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.