Pt. Reyes Station Part Two

Still not exactly sure of where we were going we continued on West over to Inverness. I saw Vladimir's sign and smiled, remembering.

I wondered if he was still alive (of course, Vladimir, who was old in 1968, will outlive me by at least 40 years. He looks exactly the same and still tends bar. We will revisit him later).

With Tomales Bay on the right and the dark Inverness hills on the left we kept ahead...looking.

Then I saw it.

St. Columba's Episcopal Retreat House.

How did I know? I just did. To this day I cannot be sure if someone somewhere did not mention it and it just bubbled up, or if this was just a spiritual draw. Life can be mysterious, if you let it.

We drove up the darkening street to the top and found a deserted parking lot.

We got out and walked into the lower level of a medium sized and awkward old building.

I am not Episcopalian, but Presbyterian (sort of) which is close.

A middle-aged man named Tom came out from around the large kitchen area and greeted us. He told us Vespers was at 5 p.m. with Father Phil.

It was 4:30 so we walked around. Up the hill through the Stations of the Cross. We laughed that there had actually been something to find after all.

She looked at me and said "maybe you are not always crazy."

"Yeah, we'll see."

The war was still troubling me and I am not so very good at politics.

We entered the main wooded sanctuary just before five and sat down. I wondered about meeting lots of other people, but no one came at all. A few minutes after five a large man with big spectacles and long dark robes entered and smiled.

I liked him immediately.

He invited us into the side chapel and said we could start.

We had no idea what to do and Father Phil gently and with no small humor led us through the service. Just us three.

He would often look up, grin and say "this is the part where you read the next line."

It was very sweet.

Afterward, we had a timeof mutual prayer. I poured out my feelings about the war, as did my wife. He also was deeply saddened. We joined together. "Where three or more are gathered..."

Though strangers, we hugged afterward and we left and went home feeling very full and touched.