Memphis Democrat Column from June 19, 2005

As warm and bright as it is today (Sunday), it's hard to believe we had such stormy weather recently.

The big storm we had here on June 8 brought a tree down on the path to Sugar Shack, so we have been going the long way around to go down there until we have a chance to clear it away. Garden and farm work are taking priority right now.

We are in our final push with the garden transplants. Kirk and Chifumi are working today to get the beds ready for the hot peppers and Gigi and I both have some basil, herbs and flowers to finish up. Michael is very relieved that all the squash are finally in. The garden space down at the Dharma residence was too wet for quite a while to set anything out. We will get the melons in place in the next day or so. It will be nice to switch to maintenance and harvest mode with all the garden crops.

Stan has been practically living on the tractors the past few days trying to keep up with all the field

chores that need to be done. His last inspection trip coincided with all the rain here, but he wants to get as much done as he can before he has to go on the road again.

The interns have really been a tremendous help in this busy period and have been quick learners in the process. They have also been lending a hand with our new chicks and turkeys and the bee work. It does make all we have to do less of a burden and keeps it more fun.

We were joined by another intern last Wednesday and he has jumped right in. Aaron attended Central Arkansas University and was in Romania for two years with the Peace Corps. He has just returned from spending an additional period there helping a foundation he started transition to local control. Aaron lived with his family in a community in Alaska as a child, so Sandhill life is not totally strange to him.

We said goodbye to our former intern Kristen on the 13th. Laird went down to Columbia to make deliveries and visit Ceilee and she rode along and left from there for Denver. She will be heading down to Taos, New Mexico for a while to participate in an alternative building course.

We welcomed Sheila and her two children, Sean and Julia, for a week's visit with us starting on June 12. Sheila teaches English As A Second Language classes at a community college in the Denver area. Sean, who is nine, and Julia, who is six, quickly made friends with Renay and we had lots of great kid energy this past week. Part of the fun included a trip to the new Memphis swimming pool last Wednesday.

Adele, who went to high school in Memphis and who now lives in Las Vegas, came by for a tour this afternoon. She is in the area visiting her parents.

We have had some nice social time with our friends at Dancing Rabbit and Red Earth Farms the past couple of weeks. Aside from our weekly potlucks, several of our group also went to the farewell party for Skyhouse member Jacque and the Avenue Q puppet performance. Kirk and Chifumi also managed to get in an Ultimate Frisbee game on Red Earth member KIm's birthday.

Laird left on the train June 16 for a two week trip that will take him to Ann Arbor, Michigan and Washington, DC. He will be doing work for some cohousing communities while he is gone and also the last session of the East Coast faciltation training course that he started two years ago.

Michael and I did the final major fair of the spring season on the 11th. We were at the Strawberry Festival in Carthage, Illinois. Carthage has one of the most beautiful county courthouses I have ever seen. It was impressive how well it has been maintained by the local community, both inside and out.

The Mississippi being full from bank to bank was a memorable sight, too.

The two of us went up to Earlham, Iowa yesterday to attend a memorial service for our friend, Allen Treadway, who passed away in Xenia, Ohio on May 19. Allen and his wife Carolyn were former members of East Wind Community and close friends. The service was held at a beautiful nineteenth century Quaker meeting house. It was good to be with Carolyn and other members of their family. After the service, we were also able to spend some time visiting with another East Wind friend, Steve, before driving home in the evening.