Refreshing waters: a writing retreat with Vinita Hampton Wright

I took this photo after a long hot walk this afternoon, at a temple called Honen-in in the hills outside Kyoto.  The cool scent of moss, the sound of the water hitting the pool below, the perfect arc that never wavered as it fell — and the flower.  It was refreshing on such a sensual level; though I never touched the water, I still felt a couple of degrees cooler.

I'm off in Japan, working long (and fascinating) days, and glad of the bits of refreshment I find.

Vinita Wright is directing a writing retreat at Deepening Days of Friendship.  Her first post is about the senses, if you want to refresh your writer's soul, pay Vinita's blog a visit and take a deep breath of the wisdom and encouragement that is there.