Memphis Democrat
September 14, 2006

Hello again from Ted with the latest from Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage.

I can't say enough how much I've loved the weather of late. Days in the 70s, nights in the 50s, I'm a happy man. No work is too onerous on such mild days, and sleeping with a window open and a comforter on is cozy and just right. Our Chinese cabbage and daikon are growing nicely, speaking of wonderful fermented foods to nourish us through the winter, while all the fruits of summer are still rolling in from our gardens.

Tony and Alyssa, however, were not quite so pleased with some of the spates of rainy weather we've had over the past few weeks. They worked doggedly to get their framing up while keeping the ground floor (insulated with cellulose before the framing went up) dry, and succeeded with only a few drips and leaks along the way. The week before last Tamar and I helped briefly getting the roofing on their lower section, and this past Friday morning they got the remainder of their roof on the higher section with Tom's assistance (always good to have a rock climber/ experienced builder around!). Having carefully orchestrated their lumber usage to make their accumulated stash go the distance to complete the framing, they're now looking for local sources of used lumber, including all manner of dimensional wood, as well as plywood, flooring, and siding, to finish the house before Winter. If you have any of those available, or a structure containing them that you're interested in having dismantled, please give them a call here at 883-5511.

We had lots of guests here labor day weekend, making for quite a holiday. Mark and Megan, former DR members whom we're always pleased to see here again, came for a visit from Madison. Mark is an arborist and brought his gear to orchestrate the removal of part of a maple tree that was overhanging Tamar's house. The trunk section was trimmed and saved to serve as a structural member when Tamar builds a new house. Both also helped Tamar create a beautiful triangular tile and glass mosaic to match one they'd helped create a couple years ago, both of which will soon be installed as Tamar performs a long-awaited overhaul and interior finishing of her house with Sara and myself as labor assistants. We're always sad to see Mark and Megan go, but are excited to hear about their various pursuits, including joining a new cohousing group in Madison.

My daughter Aurelia got to meet some of her extended family on my side that weekend as well, as both my brother Warner and his wife Erin and my parents Anne and Keir came from Washington, DC and Richmond, VA, respectively, to visit and meet their neice/granddaughter. All were well pleased with the experience, and Sara and I were also glad to host my brother and his wife in our grain bin apartment, despite its earthen plaster work being in mid-progress. We wished they could have stayed longer, and hope they'll return, but were glad to have a couple days with them at least. With six guests joining Bluestem's table, we had some lively meals!

Juan and Amy have been busily tying up loose ends and working on various preparations for their wedding next weekend. This makes the second wedding at DR this year, and we're excited to join in the festivities. There'll be a party tent in the Common House courtyard, catering by Jo from Sandhill, and guests coming from all over, including some of Juan's family from Argentina. It should be quite a celebration-- look for the report in next week's column.

This is the high season for canning and preserving, as all you food preservationists out there are surely well aware. Seems somebody is canning something almost every day here, and we've fruit coming in both from our own trees and from surrounding communities these days. Jen spent a week at Dan Kelly's orchard picking apples, while Suzanne is gone much of the time picking peaches and apples at Tom Smith's orchard. Some fruit is ending up as sauce, some as juice, some dried, and some turned into wine. I'm excited about some elderberry-plum wine I made recently with elderberries from Skyhouse's bush. Its aroma is delicately sweet and I can't wait to try it.

Repeat visitor Brandon brought his friend Amy for a visit Labor Day weekend, updating us on his adventures and leaving us again with a wish that he might someday think of joining us. At the end of this past weekend new resident Michelle returned to stay, with past visitor and friend Toby joining her. We've also just accepted another resident, Dan, who'll be arriving from Madison next Spring with his beloved grape vines in tow. We're so excited to witness our continued growth, and the possibility of a proper vineyard at DR piques the tastebuds as well.

Though we may not always be able to muster enough folks to take up each offer, we're always grateful in this season for offers of surplus fruit from trees in the area. If you have fruit that will otherwise go to waste, please give us a call, and we'll do our best to give it a good home!

Back to list of Memphis Democrat Columns