It’s true! We have electricity on the property. Uji is wired up, and turning on electric lights never felt so wonderful. The Sodo is wired, but has no light fixtures yet. The street lights aren’t quite there, but we expect them to be functional very soon. Now that we are going into a darker time of year, this is welcome, and will contribute to safety after dark.

Work is ramping up on several fronts, thanks to funds provided by all of you. You can see that the street is in process (with people working on the power pole in the background). We expect the street work to take several months. The property will be accessible evenings and weekends from 85th Avenue, though Siskiyou Street is closed. We will keep you updated on what is available.

The engawa (wraparound deck) continues to be worked on during work parties. Fujaku is shown working with others digging trenches to get the water ready to hook up. We are working hard to get the Sodo done by March, and using as much volunteer labor as possible in order to reduce costs.

We are ramping up work parties as well to include most Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from about 9:30am to about 3:30pm. Park nearby, walk in by the path, and look for people out toward the Sodo. Most of those days we will also be doing zazen in Uji from 11:30am to 12:25pm, followed by lunch at 12:30pm at the 85th house (3155 NE 85th, a block from the main gate).