There is always something to write about here at Dancing Rabbit each week, but it seems there is more than usual to cover this time around. Ted here to bring you the update from our corner of northeast Missouri.
After something like five weeks of days in the 90s with every predicted rain missing us or dropping fitfully for a few minutes before vanishing like a mirage, the cracks in the soil here had grown large enough to lose things in, and watering in the garden from dwindling stored supplies had turned into a nearly full-time job for gardeners who hoped to nurse their plants through. Rain dances and prayers seemed to avail us nothing. I had grown accustomed to sweating continuously from eight in the morning to eight in the evening, and jumping in the pond four and five times a day.
It was therefore the most welcome event of the week for the heat to finally break, and for a bit of rain to fall. Not a lot, not enough to wet the soil more than inch down, but it was a start, and fell slowly and steadily for a soothing couple of days, one of which topped out at a highly unusual July daytime high of 63. I feel like I can breathe again.
Aurelia was born to us here 10 years ago this past week, at the last minute of the last day of June, which meant that our family welcomed both Sara’s and my parents here for the festivities. Both sets brought presents and lots of love for the birthday girl, as well as mustering for a whole roster of other events: attending one of Aurelia’s swim meets in Quincy; joining Ironweed for a cookout that included some local goat on the grill, tended by grandfather Steve, and some really powerfully ripe blue goat cheese I’d made; visiting my parents’ soon-to-be-finished house in Rutledge (of which I’ve written about Bear and I working on these past months); and a birthday breakfast at the Mercantile, which has become an annual tradition in recent years. Thanks, Milkweeds!
A whole bunch of kids showed up Thursday afternoon at Aurelia’s party, for which Sara and Aurelia had concocted an “amazing feats” theme. Accordingly, and with Sara’s folks’ help, we’d spent the better part of the morning setting up lawn bowling, ring toss (grape vines woven into rings by Sara, with the hubs of some ancient wagon wheels as the goals), hula hoops, gymnastic rings, and some slack lines (more or less like tightropes, but made of two-inch webbing) for the kids to show their stuff on.
Most Ironweeders were in attendance, along with other parents and friends, and special guests Dennis and Sharon even made an appearance, much to our delight. Perhaps it was Alline’s marvelous sparkly-pink frosted chocolate cake? Or maybe the blueberry-raspberry mousse whipped up that morning by Aurelia and her grandmother Letty? Or possibly it was the prospect of winning the jar of chocolate drops if one could come closest to guessing the number of drops within (Zane managed to nab that one). Whatever the motivation, we all had a bunch of fun and I kept the slackline up for a few days for my own enjoyment. Alas, so little time to jump onto it.
Dennis and Sharon at last arrived home a week or so ago, from their long and challenging journey through the medical world for his brain tumor treatment. Though we’d developed a plan to line the village roads with smiles and waves when we heard they were arriving, the arrival came at dusk and the advance notice didn’t work out, so they managed to slip in almost unnoticed. They’ve taken some time to readjust to being home in their new circumstances, but gradually we’ve gotten to see more and more of them, and are grateful to have them home. A team of Rabbits is keeping in touch daily, helping to work out various strategies and adjustments to get their needs met. As I never tire of saying here at DR to villagers and guests alike, “Welcome back!”.
Their return also brought the second visit in as many months of once-and-future villagers Adriana and Justin from faraway New Orleans. They are close with Sharon and Dennis and came to offer their support to their friends again, along with some hope for all of us that we’ll see them settling here with us again in the not-too-distant future.
Speaking of settling, these inveterate gamers also brought along a shiny new “Cities and Knights” expansion set for the ever-popular board game Settlers of Catan, and could be seen multiple times over the weekend throwing dice and scheming their ways across the board with a variety of other likely suspects. Something about the the building of settlements and the bartering of resources required (wheat, wool, wood, brick, and ore) has always made this seem like a fitting game to play in this place.
The garlic harvest wrapped up this week, and despite the dry month they finished on, we have perhaps the best crop we’ve ever brought in. We increased the spacing regimen between cloves when planting last fall, and they made excellent use of the extra room, as hoped— fewer heads overall, but probably more garlic altogether, and each more user-friendly with larger, easier-to-peel cloves. The final head of elephant garlic I dug was about the size of a baseball!
The only problem is that everybody else here grows garlic now too (it was once a minor cash crop for Ironweed), so we have to buckle down and get them used in a timely way this fall and winter after they’ve cured. We’ve got plans, which I’m sure you’ll hear about down the road, to avoid composting a box of heads that has gone withered and unused in late spring the past several years. It is a bit of a job to make use of this much good garlic.
To top off a full week, Stephen conjured up a house concert at La Casa by a band called Grass Fed Mule, just starting out a Midwest tour. The quartet busted out a high-energy, tight-harmonied acoustic bluegrass (or newgrass?) sound, complete with upright bass and percussion, that kept me enthralled and had the whole house dancing by the end of the night. Local star and former Rabbit Bagels (freshly married this week) from Sandhill contributed a sweet interlude between sets. The band hoped to get a photo with the goat co-op’s friendly Donkey (that’s his name), but the sprinkly weather didn’t quite allow it. We hope to see them again here down the road.
On another cool gray day Sunday, we had a plenary (aka full group) business meeting (as we still occasionally do despite having a Village Council) to select the next Village Council. Alyssa and I, each midway through our first terms, would stay, and Mae, Hassan, and Dan were ending their terms. The robust Village Council selection process, led by Nik and Christina this year, had turned up three willing candidates who were also rated well for the job by a majority of villagers.
We still took a moment to review the criteria for council members both individually and as a whole, and take note of things that might be missing in the group we expected to select. After brief discussion, we agreed to return Mae to the council for her term-limited third term, and for Cob and veteran councilor Tereza to join up.
On a similar note, Danielle has been officially hired to serve as the next Executive Director of our nonprofit, replacing our outgoing ED Ma’ikwe, who is gearing up for a move to Wyoming and was back this week with partner Matt and his three kids. Congrats, Danielle! And thanks for everyone who steps into leadership roles here, big and small.
With Independence Day falling on Monday, Scotland County’s annual fireworks show at the Catfish Place was cued up for Sunday night, at the conclusion of this busy week. Only problem was the persistent drizzle, which meant the possibility of a rain delay until the 4th itself. For the few of us that stuck it out waiting, shivering a bit in the chilly moist breeze, the fireworks did actually come off, with an unusual east wind that meant the explosion-shaped smoke from each previous blast was silhouetted by the next burst from where we sat.
That every year is a little different in myriad ways both more- and less-noticeable, is what makes it worth living for me. No two years are the same, but as more years pass living in this village, the shape of the totality makes itself gradually more apparent.
Thanks for sharing these years with us, and happy Independence Day to you from Dancing Rabbit!
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Don’t forget! Our second Permaculture Design Course (PDC) at DR is happening Sept 17-25! We’re teaming up with Midwest Permaculture again to cover the full PDC curriculum, with creative and practical techniques for designing abundant food, water, energy and housing systems, plus in-depth info on what it takes to create authentic and long-lasting community. Plus, there’s an early bird discount if you register before July 17th! Click here to find out more or here to register now!
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Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is an intentional community and nonprofit outside Rutledge, in northeast Missouri, focused on demonstrating sustainable living possibilities. Find out more about us by visiting our website, reading our blog, or emailing us.