Shadow Mountain Monastery

Samhain                                                                      Thanksgiving Moon

Noticing as I cut down the trees, move the limbed branches and get ready to cut trunks into fireplace size logs that my body looks forward to the work. A riff on the Benedectine ora et labora. My prayer (ora) is writing, reading, translating. It’s easy for me to get stuck at the computer, in a book and neglect the rest of my body.

Workouts aren’t the same since they are artificial, moving my body for the sake of moving my body. That’s different than doing physically challenging work. With the work there’s the exercise of the body, yes, but it meshes with the satisfaction of accomplishment.

There’s a couple to three months of lumberjack work left, maybe more when you add in stacking the logs for curing. That’s good. With the winter there’s also the occasional snow blowing time, shoveling off the deck. Good to be outside.

Might consider trail maintenance when spring comes. Similar work.