Seaside Greenhouse

(waves crash) (insects chirp) Near a long stretch of coastline, a greenhouse sits by the sea. Its glass panes still warm from the sun. Perched on a rolling hill overlooking the ocean. It rests at the far edge of a quiet neighborhood where the plants inside are carefully tended. From the road, it appears simply as a warm glow among the trees, tucked where the last few homes give way to open sky. Before we explore, let's take a moment for a brief wind down exercise. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So, when you're ready, let's begin. So first, get comfortable in your bed. Now, just bringing the attention to the breath, just noticing where you feel it. In the nose, the throat, the chest, the diaphragm. You're nice and relaxed. We're going to be taking a deep breath in for four, holding it for four, and then breathing out for six. So are you ready? Let's begin. In for four, two, three, four. Hold it for four, two, three, four. Now breathing out for six. Two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. Great. Now, returning the breath to normal. (waves crash) (insects chirp) The sky is turning that deepening shade between blue and violet. This sort of lavender color that only appears for a few minutes each day. Above the ocean's wispy waves, the first stars are beginning to show faint at first, then steadier as the light continues to fall. From a distance, the greenhouse appears simple enough, a weathered wooden frame with tall panes of clear glass, faintly streaked where past rain has dried in the sun. Within those panes, a small coastal garden is growing at its own pace. The soil is still warm. Along the edges of the pots, a few grains have loosened, shifted ever so slightly by the roots beneath the surface. Beyond the greenhouse, the neighborhood is settling in for the night. Somewhere down the slope, a car passes once. (car zooms) Its sound stretching briefly through the quiet before the road falls still again. (waves crash) (insects chirp) If one were to ask around, it might be said that many of the plants here arrived with a story. Not every gardener keeps track of such things, of course, but in this place, stories tend to grow right alongside the plants. Against the west wall, an organized collection of terracotta pots sits in the corner. Up close, their clay sides have darkened in places from years of watering. This part of the room is simply known as the citrus row. Several trees grow here. Mandarins, limes, and a small orange tree whose bright fruit...