Nature's Etch-a-Sketch

fleeting moments of zen

Alan Kay, a semi-legend in the world of technology (he was a scientist at Xerox Parc and Atari) once said, "Most ideas, you can do pretty darn well with a stick in the sand".

In that spirit, I found myself drawing in the sands of Asilomar Beach, near Monterey, during Christmas break. The wind, waves, and sand were so relaxing that I decided to create Jizo images. A Jizo Buddha is the patron saint of children and travelers (both of which I am accused of being).

Very quickly, I realized that the impermanence of life demanded these zen images be created in the surf break. So, I scratched an image, took a picture, and stepped back to let nature's etch-a-sketch go to work.

Cherry Blossom Time

Maruyama Koen, Kyoto, Japan

Last week, I was attending Presentation Reboot and sat at a table with Ai Reynolds. Ai is the wife of Garr Reynolds (author of Presentation Zen). About 10 minutes into our conversation I said, "It's Cherry Blossom time in Japan, isn't it?".

"Yes. It's about that time", she replied.

March and April can only mean Cherry Blossoms, for anyone who has spent significant time in Japan. And there is no time better in Japan (or on this planet, I would argue) than cherry blossom time - or hanami (flower viewing) time.

This photo is one I took in Kyoto, of the weeping cherry tree at Maruyama Koen. Angie and I spent an evening there, drinking sake and listening to Jpaanese sing karaoke. The smell of yakitori, the taste of sake, the sight of sakura - it was one of the best nights of my life.