Road Trip, Part 2

 

The reason for the road trip: my brother Jeffrey has been preparing for his solemn vows for the last six years at The Abbey of New Clairvaux.   New Clairvaux is in the little town of Vina, population 800, 105 miles north of Sacramento.   The Solemn Profession of the vows of obedience, simplicity, and stability is like the vow of marriage for a monk, except he is getting married to a place and a community.   It's a big deal.

My brother James flew into LAX from Chicago on Thursday night, so that the family could all drive up together from Pasadena.   That's right, a family road trip. It's how I've been spending my vacation time for the last five years: reliving summer vacation road trips with my parents so that we could all visit Jeffrey at the monastery.   Jeffrey understands the emotional sacrifice and is especially appreciative of James and I seeing him every summer.   During Jeffrey's formation (training) he was allowed very limited contact so that he may practice detachment.   But he still got to see his family for a week once a year, provided they go to the monastery to do it.   This occasion is way different, since there are scheduled to be 20 people from around the country coming to see Br. Placid make his final vows.

So, Friday the 13th, the Morrises took off from Pasadena in a cousin's minivan.   In it, we had the immediate family, plus an aunt from the Philippines and a cousin from Upland. Here's James reading during the 8 hour ride:

 

 

The wind was particularly strong as we came down the Tejon Pass on the I-5.   Cars were dodging tumbleweeds as they made their way across the highway.   There were a couple of tumbleweeds the size and shape of VW bugs taking their sweet time to make the crossing.   Things didn't get interesting again until we were almost to Sacramento.   Here's a big ass water tower that says: Sacramento City of Trees.

 

 

I have no idea what that means since Sacramento is one of the flattest places I have ever seen and is known more for it's rice and bridges, than any trees that I could see.   See, here's one of the many rice transports that we passed along the road:

 

 

This trailer actually had the motto: "Have a Rice Day" on the back.   We arrived at the monastery around 4:30 and hung out at the Guest Center before we got the keys to all of our rooms.   The Guest Center has a Koi pond with the most spoiled Koi I have ever known.   If a person just stands near the edge of the pond, the fat carp do this:

 

 

Lazy beggars!   Behind the pond is the Guest Chapel and meditation room. You can see it here:

 

 

As James and I settled in, we hung out with our brother before we sat down and ate:

 

 

We settled in and caught up with Jeffrey and his friend Sean, ahem, Fr. Sean now, from Jeffrey's theology school days at St. Meinrad's.  He's about as loud and obnoxious as I am.  You'll get to see him in action when I post my entry on the wine tasting tour of the Abbey's Vineyard.  Here's a look at their wine label:

 

 

The wine tasting happened on Saturday and we got all Sideways with the Spanish grapes.