Fall and Spring Together in Berkeley

I said I would post photos of fall colors and blooming magnolias, all taken on the same day, so here goes. All these photos were taken on January 6, 2007.

Fall Colors on the Cal Berkeley Campus

Fall Colors 100 feet up Virginia St. from our apartment

Blooming Magnolia Tree behind Pacific School of Religion

Magnolia Blooms 200 feet down Virginia Street from our apartment

They are predicting lows around 29 degrees Friday night. We will see how all the blooms do in the cold weather. I do hope they survive.

Postulancy

Today I received a letter from Bishop Harry, my bishop, that he has made me a postulant. Postulancy is a significant step in the ordination process. It's like going from just dating to going steady. The next major step is candidacy. That's like getting engaged. After candidacy comes ordination as a deacon. After six months, one may be ordained to the priesthood. As you can see there are still more steps to go but this one is a biggie. It puts me firmly in the ordination track. Still no guarantees until the Bishop's hands are on my head but the path ahead is clearer now.

Bishop Harry will be in Berkeley next week for a meeting of the bishops in Providence VIII, which is basically the Intermountain West and the Pacific Coast. He would like to meet with me so I am hopeful that that will happen. I do look forward to seeing him.

In the meantime Berkeley is showing its truly berserkly side. Just up the street is a tree still in its autumn colors. On the Cal Berkeley campus magnolia trees are blooming. Fall and spring at the same time! I hope tomorrow to post some wonderful photos of this berserkly event.