One of the many fascinating things I discovered at Dancing Rabbit’s 15th Anniversary Party & Reunion this past weekend is that some of our readers (not naming names, but one of them rhymes with Moby) don’t always appreciate the many references to the weather in our weekly column. Who knew? Tereza here, hereby warning you NOT to read the next two paragraphs if you fall into this group.
Wow. It got cold. Our first hard frost came just in time to welcome back the non-locals joining us in our celebration, many of whom were tenting. It was hard to convince folks experiencing highs in the mid 40s that it had been in the upper 70s just days before. But bonfires, lending of blankets and sleeping bags, and catching up with friends old and new in the warmth of the Great Room in the old Community Building seemed to counteract the cold just fine.
For those of us who live here, the frost added an extra layer of busy-ness to a weekend already bursting with activities. Woodstoves throughout the village were fired up for the first time this season, often with windows open to try to dissipate the dusty, first-burn smell of inaugural fires. Plants needed to be covered or brought indoors for protection, or harvested before their produce rotted post-freeze. Lots of folks went over to help our neighbors at Sandhill rescue their sorghum from fermenting in the field, which I know was appreciated from the jars of sorghum sent back in thanks. I was glad to spend a little time on one of the sunnier days bringing in firewood. The forecast calls for warmer times soon, but knowing the real cold is still ahead, not much beats the satisfying feeling of a big pile of wood that won’t have to be carried in through the snow.
(Pssst! “Moby” and friends: you can start reading again now…)
In just a tiny bit of non-reunion news, Bear, Jess and Brent continue their astounding strides toward finishing my new little house so I can move in shortly. After the insulation crew did their noisy-but-crucial work, the drywall, mudding and taping took off. Zoom! A time capsule was sealed into the attic space, including an issue of the Memphis Democrat, a print out of the DR column from the then-current week, notes to the future, and, most importantly of all, a skittles candy wrapper. (You’ll have to ask the crew about that one.) My friends (and, I’ll admit it, pretty much anyone I talk to at this point) are learning not to mention the house to me because, like a proud new grandparent or puppy owner, I can go on about it way longer than anyone else is interested. But I’m stopping now. I promise. (But can I just show you a few pictures first?)
What with my upcoming move and the accompanying upheaval in my own life, things have felt so hectic of late that I was quite frankly not looking forward to the Reunion, but, as I knew would happen, once it started I had a fantastic time. Having been here for twelve of DR’s 15 years, it was amazing to see and reconnect with people from such different stages in the community’s history. From those who remember when it was six people sharing a double wide trailer across the road from our housing-free land, to work exchangers from this year who have only known it as the bigger, more decentralized village of today, there was a diverse and interesting mix of experiences and memories shared.
The weekend included a ceremony where the history of the community was told (with plenty of real live founders on hand to tell how it *really* was), Ultimate Frisbee and other games, tours of the land and buildings (especially exciting for those who haven’t been here since most of the current village was nothing but prairie grasses), and meetings of the DR Board of Directors. Laird Sandhill was auctioneer for the benefit auction, where thousands of dollars were raised to support Dancing Rabbit’s educational and outreach efforts. The Talent/No Talent show (as always, talent optional) was particularly fabulous, with founder Cecil as the hilarious MC, and talents (or lack thereof) displayed by folks from throughout our history. There was also a healing open house, with offerings of massage, chanting, haircuts, immune boosting teas, and more, to share with folks how Tamar’s House is now being used, as a space for health and healing in the warmer months, and to house someone who offers healing to the community in the winter.
It should go without saying, perhaps, but of course there was also fabulous food, much of it catered by our own cook extraordinaire Nani, and by the lovely folks at Main Street Cafe. There was a ginormous potluck one night, with so many local and seasonal dishes it was hard to decide what not to try, and a tasty dessert potluck the next night (I’m happy to taste test those cupcakes any time, Alline!).
I was an enthusiastic audience member for the Relay Race, in which teams had to perform such feats as de-nailing wood, eating a spoonful of peanut butter and then whistling, answering DR trivia questions, identifying medicinal plants, and eating a cookie placed on one’s forehead without using hands or arms to do so. That last one was hilariously performed by DR Board member Dave and frequent visitor turned recent resident SunGee. The race’s crowning achievement was when each team formed a human pyramid and sang the not-yet-world-famous “We’re Building Dancing Rabbit” song. One team (who shall remain nameless in order to undercut any ongoing sense of competition) ((and because while I recall that the name was funny, I can’t actually recall what it was)) sang faster, which sealed their win.
We also held a ground-breaking ceremony for our new community building, the need for which was apparent at times throughout the weekend when it felt as though our current building was bursting at the seams. There were a few rousing speeches by those who have been working incredibly hard on the planning, followed by a tour of the future building given by Alex the architect, who sadly will be returning to England soon, having devoted countless hours to the project.
Shout outs and huge thanks to all who attended, planned, participated and together made the weekend the success it was. First-time visitor Laura, when asked how the weekend was, said, “Let me think for a minute. There was so much! This place is so inspiring! And the best thing is that I’m taking ideas home with me.” Sometimes in the rush of our everyday lives it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that we really are doing something amazing here. Looking around the crowd at all the people whose lives have been changed in profound ways by participating in this project, helped me remember why I came, and why I stay. We are making a difference here, and I have no doubt that as we grow we will continue to do so, in even bigger and better ways.
Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is an intentional community and educational nonprofit in Rutledge, northeast Missouri, focused on sustainable living. We offer free tours to the public during the warmer months, which means your last chance for a tour is Oct. 13th or 27th, starting at 1 pm. If you miss these, the next won’t be ’til spring! Find out more at www.dancingrabbit.org, read our blog at blog.dancingrabbit.org, or give us a call at (660) 883-5511.