Rex, King of the Ducks

On my first day I wandered over to the koi pond, the centerpiece of the Abbey's grounds, and this giant mallard who rules the pond waddled after me, quietly quacking all the way. I sat under a cotton wood tree to meditate and enjoy the silence. Rex stood next to me, looking over the pond with me, as if he too were seeing it for the first time. I have never seen such a friendly, fearless and social duck, but then, this is an extrordinary place. I thought, 'what does he want? Maybe he wants me to pet him', and I slowly reached my left hand out over his back...and he slowly sidestepped my hand, turned to me and said, Quack Quack Quack. I said, OK, and proceeded to mind my own business. He came back close to my chair, folded his feet under him and sat down next to me, and we meditated together on the pond, the koi fish, and the cottonwood fluff falling like snow on the water.

The Bell Measures out the Day at St. Andrew's

The Bell is like the clock to the Abbey visitors, since no one has a clock in their room and your cell phone doesn't even dependably get the time. The Bell is rung to call visitors, monks, and staff to 5 'offices' a day: Vigils at 6 AM (no bell for that one), Lauds at 7:30 AM, Mass at noon, Vespers at 6 PM, and Compline at 8:30 PM, after which everyone observes complete silence until 6 the next morning (apparently Benedictines traditionally do one at 2 in the morning called Matins but thankfully these guys don't do that, or if they do, we guests aren't invited....) The offices consist of prayers, readings, and this ancient tradition of singing that we now have on CD ("Gregorian Chant") except these guys do the chant in English. Basically it sounds like the bible being sung with only a few different tunes. They hand out sheet music to help you sing with the monks, who mostly know it by heart, except the younger ones.

The bell is so loud you can hear it clearly in every part of the acres of land of which the Abbey consists. I saw a novice monk ringing the bell while wearing hearing-protective headphones, and black monk's robes; an awesome fashion ensemble.

A smaller bell calls you to meals, and believe me they put the food on the table the second the last dong rings out. Get in the refectory as soon as you hear the little bell, or you will be late for lunch.

St Andrew's Abbey at Valyermo, CA

Staying at this beautiful monastery for two days had a profound effect on my spirituality.

I am attaching photos, and will write further as I read my journal of my visit. It's hard to adequately describe the quiet, the balmy temperature of the shade under the apple and cottonwood trees, the sound of birds and bugs and sprinkers the only disturbance to a whole day...I tell you, just go visit this monastery even if you aren't Catholic. I need to get myself a farm to live on.