Typical rhythms of life

Wednesday, October 7, 2026
The day ends with a meal at #WaerongEthnic, a neighborhood favorite. Lew takes a break from his studies and treats us to dinner. Thanks!

We walk by a new tourist destination. How many more can the hill support?

The groomers are just wrapping up. Bruno is making the transformation to a traditional poodle clip like Anton's. The dogs come by for hugs and pets - they know they look good.

I cut off Bruno's nose Mohawk so he could see, earlier this week.

The two guys give him a clean muzzle but don't wash or groom him. His topknot will grow in.

Thursday
Our first hike in a half-year? WONDERFUL. We take two dogs, Anton (black standard poodle) and Juno (labradoodle). Bruno, the tender-footed newcomer, hops in the car but he doesn't have enough muscle for a hike. Anton gets a quick hug from Evva before we set off.

While the rest of us tackle the tea fields, PakG takes Bruno on a short walk.

All 4 dogs hiking today are from the same breeder in Bali. The #BaliPoodleDoodle dogs are unmatched in temperament and athleticism. We highly recommend them.

The dogs are sure-footed on steps, trails, and bridges.

They splash in the pools under a waterfall to cool off. Juno finds ditches along the way to play in.

The views across the tea fields are stunning. The dust on the trail has settled with the occasional mountain rains.

Our dogs walk every day but haven't hiked for months, just like us. No problem. They know what they're doing. They run ahead and come back (sometimes reluctantly) to a whistle.

We eat at a roadside cafe which we call Warung Angie. Angie, formerly the hiking leader, loved to eat there so we nicknamed it in her honor. They have an innovative tap in lieu of a faucet: a hose, bent over a sink, stopped with a custom stick. To wash your hands, you pull out the stick.

I pack the fish scraps and chicken skins for a dog treat when we get home. (They love it.)

This is a major tourist road up the mountain to many resorts. It's barely one lane wide, plus shoulders. There are carts, pedestrians, little shops ...

and trucks squeezing by. And I mean squeezing by. 

We turn as far to the left as we can without hitting a shopfront. The driver pulls in the side mirrors for a few extra inches of room.

Vendors zoom by with their wares customized on motorcycles.

I shower off the hike before reviewing an article for an academic journal. The guys pick up the garden fences that are not yet stained or attached: it's supposed to rain today. The first mango drops off our tree, half-eaten by pesky squirrels.

We get news that a friend's coworker (24) has died after collapsing during a marathon. And we read that both parents of an acquaintance have died a quarter-mile apart, hiking in Death Valley. There's much grief to offer our Master, who understands pain and sorrow. May God console these families and friends as they mourn.

Friday
W is testing the setup for movie night, either this week or next. His stack of electronics is a marvel.

I read Lew's notes (excellent work) before he heads back home to celebrate Monica's birthday. You can't miss your wife's special day! Walking around the yard, I note things for the yardman to prune, to move, and to replant. 

PakG stains 4 of 10 fence posts and bamboo panels that they've completed. "It takes a long time to split the bamboo into sections," he observes, "but it takes even longer to sand all the edges so that they won't cut anyone." He goes to the mosque for an hour, something he hasn't often done since he started working for us.

Although this is technically a 6-religion country, schools, government offices, and many businesses close Fridays for Muslims to meet at noon. Sundays, it's business as usual. I don't know if employers are required to give Christians and Catholics equal time off for their religious gatherings. There are many public holidays since everyone celebrates the days off for everyone else's religions.

Saturday
It's a full day. The dogs sit near W, looking forward to their walk. 

When we come in the gate, Bruno gets a walk on the wide side, the woods in front of the Project. His feet are getting tougher. Juno walks along for the fun of it.

Even with a few rainfalls, plants have begun to erupt with flowers.

Purple 2" blooms are spread across the pavement as we walk by.

There's a pause at a 1 1/2-lane-wide crossroad. A big tourist bus is turning left from one narrow street to the other. People walk behind and around it. 

"Can you imagine pedestrians walking behind a moving bus in the USA like that?" I ask W. We shake our heads. When there's a niche, motorcycles zoom beside it as it swivels.

It reverses and pulls forward five or six times to avoid the trees growing across the limited paving.

Another long-tailed lizard has met its end. It's bright green skin begins to fade.

I cook porridge and cut the most delicioius! golden mango for breakfast. Replant orchids. Make calls. Review books. It's a quiet morning.

Read more:
* Hear my prayer, Lord; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. Psalm 102:1-2

* Seek good and not evil, that you may live. Amos 5:14

* For there is still a vision for the appointed time. If it seems to tarry, wait for it. Habakkuk 2:3

* See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. 1 Thessalonians 5:15

* The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. James 5:7

Moravian Prayer: God of justice, as we face the evils of the world that threaten us, give us the strength to overwhelm that evil with the good that comes from you and your love. Let us seek your kingdom every day. In Jesus’ name, we pray. 

Lord, give us the patience that we need: patience to wait for you, patience to trust in you, and patience for our souls to be still and know that you are God. Amen.