The March Hare: Spring '99
Issue 20

Come see our past issues for lots of Dancing Rabbit information.

The explosion of spring

It seems as though overnight the world has exploded into bright greens, fragrant wildflowers, rain showers and warm weather. We've responded in kind by getting busy outside: planting the gardens, getting new fruit trees in the ground, preparing the outdoor kitchen for summer use, playing frisbee, playing music in the grass. After the blizzards and close quarters of winter, spring-time rejuvenation really sings to the soul.

The season also reflects our expectations, as it's gearing up to be a busy and fun-filled Spring. We were thrilled to welcome Halle and Aaron's baby into the world. Also the first of our interns, Karin, arrived, heralding the beginning of the hordes of eager and interested people who will be joining us this year. Who says rural living is secluded? We'll be hosting many folks, from visitors staying a few days or a few months to college classes, not to mention our expanded internship program (which we actually mention plenty below).

Of course, we didn't wait for warm weather to get busy. We've been doing lots of planning and preparation for the coming seasons. One of our big projects this summer will be to start construction on a five bedroom strawbale house for Skyhouse. As part of our commitment to using lumber sustainably, we've been demolishing a large barn for its wood framing and siding. To help us do this, we took advantage of the wonders of intentional community networking and had four people from the Twin Oaks community out as part of a labor exchange program run by the Federation of Egalitarian Communities (of which Skyhouse is a part). And on top of that,Kathy, of Sandhill, and Jennifer have also been busy organizing a women's building workshop.

As Aaron and Halle transition out of Skyhouse and we prepare to welcome new members Alline and Kurt in June, we've been hammering out more details of our entwined cooperative lives in the larger ecovillage system. For example, we have established an eating associate program for people who want to be part of Skyhouse's garden goodies, meals and cooking rotation. Also the Dancing Rabbit Vehicle Co-op is getting more details ironed out and organized. The co-op now owns three vehicles: a sedan, a pick-up truck and a van, providing for a variety of needs. The DR Land Trust bought a tractor to help with our tree planting and maintenance, road building and other large-scale tasks. Our plates are full, so we're making life a feast!