Memphis Democrat Column from January 14, 2007

How quickly things can change in Missouri! Here we are back in the deep freeze again. Sandhill Road could stand in for an Olympic bobsled track right now. We have only seen one vehicle come our way so far on this frigid Sunday. Snow is the forecast, which will make getting around a lot easier. All of us at home are indoors today. Folks are cooking, working on woodworking and painting projects, sorting soybeans for the next batch of tempeh, catching up on email, talking to family and friends on the phone, reading, doing school homework and even writing a newspaper column. It's nice to be warm and cozy while we are occupied with all these things. The last round of winter weather caused travel adventures for some of our members. When they returned to Albuquerque after the holidays, Laird, Ma'ikwe and Jibran had to stay in a motel in Amarillo for two days due to I-40 being closed. Laird said fortunately they had a card game, cable tv and a laptop computer to keep them occupied during their enforced hiatus in Texas. When they were able to go on, it took them 10 hours to go the final 280 miles. Gigi and Renay's return trip on Amtrak from their holiday trip to Arizona also did not go as planned. When the train reached Albuqueque it was rerouted south and then east by way of Amarillo. All the regular stops between New Mexico and Topeka, Kansas were cancelled. On the way out, there also been some disruption not caused by the weather when the train ahead of theirs derailed and they had to be taken by bus to Williams, Arizona before going on to the Grand Canyon.

Except for the unexpected travel events, both trips turned out well. Gigi and Renay came home with lots of great pictures and wonderful memories of their time away. Ma'ikwe got back to Albuquerque in time to get Jibran ready to return to school and to move into her new apartment. Laird also got in another round of his facilitation workshops while he was out west and the classes went smoothly. This current bout of winter weather also altered Sue's travel plans the other day. She went down to Columbia on Friday to do deliveries for us and the freeze line followed her as she went south. She was originally scheduled to go on to Springfield for a reunion she has every year with some friends, but with the worsening weather she decided head for her mother's place in Holden instead. After talking with some fire department personnel who discouraged her from going any further west, she altered course again and ended up at a friend's house on Table Rock Lake in southern Missouri. Laird and Tony from Dancing Rabbit were on the road Friday, but went to warmer climes in southern Tennesse to attend the Fellowship for Intentional Community meetings this weekend at Dunmire Hollow Community. They are due back late tomorrow and we are hoping travel conditions improve before their return. Stan is also a travelling man these days. He took the train on January 8, along with Amy from Skyhouse, to go to Seattle for the Winter Assembly of the Federation of Egalitarian Communities. In addition to attending the meetings as the Sandhill delegate, he plans to visit with our former member Bekka and several friends in the area while he is out there. It is his first trip to the Pacific Northwest and Stan is hoping to also do some camping on the Olympic Peninsula if the weather cooperates.

It does seem that weather is what it is all about these days. Stay warm and take it easy.