As a result of your gifts, work continues on the kitchen, with the cabinets in the process of being installed. The convection oven has come in. Countertops are planned, and will take a while. We are hoping to cook in the kitchen for Jukai. Once we have a working kitchen, the building will feel more like a hearth that can invite everyone in. Zen temples are usually built with the zendo first, and then the kitchen, so we are right on schedule. There is a lot of Dharma involved in preparing food.

Last Saturday, Friends of Trees again came to plant more trees and shrubs, bringing our total planted to over 6,000. All those little yellow flags you see everywhere on the property mark a tree or shrub to care for. Some of them are small and easy to overlook. Planting native trees and shrubs is a big part of how we are taking care of this land.

On Monday the parking lot got striped, fire lanes and handicapped spaces marked, and “No Parking” signs put up on the fire lanes. We have a generous amount of parking on site, and even more along Siskiyou Street. Overflow can go to Glenhaven Park across 82nd Ave, walking in on the path from there. If needed, people who can’t walk that far can be dropped off at the Main Gate by the Sodo. The sidewalks and ramp are now completely accessible.

Plum blossoms showed up last week at the top of the orchard, and daffodils are blooming in various places around the neighborhood. Thoughts are turning to gardening, even though we know there will be a lot more rain and cool cloudy weather between now and summer.

This week’s Wednesday work party produced a lot of work on the courtyard and front steps, as well as inside the Sodo on the kitchen. The photo shows Kakumyo, Gary and Sherman working on the courtyard, and Zoki and Ikuo working on the front steps. Most of the work being done now on the Sodo is being done by volunteers and staff rather than paid contractors.

In addition to regular Wednesday work parties, we can use your help anytime that we’re on schedule and not on retreat, just let Ikuo know beforehand so we can count you in for lunch.