The day ended with Monte, a young man who has been coming to the temple since he was a child, auditioning for the chance to paint the spire. He was so excited about it he literally clambered up this tree, just to prove to us he'd be safe up there! He didn't have a rope, a harness, or ladder, just his hands, feet and inspiration!

We'll see how it goes...he's also young enough not to fully appreciate impermanence. We certainly don't want to dampen his enthusiasm, only temper it with some prudent caution.

There'll be some research over the next day or two regarding paint for copper surfaces, and some logistic planning. We'd initially thought to do gold leaf up there, so had no problems painting the white first. Now that we've defaulted to gold paint, we'll have to rig up some tarps to protect the bumpa from splatter. Fortunately we do have some white left over! So we can handle it if there is some disruption in the now clean white surface we've created.

It is really coming together. As we approach the completion of this phase of the project, it is my hope that all who see this will be inspired. Monte is our newest volunteer, but every one you see on all these pages comes to this project out of love. A devotion to a power that knows no boundries, no rules, no limits. The Stupas embody absolute compassion, without restraint, without judgment or regulations, offering their blessings to all. May all our efforts allow you, and countless other beings now and long into the future, to connect with unconditional love.....