December 2, 2019, 12:15pm: Ise-ji north-south, day 1. Hi there. Season three begins with pouring rain in the morning breaking way to patches of blue sky around noon. The birds missed their wakeup song so they came alive just after lunch. Sitting next to Higashi Tokida Shrine. Children's daycare just off to the left, piano music giving way to afternoon recess. Above: Bird galore. Some funky warblers in the mix. The shrine tucked into a sudden grove of cedars and pines between rice fields. The birds happy, the air cool and crisp, the stone I sat on chilly. Sitting and listening to the richness of the world for the first time in a long time.