Visitors noticeably absent...

June 27, 2008, about 2:00 pm...

About 100 yards up the road from where we live is a turning circle, in front of a big white house with a sign in front that says "Jamesburg" on it. In this house live the folks who've produced the very informative blog called Sitting with Fire.

I know, I know... this is a bit Zen-pretentious... but, Jamesburg, while it LOOKS like it should be a very distinct place - like a town - is really "no-place." While there is an area called "Jamesburg" there really is no "place" from which one could - you know - get a plastic shopping bag with the words "Jamesburg Stop 'n' Shop" on it.

I've had travelers driving by stop the car and ask me where Jamesburg is. I spread my hands and raise my palms upward, turning to illustrate, "You're smack dab in the middle of it!"

The pavement ends here, at the turning circle, and the dusty trip up to Chews Ridge, the Los Padres National Forest and the Zen Mountain Center (14 miles - 7 up and 7 down) begins.

Usually, this place is bumper to bumper with parked vehicles, guests being thick as flies this time of year enjoying Tassajara Hot Springs. But, the Indians Fire has encroached and closed down Tassajara to visitors, though there are a number of Zen students and a crew of 45 firefighters - many of them prison inmates -  holed up in Mountain Center looking after the place.