September 06th, 2015

I woke this morning to a clear and cool morning.  Strong breezy winds came up later in the day.  I got out in the field early to get all the cows located in SBW7.  I moved them to the second split later this morning.  This might be a good time to talk about the importance of "Following the Schedule."  Now that we are moving cattle almost every day, I find that both people and cattle are best served if you follow a routine.  When doing retreats on Zen monasteries, they always tell you if you just follow the schedule, things will be less difficult.  This is very true on the ranch, and while you always need to be adaptive and flexible as the expected unexpected arises (cows get out, water breaks, equipment breaks down) the sooner you lean into and address the problem and then return to the schedule, the easier life will be.

So what does this look like for me on a good day.  Wake at 4:30 with a short stretch; sit at 5:00; service at 5:40; short house cleaning (soji); small animal chores around 7:00; review day tasks; check cow water and mineral; do Ryan's chores (Ryan was on vacation); have a relaxed breakfast and maybe catch some news (most days following breakfast, Dana, Ryan and I meet to visit about short and long-term planning); check emails and make calls; back in the field to move cows or fence or both; relaxed long lunch if things are going well and read some newsletters and mail; short nap; back in the field; finish with small animal chores and dinner (if it is my turn); watch a little TV with Dana; update journal for web page; bed by 9:00 which never happens, but it is always a goal.  It is easy to observe, since I have an active facilitation schedule and community work, why two people are necessary for the ranch to operate smoothly.  If the team keeps turning back to the "path," keeps returning to the schedule, we have a chance to be reasonably responsible to ourselves and others, remain grateful for this rare opportunity to be alive, and resolve to temper our wants with what is.  And despite the subtle and not so subtle inescapable suffering that checks us at every turn, and also understanding monastic schedules are more easily supported by a larger community, we lean into our daily practice remembering we are never alone and always powered by our relationships with everything else.