Memphis Democrat
April 20, 2006

Ted at Dancing Rabbit this week, where a light rain is starting to fall and we're under a tornado watch for the afternoon. You've probably noticed by now that I'll often mention the seasons and weather when I write this column. It is one of the greatest joys for me of living here-- the constant play of the weather as the backdrop to my very outdoor-oriented life as a gardener, builder, DR member, and occasional writer.

This week is no exception, as the sudden onset of summery weather in the midst of an otherwise seasonally cool Spring has me both wowed at every turn by the overnight appearance of new leaves, shoots and flowers, and frantic to pick up the pace of transplanting fruit and nut rootstock and asparagus that was supposed to be finished by now, but had to await dry enough weather to do some roto-tilling on the contour in Ironweed's new orchard. I finally got Sandhill's tractor borrowed and did the tilling Friday, so we're ready to jump into it now, and looking forward to the help of Dancing Rabbit's first visitor group of the season arriving this week. Ironweed's new work exchanger Tony, who arrived from Kentucky a week ago with his dog Thor, also helped me frame up the basic structure of our kitchen's greenhouse. He's an experienced furniture builder and artist who is bending his skills in framing to the more free-form, un-square building that is our kitchen, as well as putting in some time in on our tree planting and gardening. We're pleased to have him, and I'm feeling positive about reaching our goal of finishing the kitchen by Autumn.

We've certainly not been alone in our gardening. Just about everyone here who has a garden has been living in it at least part-time, with new arrivals of trees and other perennials in the mail seemingly every day. Tom and Tereza spent several days planting out Bluestem's new peach, apple, and strawberries, and also landscaping the front of Sunnyberm a bit. Thomas and Laura both received similar goodies and were engaged in the same amidst lots of other garden tending. Juan and Amy, despite being relative novices at growing lots of vegetables, have plunged with gusto into getting Skyhouse's garden into shape for the season and caring for their seedlings. I must say that they look every bit the part of gardeners, as indeed they are, and I've enjoyed chatting with them about their new hobby. If ever there was a hobby people like to talk about, it is certainly gardening. There's just so much to talk about, and it changes every day and every season.

Wednesday morning Thomas led a veritable battalion of rabbits out across the fields to a spot adjoining our land on the east where our neighbor Joe Neese had kindly allowed Thomas to harvest some black locusts for posts for a new structure he's building. Thomas had spent many a cold day in Winter hauling most of the posts back on his own with the aid of his home-built cart (what does Thomas use that isn't?), but the last few posts, the largest and heaviest, required more help. I was unable to attend, but with that many arms and shoulders, I believe it was a successful mission. I'm always heartened to see a group of us off to tackle a problem, whatever it might be. Cooperation makes almost any task easier and more pleasurable. It is another of the reasons I love living here.

That same day several of us went to do some errands in Memphis, including picking up some chip mulch. But we were dismayed when our friend in the loader at the city yard, about to dump the first load in the trailer, stopped, turned off the loader, and climbed out to ask if we knew that our trailer was missing a tire. We looked and discovered that somewhere between home and town we had indeed sheared the whole tire, hub included, right off the axle. We had to settle for a truck bed full and go home with an empty trailer, keeping our eyes peeled for the errant tire on the way home, though with no luck. Ron, who's know taken on care and feeding of the vehicle coop's car, truck and trailer from former Defender of Vehicles Erik, is on the job getting it fixed.

Erik's successful installation of the new boiler has received raves all around since it came online a week or so ago. The 500 gallon tank has four heat exchangers in it, allowing for heating the building's slab foundation through the radiant floor tubing, as well as consistent domestic supply for the many users of the showers and the sinks in our common building. The Tarm boiler is far more efficient than our first boiler, and serves as a demonstration of more ecologically sensitive firewood combustion, extracting the maximum possible heat quotient for the pollution created. Between the boiler and DR's newest eating cooperative, Sunflower, now occupying the kitchen, the common house finally feels like it is serving all the purposes for which it was intended. As I remember the day we all set shovels into the earth together to break ground for the building three years ago, it all seems like a satisfying journey, well worth the effort.

A stray grey tabby cat has arrived at Dancing Rabbit in the last week or ten days. It is a small male, and friendly. If you're from the area and think you might know where this cat's home is, please give us a call at 883-5511. Otherwise it may end up being taken to the shelter in Kirksville. Ironweed is also still on the lookout for more old hay or straw for mulching the new trees in our orchard. If you're in the Rutledge area or nearby and have some old hay or straw you're willing to let go, please let us know at 883-5594. We'll pick it up!

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