Memphis Democrat
March 28, 2002

The guys down at Rutledge Garage saw a lot of us this week. Our vehicles have been acting up a bit. We have modified our VW Jetta to have two tanks. We've been putting petrodiesel in the main tank, to start the car. We've been putting biodiesel in the tank that is warmed with the heat from running the engine. We do this by running the fuel lines inside the coolant lines. Once the tank has been heated, we can run on biodiesel even on the coldest days. This has been working pretty well. That is, until the fuel line inside the coolant line cracked, leaking coolant into the fuel. Tony and Erik spent long hours under the hood. They finally decided to put copper fuel lines in, to replace the plastic ones they were using before. Hopefully, this time there won't be any more problems.

We've been moving along on our house moving plans. We've been checking out possible houses and possible routes. We invited housemover Andy Mullett from Milton, IA to give his expert advice, and he gave us some idea of the tasks that lay ahead of us.

Sandhill Farm threw a skating party at the Kahoka Rollerena. We enjoyed skating and dancing and DJ-ing. That roller rink is a great resource!

Alline, Susan, Tony and I spoke at a conference at Truman State. We were invited by the Women's Studies folks, upon the advice of one of our former interns, Emily. Tony and I stayed over night at Emily's place so we could be ready bright and early the next morning to go birdwatching with Pete Goldman's ornithology class. We went to Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge, where we saw tons of geese, ducks and other shorebirds. Also, we enjoyed watching bald eagles scaring up the geese and sparring with each other. Thanks Pete for inviting us!

Don, Susan and Erik went to the auction at the Smith's place right here in Rutledge. They had a great time and came home with boxes of this and that.

Tony and I left to go to visit my family in New York for Passover. Passover is a Jewish holiday held in memory of when Jews were slaves in Egypt and left under the leadership of Moses. The dinner, called a Seder, is ritualized and symbolic to help us remember the oppression of our ancestors and celebrate that we now are free. Its also a holiday when Jews traditionally open our doors to invite others to our celebration and it is a very interesting experience. If you ever have a chance to go to a Passover Seder, grab the opportunity.

Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is a nonprofit and a residential community that demonstrates ecological sustainability in Rutledge, MO. We have Saturday tours beginning April 6th. Please call first, at 883-5511.

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