Memphis Democrat
September 25, 2003

Hi everyone. This is Alline filling in for Rachel who was last seen biking around Scotland County with handfuls of plant samples.

The big news this week was the Rutledge Fall Festival. What a day! The weather was sunny and beautiful, and there was a big turnout. Rutledge’s main street (in front of the post office) was blocked off and the decorating crew placed huge sheaves of corn and many bright orange pumpkins around the performance stage and dining area, which created a wonderful fall atmosphere. Zillions of the Rabbits (well, perhaps a dozen) were involved, and we always have a great time when the local folks let us play with them.

The morning began with kids’ games. New this year was the Bubble Wrap Stomp. The kids’ game crew (Nicole, Maggie and me) carefully laid out a 25’ x 10’ (carefully taped together) sheet of big bubble wrap in the middle of the street. We had all the kids gather in a circle around it, and on the count of three, we all jumped on the wrap and made the biggest noise ever heard in Rutledge. I couldn’t stop laughing – it was great! We then had running and bike races, a shoe kick, a bubble-gum blowing contest and a really fun beanbag relay race. The kids were great, as usual.

Liberty and Laura did a fantastic job with face-painting, and all of their ‘canvases’ looked gorgeous. Penn taught juggling, imbuing each lesson with his patient humor and instilling confidence as we tossed bean bags all over the lawn, pretending that we were really juggling. Our very own Nicole and Sandhill’s Cedar won the big trophy (by a mere second!) in the hotly contested Back Seat Driver’s Race. Tamar and Jeffrey came in third, but had to settle for the glory alone, as there wasn’t a trophy for third place. For those who haven’t had the pleasure, the Back Seat Driver’s event is where a lawn-mower tractor with a small trailer attached attempts to drive quickly and unscathed through an obstacle course. The trick is that the driver is blindfolded, and his/her only ‘vision’ comes from the driver’s partner who is sitting on a chair in the trailer directly behind the driver, shouting directions. Who says we don’t know how to have a good time here in Rutledge?

Next up: the bed races. Huh? My thought exactly. Turns out that these are specially constructed ‘beds’. The size of a baby crib, each consists of a metal head and foot board, a set of springs (where the mattress would typically go), a steering wheel and a set of four bicycle wheels. Each team has three members – two to push and one to steer. Cecil, Ted and Stan did us proud and came in first place through a number of nail-biting heats.

The Rabbits provided a large portion of the entertainment, too. Our world famous singing group, while a far cry from the Von Trapp Family singers, performed like stars. Musicians included Cecil and Maggie on acoustic guitar, Tamar on fiddle and Penn on banjo. Alyson, Bob Cook, Ted, and Colie helped out with vocals. Delightful! Colie and Alyson also pitched in on Chicken ‘Chip’ Bingo, which you just have to see to believe. Susan W. kept busy helping out with the food, much appreciated by Mary and Gary, food mavens to the stars.

In addition to the great food, bingo, dime toss, good vendors, volleyball and the rest, we also got to take a tour of the old Rutledge School. What a cool old building! We were especially proud to see the plaque noting that Hillis McCabe and Earl Forquer made the honor roll in 1945. Belated congratulations! And the best overheard comment of the day? “Every day’s a good day when I go from horizontal to vertical.” I couldn’t agree more.

In other news, Tony is home from his travels, and we’re glad to have him home. Our old friend Dan Steineke finally moved here and is residing upstairs in the grain-bin duplex. Sara and Ted had gotten their house to ground level, meaning that the cistern, plumbing, and foundation can all be crossed off their to-do list. Alyson is busy preparing for a visit from five Russians and a trip to New Mexico for a natural building colloquium. Cecil and Alyson met three of these folks last year when they were in Siberia helping build a straw bale house. They’ll be at DR for a few days, and we’re all practicing our Russian and stocking up on cabbage and beluga caviar. The common house crew (Kurt, Tamar, Liberty, Penn and Tom) continues to amaze us with their diligence and steady progress. The chickens are settling in nicely. Tom and Tereza, Maikwe and Jibran, and Thomas are all off the farm and we look forward to their return. Erik keeps our vehicles running and running and running, in spite of everything the Rabbits dish out. We thank our lucky stars for him every time we get into a car and it runs beautifully.

This Saturday there will not be a tour because this SUNDAY IS OUR ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE! 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., rain or shine (but keep your fingers crossed for shine). There will be tours of a straw bale house, our new common house, organic gardens, the grounds, info on biodiesel and more. Call 883-5511 for directions, or email us. See you soon!

Dancing Rabbit is a non-profit residential community demonstrating sustainable living. For more information see our website www.dancingrabbit.org

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