Lizard friends

Hurricane winds

Had a rough sleep last night with the storms rolling in... tossing and turning worrying about the crazy winds knocking a giant branch into the tipi. Or a tornado picking the whole thing up and taking me to Oz. :) Smokey even bailed out last night and slept over at Beth's.

But all was made up for this morning when I awoke to a cold dry breeze, the chimes softly ringing, and the forest peacefully glowing green from the night's rains. I soaked it all in over a cup of coffee and played my wood flute. My neighbor, Bobby heard me through the woods and brought his guitar over to see if we could harmonize. Let's just say I'm not quite on his musical level yet... but it was fun. And he's given me a Sam Marshall song to work on. We've made a deal... one month to get it memorized and we'll play it for everyone at a bonfire.. ha :)

So much has been happening here at Earthsong the past couple weeks. Three people are moving out, some amazing friends of mine are moving in, the well has been running super low from a lack of rain, Bobby and I are getting some serious farming started (he taught me how to drive a tractor!!), Casey and I are helping build a house out of mud and straw, and we're all planning some big projects to make the community more sustainable (rainwater catchment etc). The fall winds are certainly bringing some exciting changes.... and I'm excited to see it all fall into place!!

Off to my first day of work... at Earthfare hooray!!

Summer colors

A few photos from Heart Haven Farm, where Smokey and I were housesitting for a couple of weeks :)

Something different

There's a distinct, albeit fleeting hint of fall in the air this morning. Some cooler, drier, muskier scent is permeating the soft breeze. And almost as imperceptible... are the thoughts, smells, memories this triggers in the recesses of my mind. I am 7 years old again... 8, 10... heading to school with my new shoes, new clothes that still smell like Target. A fresh sack lunch filled with exciting goodies, new plastic rulers, notebooks, erasers and ohhh that smell of brand new sharpened pencils! The exciting, nervous feeling on the first day of school... new friends, lots of friends, trying to hold yourself still and keep focused for the sake of your wonderful teacher, the sweet all-powerful woman you don't want to disappoint. I can even recall the smell, the feel in my 2nd grade classroom... the dark burnt orange carpet, gray walls, low flickering florescent lighting. That feeling of being surrounded by friends, of learning, always always doing my best... and the sweet smell of fall trees in the cool, dry, musky air.

Another fall is on its way.... :)

The heat and joys of summer...

We made it through about mid-July very comfortably, almost blissfully in the tipi. The bugs haven't paid too many visits, the new ceiling fan has kept us cool during the day, and the nights have been spectacular... cooling down after sunset with the sounds of the forest lulling us to sleep. Casey put up an adorable red umbrella to keep the rains out and we're in the process of setting up our outdoor kitchen again. Friends and family have paid plenty of visits... rock hopping in the river, drinking wine under the stars, and holding long conversation amidst the buzz of cicadas.

The last two weeks have brought some serious heat that's really pushing our resolve. The humid stagnant air is pretty much unbearable after a day farming out in the sun. I've been escaping to my loving neighbor, Beth's house some afternoons. You know you're hot when the thermostats on 78 and it almost feels too cold!! :)

Our neighbor has adopted a baby deer, Lucky, until he's old enough to survive on his own. We've been taking turns bottle feeding him. This tiny wild animal is just magical... with his white spots, fluffy tail, and long eyelashes. He nuzzles and licks us while we feed him, making the most adorable noises. Such a miracle!

Community life has been good, though not without its ups and downs. We're learning how to be part of a family... of neighbors. And how important it is to share what we're thinking and feeling, to remember to be grateful for one another and honest in our interactions. I feel that our society forgets to teach us these simple tools... and that they're going to be critical as we all move forward in more sustainable communities and attempt to reshape the world.

My brother is on his way over now... Casey should be taking off in his jet from Miami soon... and thunder's rolling in. Ahh bring on the raaaains!!! :)

Summer morning

Good morning sun... filtering down through layers of green, falling gently on two glass jars... delicately glinting in the morning rays. The birds are singing softly all around, a soft mellow morning in the forest. I am sitting on the earth with my tea... and journal... taking in the morning. A tall stump in front of me is covered in new growth shoots, backlit by the rising sun... looks like it's engulfed in green flames :)

Beautiful quote from The Fifth Agreement:

"We know that sooner or later our physical bodies will no longer exist.

We have only a few sunrises, a few sunsets, a few full moons that we can enjoy.

This is our time to be alive, to be fully present, to enjoy ourselves, to enjoy one another."

We live in a painting~

It wasn't easy... but it was fun! Casey and I brainstormed for a week or so on the design and added in most of it as we went along. We spent about two days getting the stripes painted in this picture on the left... and it was another five or so full days of sunburns and leg cramps before I finished adding in the symbols and the tree of life around the entryway. We used water-based outdoor house paint.

It was pretty amazing working on a painting of this scale and seeing it all come together in the end!