Memphis Democrat
April 14, 2008

Hi everyone. This is Alline with the latest from Dancing Rabbit, where the men are feminists, the women are strong and the children specialize in being silly.

The highlights of the week were, as always, the small but meaningful events that weave the fabric of our lives. Saturday afternoon, after the college classes and tour groups were gone, a village-wide game of Capture The Flag erupted. From the windows of our house Kurt and I could see the participants trying to run at top speed while laughing and screaming at the same time. It was hilarious! Next time we’re going to make a big bowl of popcorn and set up lawn chairs to watch the show.

Jan hosted a salon for conversation about her house construction plans. The community gathered to hear the details and to offer support and ideas. It is so amazing to me to be discussing “the new neighborhood.” When Kurt and I arrived at Dancing Rabbit in 1999 there were only two buildings started, and none completed. That we have filled up an entire neighborhood (West Road has nine buildings completed with four started or scheduled for this summer) is astounding. I took a walk the other day to the new neighborhood, which is just a few hundred yards away, on the other side of the Ultimate Frisbee field. It is lovely, but then I suppose I am biased – I love our land, the ups and downs, the plants, the birds…it is gratifying to watch the progress of our little village.

We’ve been looking into road construction for Main Street, and have been pondering how best to serve the needs of the community (no more mud!) in the most ecological way possible. We’re most likely going to try a test patch of what is called “grassy pavers.” This is a grid made of recycled plastic that goes over a conventional gravel base. Filled in with soil and low-growing vegetation, this permeable surface allows rainwater to percolate through the surface and back into the ground. The road would enable emergency and construction vehicles to drive on the roads without leaving deep muddy ruts, and will look great, too. We’ll keep you updated – I suspect it will be really interesting to watch.

Dan has been working with our Land Committees and the Dancing Rabbit Board of Directors to approve a site to plant his grapevines. Watching Dan garden is like watching a magician – one minute we see little seedlings, the next we are presented with a gourmet meal. We look forward to the Durica Vineyard and its fine wines in the future.

We’re very excited that the Snodgrasses have opened the delightful and delicious Main Street Café in Memphis. We look forward to dining there when we’re in town, and wish them the best of luck!

On a similar note, we held the first staff meeting of the Milkweed Mercantile. While the building won’t open until September 2008 (fingers crossed, everyone!) Amy Seiden, Amy “Red” Radford, Jason Meier, Sparky Crawford and I got together and talked about our goals for running the Mercantile cooperatively, our vision for the Inn, Café and store, stellar customer service, how we can make people feel welcome, job descriptions and much, much more. While the building itself is just framed right now, Kurt and crew (Thomas, Bear and Bob) are hoping to get the roof on soon. Then comes the real fun – the straw bales!

Bob gave us all a good laugh last week. He has been growing his beard all winter, and has even been nicknamed “Bushy Bob.” Unbeknownst to many of us, he shaved and cut his hair before last Tuesday’s community dinner. When I arrived for dinner I saw what I thought was a visitor, so stuck out my hand and went over to introduce myself. At the very last minute Bob laughed, and I realized my mistake. I think the Rutledge Renegades enjoyed the show, too, when Bob made his trek in to Zimmerman’s that morning!

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