Nepal Year 5 – OHS 339

Today I had an experience that I enjoy regarding the sun and heat. Today was one of the first and truly beautiful days. I love the heat and I yearn for Winter to end and Spring to blossom. I love the heat. And this is just a short story of one of my favorite  first-of-the-year, "I love the heat" experiences.

I will be leaving soon for my fifth visit and pilgrimage to Nepal. This is what I have to say.

Last year during my fourth visit and pilgrimage to Nepal, I took 5 days to pilgrimage in Bhutan. At that time I had been wanting to visit the Tiger's Nest Monastery for over eighteen years. In 2024 I was able to afford and plan in advance my short yet profound 5-day pilgrimage to Bhutan and Paro Taktsang. Also known as the Tiger's Nest Monastery -- a sacred Vajrayana Himalayan Buddhist temple located in the cliffside of the upper Paro valley in Bhutan

One day while I was teaching Aikido at my dojo, 3 Shapes Aikido, in Boise's Historic North End community, a young Japanese lady walked through the door. Her name was Junko Ikuta. From the moment she arrived until the moment she departed, she left an indelible mark on our dojo, our dojo community, and on me. For the past 15 years I have thought about her often and certainly every year on May Day, my favorite holiday. After she left our dojo and Idaho we would communicate a few times a year through social media. Then one day it stopped and I heard the news...  Junko left the party of life.

This story is about my first drum circle and first visit to the Oregon Country Fair in 1993.

Tales to be told of the "Sweet Olive Run" of 2024. This is a catch-up podcast about my most recent run at the olives for 2024. I am even discussing some of the Family Stuff that can arise with this work and the Sci-Fi overtone of the labels.

In retirement (and if I could do it now) I would like to, "walk the earth like Caine the the Kung Fu. This is what Jules the hitman told Vincent the hitman in the movie "Pulp Fiction." I wish I had this statement on a t-shirt and I think about it often.

In this podcast I am share my thoughts, feelings, observations, perspectives, and contemplations about being in the middle of my decade if my 50s.

This story is simply about the changes and transformations I am feeing within myself this year, the year of the Wood Dragon 2024. This year I truly transformed in a number of ways and for a number of reasons. I can honestly say I could feel the power and energy generated by The Wood Dragon.

My co-worker in the cube next to me has small children. Lately, when they call him (with his wide's support) because they him him, I can hear them laugh and play and take deep thoughts using children's logic. It reminds me of a Dojo memory when I like at my dojo in Boise's North End. I have wanted to podcast about this experience and memory for quite some time. And now is the time.