Unsual bus ride

Today summer semester started at my college and last year the bus service opened a new transit center not far from where I live. So now its possible for me to ride the bus and get to school in a timely manner. I didn't start riding the bus until now because I had a surgery just after it opened and then my classes conflicted and I had to go to work straight from school instead of riding the bus home and then going to work. But right now I'm unemployed, my regular job ended last week and won't start up again till mid August. I walk for about 15 minutes to a bus stop and hitch a ride on that line to the transit center and then switch to a bus that literally stops in front of my college.

On the ride back there were two guys with guitars talking, I couldn't hear what they were saying so even though I thought I heard Buddhist I didn't want to interrupt. Half way through the ride one started to play. I couldn't hear the words but it was very soft, his voice complimented the gentle music from his guitar. It was very surreal and I turned as much as I could in my seat to hear it. It struck me in a way that I felt like I was sitting in the shrine room at the Shambhala Center, all the while riding a very bumpy bus. It was a very strange but interesting moment.

Kyudo practice!

We finally had kyudo practice after three long months yesterday. Allen's health was good and the weather cooperated for a perfect morning. Even if we as a group have not been able to practice Doria and Allen have been busy renovating the Iba. I didn't have my camera with me but we now have 3 paths, one for the long shot, one for the retrieval of arrows from the long shot, and one of flat stone to the shooting platform.

I did about two sets of two or three shots into the practice hay before doing one long shot set. My arms didn't get tired or hurt as they had been when I first tried to push and pull the bow but I'm still doing something wrong because when I release the string I get a 'twang'. I'm still struggling with the kake (glove) and holding the tsuru (string). I'm apparently holding the yumi correctly, or at least the right spot in my hand, because I had to stop because it was starting to hurt, because it was red after each set of shots between my thumb and pointing finger.

It was good day, even if my shots weren't not the desired results. Besides the long shots my arrows failed to make it to even the sand pit, much less the target area....