For many years now, several Rose of Sharon bushes have been blooming each August outside our monastery church, as today’s photo shows. The technical name of the flower is Hibiscus syriacus.
Despite the popular name, the flower is not a rose, but as its technical name indicates, a hibiscus. Shakespeare said so well: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet” (from his play, “Romeo and Juliet”). Ironically, the beautiful hibiscus flower has very little scent, but is lovely to see nonetheless.
We continue to get rain in our region, which is always welcome. Forest Road 151 leading to the Monastery fortunately stays passable, though not without some bumpy parts and ruts due to rains over the past several weeks.
With the road in fair condition, we continue to have private retreatants, day visitors and pilgrims, who come for some hours or days to our desert oasis.
As previously announced, our Guesthouse for retreatants will be closed during the month of September for roof repairs, but day visitors are still welcome during that time.
With an assurance of our prayers for all our relatives, friends, benefactors and oblates,
Abbot Christian and the monks
