Memphis Democrat Column Week of 10/19/09
Aloha from Rabbits at Dancing Rabbit. This is Nani with this week’s update.
We are far, far from my homeland of Hawai’i as this very crisp weather has reminded me. I also understand why we are called Scotland County. There have been many cold and misty mornings here on the prairie when I swore that any moment I would see hounds running across the field or witness bagpipes eerily playing in the background. Fortunately, I didn’t hear bagpipes, which would have completely scared me (I don’t recall anyone here owning bagpipes). The only hounds that usually run around are our familiar and beloved canines.
Even in the face of our changing weather and closer quarters many of us have still been busy as ever in the outdoors. Ted and Sara headed up some other willing Rabbits (that would be us, for new readers) to continue work that Tamar had begun; garlic, gardening, and working together. Ziggy cobbed in the cold, Jeff (aka Gifu) embellished his Gnome Castle with the coolest ever convex (concave, depending where you are standing) skylight. Dan D headed the “Great Chicken Migration of 2009” - we moved the chicken tractor to his yard from its summer home in the vineyard. Jen returned home from her travels. There were lots of other outdoor work parties, but my little Hawaiian heart couldn’t take it; I brewed many pots of coffee and cocoa to stay warm, and even made oatmeal for friends (I don’t even like oatmeal, but it’s warm.)
Tereza hosted a healing/prayer circle and brought us together for our Tamar. We sent our love and support in her direction. Thank you Rabbits for being warm and loving.
We have some new people in the village too. Travis is helping out with getting a kitchen up for the Ironweed Coop and is staying till early Novemberish. Corey is helping Dan and Mary Beth out. Kit has come from Albuquerque and has been plastering away at Ma’ikwe’s straw bale home in the cold and damp Celtic weather. Charles, Ma’ikwe’s former work exchanger, visited for a day; I was happily surprised to see his smiling face.
The weather has brought us all closer together both outside and inside. Our potlucks and everyday dinners seem more a buzz. Although it can be a little chaotic (occasionally ) in our common house at dinner, there is definitely something to be said for our ability to be close to each other and still have a great time. Post dinner time there have been music and board games, by candlelight when the power is low. I see good friends and new friends catching up. I hear plans and concerns for each other. It’s a very nice scene and then it’s loud (kids, usually but not always) and then it’s serene and warmly lit in the later hours of the common house.
Dancing Rabbit was featured on the front page of the Sunday edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The online link is here: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne ws/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/stor y/37D34F773DCD4DD286257652001272F4? OpenDocument. There is also a multi-media presentation put together by a Post-Dispatch photographer which can be viewed here:
http://www.stltoday.com/mds/news...
Finally, not to lead you to believe the weather is all dreary. Today was beautiful and blue and warm and sunny and…appreciated. A bunch of us went for a land walk in search of puff-ball mushrooms, but did not have much luck. However, the walk was worth the fruitless (fungusless?) search. Our night sky is beautiful and clear, the stars twinkle so bright it seems I can touch them. Perhaps more gorgeous days to come and maybe we can say aloha to some sunny weather.
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is an intentional community in Rutledge, Missouri, practicing ecological sustainability. We offer tours the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month through October. Our LAST TOUR OF THE SEASON is Saturday, October 24th at 1:00 p.m. No reservations are necessary. For more information, please see our website at www.dancingrabbit.org .
We are far, far from my homeland of Hawai’i as this very crisp weather has reminded me. I also understand why we are called Scotland County. There have been many cold and misty mornings here on the prairie when I swore that any moment I would see hounds running across the field or witness bagpipes eerily playing in the background. Fortunately, I didn’t hear bagpipes, which would have completely scared me (I don’t recall anyone here owning bagpipes). The only hounds that usually run around are our familiar and beloved canines.
Even in the face of our changing weather and closer quarters many of us have still been busy as ever in the outdoors. Ted and Sara headed up some other willing Rabbits (that would be us, for new readers) to continue work that Tamar had begun; garlic, gardening, and working together. Ziggy cobbed in the cold, Jeff (aka Gifu) embellished his Gnome Castle with the coolest ever convex (concave, depending where you are standing) skylight. Dan D headed the “Great Chicken Migration of 2009” - we moved the chicken tractor to his yard from its summer home in the vineyard. Jen returned home from her travels. There were lots of other outdoor work parties, but my little Hawaiian heart couldn’t take it; I brewed many pots of coffee and cocoa to stay warm, and even made oatmeal for friends (I don’t even like oatmeal, but it’s warm.)
Tereza hosted a healing/prayer circle and brought us together for our Tamar. We sent our love and support in her direction. Thank you Rabbits for being warm and loving.
We have some new people in the village too. Travis is helping out with getting a kitchen up for the Ironweed Coop and is staying till early Novemberish. Corey is helping Dan and Mary Beth out. Kit has come from Albuquerque and has been plastering away at Ma’ikwe’s straw bale home in the cold and damp Celtic weather. Charles, Ma’ikwe’s former work exchanger, visited for a day; I was happily surprised to see his smiling face.
The weather has brought us all closer together both outside and inside. Our potlucks and everyday dinners seem more a buzz. Although it can be a little chaotic (occasionally ) in our common house at dinner, there is definitely something to be said for our ability to be close to each other and still have a great time. Post dinner time there have been music and board games, by candlelight when the power is low. I see good friends and new friends catching up. I hear plans and concerns for each other. It’s a very nice scene and then it’s loud (kids, usually but not always) and then it’s serene and warmly lit in the later hours of the common house.
Dancing Rabbit was featured on the front page of the Sunday edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The online link is here: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/ne ws/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/stor y/37D34F773DCD4DD286257652001272F4? OpenDocument. There is also a multi-media presentation put together by a Post-Dispatch photographer which can be viewed here:
http://www.stltoday.com/mds/news...
Finally, not to lead you to believe the weather is all dreary. Today was beautiful and blue and warm and sunny and…appreciated. A bunch of us went for a land walk in search of puff-ball mushrooms, but did not have much luck. However, the walk was worth the fruitless (fungusless?) search. Our night sky is beautiful and clear, the stars twinkle so bright it seems I can touch them. Perhaps more gorgeous days to come and maybe we can say aloha to some sunny weather.
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is an intentional community in Rutledge, Missouri, practicing ecological sustainability. We offer tours the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month through October. Our LAST TOUR OF THE SEASON is Saturday, October 24th at 1:00 p.m. No reservations are necessary. For more information, please see our website at www.dancingrabbit.org .