Memphis Democrat
March 22, 2007

Hi Folks,

Tony here reporting on a busy week here at Dancing Rabbit with numerous guests and events. Lisa Allette Brooks, a friend of Rachel, Cecil and myself from college, was here with her partner Ondrej (pronounced like Andre). She came both to visit friends and to teach a series of yoga classes to rabbits and folks from Sandhill and Red Earth Farms. There were classes almost every day of the week which were quite well attended and folks said they learned a lot. Lisa is also a singer/songwriter who used to tour the country playing shows and is consider rekindling her career after a few year hiatus. She treated us to show on Saturday night featuring both old favorites plus a whole bunch of new songs. Lisa has been getting her master's degree in African Studies and some of her new songs included lyrics in Zulu and Setswana as well as Spanish and Czech (Ondrej is from the Czech Republic). It was great having all the classes and performance and of course great to see old friends.

We also had some guests, Beate and Amanada, stay with us who spent time travelling with a mobile ecovillage in Latin America called Caravana Arcoiris por la Paz (Rainbow Peace Caravan). They have been travelling to ecovillages in the US sharing their experience from the Caravan and gave us a presentation on Sunday. It was great to see all the knowledge they've been sharing and the creative ways they've been doing so.

We had a bunch of Truman students come out for Tours on Saturday. Judi Misale brought her social psychology class out, plus we had students from the environmental group ECO and the social service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega. We probably had 30 or more students on the tours and some stuck around for Lisa's concert that evening.

With spring feeling like it is finally here people have been outside a lot. Fruit tress are getting pruned and transplanted. Gardens are getting cleaned up for the new season. Seedlings are being planted and set upon window sills or in green houses. Then lo and behold another day of snow! Luckily it was short lived and spring is back.

We had our second 'swarm' which has now been renamed Ye Olde Barn Raising Society where we take turns getting help on projects that can use a big crew of people. This weeks YOBRS event was finishing the demolition of a structure known as Ray's Trailer. Ray left his little homemade pull behind trailer here almost ten years ago and it was sort of in sorry shape then. People have lived in it off and on over the years but it has never been that comfortable or that great to look at. With a dozen of us wielding screw guns, crowbars, and sledge hammers we were able to get it completely apart in a few hours. All salvageable lumber was kept and the rest was sent to the landfill.

Unfortunately Ray's Trailer didn't go down without a fight. Kurt was removing some sheet metal and it cut through his leather gloves and got his little finger pretty good. Alline took him to the Scotland County Memorial Hospital where they pronounced it merely a flesh wound, stitched him up and he was back home in a few hours. Kurt and Alline say "Thanks" to Carla and Dr. Dixon for their great service. I hear Kurt is back at work today albeit with a new grip on his hammer. Its always nice to know we have a hospital so close for such emergencies.

Rachel was in Memphis this week getting signed in as a member of the University Extension Council Board. She's looking forward to her new role and getting to know the other board members.

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