2 December 2007 - 9:47Stormy Beauty

We are in Puerto Rico on a mission of self-care and book research. So many of those we love are declining in health and needing extra support right now, hopefully this trip will restock inner reserves. It’s fun re-learning how to be in the stormy tropics. We were about to leave San Juan for the village of Rincon, but the skies have opened yet again with a stupendous downpour. That said, we are learning how to be the wind, the colors, and the pure friendliness of the people here calls out one’s highest self.

Between squalls, our first two days hold colorful, joyful, serene moments with pure awe of nature swirling towards us from right inside the city of San Juan. Here is a creature we met, about 5″ x 2/3″ the only one of its kind that seemed to be about. The red part is it’s rear, it flickers as one approaches, the red rear leaps out at you to protect its vital head, the end with the black antenna is the head. No one seemed to know what type of moth or butterfly it will turn into.

Huge Caterpillar, we did not use magnification, this is same size image. San Juan, PR

In that same park were infinite pigeons, in fact they part is for them and dedicated to them as holy creatures. This somewhat mollified my discomfort when one spattered me utterly with her gift of presence. The sign says being so spattered means you have been blessed by G*d. Far be it for me to eschew a blessing. They even have an ancient dove cote built into the city wall, pigeon condos. The hope it seems is that by feeding and lodging them, they’ll stay home and leave the city statues alone.

The author Aryeh Kaplan, z”l describes a phenomenal state of consciousness in one of his books where from the compression of intense study and drive one reaches something new and worth all the physiological consequences of that time. This happened to me here on our first day here, a lucid dreaming that revealed what I’m supposed to write next as a serious work in my field. Within seconds of this awareness a huge rainbow appeared in the sky, kinda trite for that to happen. Still I’m (w)holy happy to know, living between assignments has an anxiety to it.

My sense is that nothing new pops under the sun at such times but rather is suis generis and arising in multiple persons since Creation seems to invest in multiple innovators for the sake of all.

By way of details for travelers we stayed at Guest House Nuevo Uno in Ocean Park, outside the city in a glorious safe neighborhood by the beach. Their restaurant Pamela is truly fine dining, they do fish in a caper butter that melts in your mouth, the roasted garlic to spread on bed in an additional garlic infusion is memorable and their pina coladas delivered to each guests private umbrella and lounge chair, perfect.