Kumadanaji, Temple 8—Shikoku Pilgrimage

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shikoku_temple_8_bell_towerKumadanaji, Bear Valley Temple, is not a scary as it sounds. Tucked in the end of a small valley, it is a peaceful place. This temple has one of the most impressive compounds on the pilgrimage. The main hall can be seen on the right and the steps on the left lead to the Daishi hall. We climbed the bell tower to ring the temple bell—two good friends, both pilgrims before us, had taken shelter at this temple and were the inspiration for our pilgrimage.

At Kumadanaji, Kobo Daishi is said to have had a vision of the Shinto god of Kumano, who bestowed upon him a small statue of Kannon Bosatsu (Avalokitešvara). Kobo Daishi carved the temple’s main image of Senju Kannon (Avalokitešvara of a thousand hands) to enshine it. Click on the image for a larger view.

Common Ground Country Fair

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life_in_maine_common_ground_fairThe Common Ground Country Fair is one of the great events in Maine. Right now, we have two feet of snow covering our garden—it is hard to believe that Maine can be green and warm. But summer does come and it is rounded out with this wonderful gathering. We particularly like to see the variety of produce from around Maine. If you are in Maine at the end of September, this is something you should not miss.

Daylight Savings

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life_in_maine_daylight_savingsOn Sunday, we went through the annual ritual of turning the clocks forward one hour for daylight savings time. The sun now sets at 6:40 in the evening. Naomi and I went out to Pemaquid Point to enjoy this extra hour.

With the sun above the horizon, the sky was a brilliant blue and the ocean a deeper shade of the same color. As the sun reached the horizon, the familiar fiery red scorched the edge of the sky. But there is a magical time for color when the sun moves behind the horizon and vivid hues turn to delicate pastels. Click on the image for a larger view.

St. John’s Wort—Edible Weeds

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edible_weeds_st_johns_wartSt. John’s Wort, Hypericum perforatum, is native to Europe, but is found in abundance in the US. In some places, it is considered a pernicious weed. If you introduce this plant to your garden, it can be hard to control.

We use the leaves and flowers: fresh for salads and dried for tea. St. John’s Wort is said to help mild depression. We find the tea very relaxing.

Some people can have a reaction to St. Johns Wort—nausea, diarrhea, headaches, photodermatitis—and it can interfere with some medications; please consult your doctor. Always research plants you intend to consume. You should consider our posts a starting point, not a definitive source of information.