so our neighborhood will be deserted and quiet for a while. 

-Zenwind. 

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