oh, okay. thanks for that feedback. I also have a good friend on that course who comes back every couple years. it's always a treat to have him visit. he also is quite level headed, so to speak, and dialed in well to the culture, still.
but I still think he would have made a great householder! (-: --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, WLeed3@... wrote: > > Mike was & still is very Level headed on Purusha now in India as stated we > communicant ofter i.e. monthly via: an Internet cafe 2 hr from him by > walking trail. He does so by some flash card ( or key like thing) not going to > town in person Purusha sends there individual computer messages that way. > > > In a message dated 6/20/2013 7:47:07 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > steve.sundur@... writes: > > > > I always liked Michael Thompkins. I never really knew him personally, but > as an administrator, he always seemed pretty level headed. > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, WLeed3@ wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > ____________________________________ > > From: vtompkins112@ > > To: wleed3@ > > Sent: 6/20/2013 1:09:23 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time > > Subj: the flooding here > > > > > > Dear Bill, > > > > Hi. This email is just to let you know that I am fine in case you've > > seen international news about the massive flooding in the Indian > > Himalaya, including Uttarkashi. The bridge and road at the foot of our > > mountain went to their eternal reward in the flood and we are cut > > off--no road, no electricity, no postal mail, no cell phone, no > > Internet (for reasons too lengthy to explain we'll have the last two > > for about 24 hours more and then none for a while) but we expect some > > sort of road connection again in 1-2 weeks and electricity hopefully > > around then, too, and those should m ean resumption of communications. > > We have plenty of rice, lentils, flour, etc. and a big vegetable > > garden bursting with produce so we are set for food for a long time. > > And everyone here is in very good spirits. > > > > Very heavy, continuous rain for two days straight did it. Parts of > > Uttarkashi town fell into the raging river, and I've heard that the > > river bed there may have risen as much as five meters with all the > > silt and rocks coming down, and the higher river bed threatens to > > flood the town. But the other valley system, on the Alakananda River, > > had it worse. This is the height of the pilgrimage season and, they > > say, some 70,000 people are stranded up in those mountains and as many > > as 1,000 died, though I'd bet that each number is a gross > > exaggeration. Throughout the mountain region, the roads down to the > > plains are cut by landslides in multiple places, which is what has > > stranded all the pilgrims. > > > > Currently, the only way out of this ashram is by walking up to a > > higher meadow and then climbing a mountain slope to a ridge and > > trekking down into an adjacent valley system and there, hopefully, > > finding a public Jeep or bus, a trip that takes about six hours. Some > > of our staff are making that trip tomorrow for personal reasons so > > we'll hear from them how doable it really is and whether if, once down > > on the main road, one can actually get through to the plains or are > > there simply too many landslides for the Army to move soon. > > Eventually, of course, all the slides will be moved off the roads and > > the roads will be shored up. Presently, the overall situation is > > unclear. > > > > What has been very odd is that this happened about 1-2 weeks before > > the normal monsoon was due to arrive and therefore caught everyone by > > surpr ise. > > > > I'll write more later once we have a better communications link. For > > now, just know that all at Gajoli ashram are fine, with plenty of > > food, comfortable temperatures and decent weather (sun for the last > > two days). And if there were any really extreme emergency there is > > always a helicopter (at vast expense:>). > > > > Jai Guru Dev, > > > > Mike > > >
