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GAV News, last week August, 2017: another work party, and finally, we hear from the wandering troubadors

I hear that John, Dario, and Andreas, the three pianists who are now doctoral students in music at IU and who have moved into the new DeKist house, have actually managed to get the dusty old piano out of the garage and back into the house.

They are determined to fix it (some kind of structural problem), since it does have a wonderful (though of course out of tune) sound. Haven’t gone over there to take a pic  yet, and maybe will wait until they have their first piano concert in the living room.

Meanwhile, we are still initiating them to the ways of the Green Acres Village, and for this Tuesday’s work party, Dario was also present (on the right, below; John on left, Andreas in middle). The goal: to make another tomato bed, ready by spring 2018. But first, they had to dig out an old garbage can that had been there full of cat poo (now composted) from Leah’s cats. That was quite an ordeal.

Rebecca comes to check on their progress, Sam behind her with a wheelbarrow — he was cleaning up the back of the Overhill house — overgrown, with stones and old wood.

Okay. Now put down cardboard, which as she explained to Dario, who wasn’t here last week, will compost over the winter, along with the wood chips.

After the cardboard, then what?

Oh yes, just like last week, we’re both making a new bed and gradually whittling down that gigantic load of chips.

Done!

Meanwhile, check out the first tomato patch, next to the newly chipped bed. I asked Rebecca why the tomatoes are growing so well this year in a brand new garden bed. Usually it takes three years before full-on production. She reminded me: this was the chicken yard up until last fall. All their poop fertilized it.

Haven’t heard one word from Dan and Logan, even though they promised to stay in touch on their epic three week drive in a rental car to the west coast. So, this morning I sent a plaintive text, “please,  just one pic from the wandering troubadors!” Dan responded right away, from, he said, Cannon Beach, Oregon. YES! Thanks, Dan.

Dan in middle, Logan on right, with mystery friend on left.

P.S. While I was sitting in solitude inside during the 95% solar eclipse over Bloomington, Rebecca and Sam were sitting outside on the back patio, in meditation. About ten minutes prior to the darkest period of the eclipse, Rebecca tells me that a warbler joined them, landing about ten feet away — “and sang and sang and sang.”

 

GAV news, mid-August: Initiation time for new residents, plus synchronized journeys

By “initiation,” we mean getting outside, and sweaty, and shoveling, and digging, all work and soil related, honoring and participating in the full aliveness of our Mother Earth — for one of the two hours of village work we “require” weekly. Congratulations to our new residents for the brand new (to us) (second) DeKist house: Andreas and John (and one more, Darios, not present),  three doctoral students in music at Indiana University, and as of August 7, 2017, new, and apparently willing! podmates in this small, potent, evolving Green Acres Village inside Green Acres Neighborhood.

In these photos four of us were preparing a new bed for planting in the spring by placing cardboard over cut “weeds,” and wood chips over that. But first, Rebecca asked Andreas to cut back overgrown plants in a narrow corridor by the soon to be reconfigured garage. Notice all the limestone blocks — dug out of what will be the new garden beds! Sometimes it feels like we’re conducting an archeological dig around here. Found on Tuesday evening while making this new bed — an old air pressure tire gauge. Wonder which incarnation of our newly purchased DeKist 2 house that belonged to . . .

Here are Rebecca and John, with dragged in cardboard and a load of chips. I asked them to pose . . .

Okay, what’s next?

Two of our podmates, Dan and Logan — also both musicians! — as of August 12, took off for  three weeks, “busking” (playing and singing with guitar and banjo on street corners) in small towns along the way, in a rental car headed west. Logan’s a natural and experienced troubadour; Dan’s just getting his feet wet. Their journey follows Rebecca’s (two weeks in early June, to California), and Ann’s (three weeks in Siberia/Mongolia late June, early July, plus one week in Alaska, early August). Like clockwork, as soon as one podmate returned, the next got up to go. What is this inner synchronization process that has us all “doing our thing” in perfectly ordered sequence — without even having to consciously coordinate! — so that at no time this summer, were there not enough people present to make sure everything stayed on track in our proliferating gardens? The temporal harmonization here has felt uncanny.

When Dan left, he hugged me a long goodbye and then asked, “Do you think you’ll recognize me when I get back?”

“I hope not!” I retorted.

In other words, may he utilize this three week opportunity to stretch his wings and fly high for the first time in his young life on such an extended trip out of his home state.

A subtle joy pervades our precious little world here, this alternative suburban culture we are inculcating. Joy and hard physical work! YES!

I leave you with a great photo from earlier this summer, Dan and wonderful Evan, who unfortunately for us, decided after only four months that he needed to set his sights on Japan. Or is it China? He’s not sure, but as an international air steward, he’s accustomed to not having his feet on the ground.

In this photo they are preparing dandelions for dandelion wine (Evan on right).

Oh yes, almost forgot! Just took a pic of the completed wood-chipped bed.

GAV news, August 3, 2017: work party, and more — weeding, bamboo fence, bathroom fix, piano, tomatillos!

Well, Tuesday evening, our regular Tuesday 6-7 p.m. work party, had four of us doing tasks garden master Rebecca assigned, including finally getting further along on the promised bamboo fence.

Mighty Dan digs a post hole.

 

Rebecca rules!

Meanwhile, Sam finished up work on the bathroom of the third house, which is (finally!) due to be occupied starting August 7.

And then came out to join us.

Yesterday evening, Rebecca and I met with the three beautiful young men who will be moving in to the third house: John and his friends Dario (from Cuba) and Andreas (from Cyprus!). They are all new doctoral students in Music at IU. And they want to get that old piano, stored in the decrepit garage now being turned into a recreational commons, back in that third house. John sat down and played it;  sounds good!

Wish I had taken a picture of the five of us last night. Was fun, getting to know each other a bit. Then I came back and found Dan and Logan in the kitchen, music throbbing throughout the house, Dan working on cabbage kraut for their long-planned road-trip, busking along the way with guitar and banjo, to the west coast and back. Forgot to take a picture of that scene either, but here’s the finished product.

 

Meanwhile, also yesterday, Dan came in with a basket of hot peppers and tomatillos. He plans on making a salsa out of both.

 

Dan informs me that the tomatillo is the most ancient fruit known that has not been tampered with by human breeding. Hmmm. I wondered out loud, does that make it the fruit of immortality?

Check this out!

A 52.2 million-year-old tomatillo fossil . . .

The 52.2-million-year-old tomatillo was discovered at the fossil-rich Laguna del Hunco, Argentina, where ancient lakebeds interlayer with volcanic ashes, providing paleontologists with precisely dated discoveries. (Minerals in the ash pin down the rock ages.)