sky meadow ( part 6)

On December 27th ish we are driving down to Freeland Maryland to Heathcote Community. We will be work trading for room and board and might be making some extra money helping someone in their ceramic studio. Our plan is to spend about 2 months there. They said if everything goes well we can stay 3 months, maybe more.

There is a couple living at Sky Meadow, Aimee and John. For the first few weeks we were there they were away house sitting. John showed Michelle and I how to make tempeh. He split soy beans in a grain grinder and got off the husks by running water over them. Then he soaked them overnight. The next day he boiled them for 45 minutes, scraping off the stuff that floated to the top. Then he strained out the water and dumped the beans on a towel to dry them. After that he mixed them with a couple teaspoons of tempeh starter and a couple teaspoons of vinegar, then they went into a mould, he used glass trays. It then needs to sit in a warm place for about 24 hours.

Michelle and I have been going to the east Hardwick community gym almost every day. It is a real small gym in a basement. Usually when we go we only see 1 or 2 other people.
We have also been going to the weekly community lunch in Hardwick. This guy Robin who also works at the co-op started the community lunch 15 years ago and has been cooking there almost every week. They ask for a 1 dollar donation. They are supported by donations and local farms. On the flyer they have it says " a community that eats together stays together."

King Arthur bread course

A few people recommended I take a course at King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Vermont. I went on their website and found a 4 hour course called Whole Grains From the Hearth. It was a hour and a half drive from Stannard, Vt at Sky Meadow. There were about 15 people in the class. Some came as far as Boston or Montreal to come to the class. Our teachers name was Sharon O'leary. I learned a few different ways to shape loaves, mix ingredient and work with the dough. I was really surprised by how wet the dough was, but after following her kneading and resting techniques the dough absorbed a lot of the water. A big mistake people make with breads is putting in to much flour. This will make the bread dense and not rise much.
I had some trouble shaping the batard style loaf, it came out flat, but it tasted good. I learned a bunch and am happy I took the class. I'd like to take more classes somewhere one of these days.

sky meadow ( part 5)

At morning meeting when our 3 weeks were almost up Miles and Cella told us they really like us, and want us to stay but they can't offer a work trade because there isn't;t much work left. So now we are renters at Sky Meadow. The rent is cheap and the accommodations are really good.

Michelle has mastered squash soup. Now that we aren't work traders we have to buy our own food, so Michelle came up with the idea that we cook them lunch in exchange for getting to eat it with them. Now we get to eat all the good stuff we've been craving like kale and raspberries.

Mile's Dentist invited us all over his house to see his greenhouse. Mark ordered the parts and spent lots of time putting it all together. I think he is the only black person I've seen since I've been up here. He had a few stories to tell regarding the police.

Sky Meadow (part 4)

Michelle and I have a mutual friend Bill who was an intern at Sirius Community in Shutesbury while we were apprentices there. For the past 6 months he has been living at Dreaming Mountain which is about 45 minutes from Sky Meadow. We went to visit him for a few days. He gave me a book of his called The Tassajara Bread Book. We visited his friend Peter King who is getting well known in the "tiny house" scene. There is a couple really interesting videos of his work . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VV2MBo-ZMM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9g8Jwi_nks

Although he builds lots of these tiny houses he lives in a big round house. He lives a very very simple life. He hand pumps his own water, heats his house with wood which he gets on his own, he grows most of his food, and he doesn't travel much because he hates the idea of using fossil fuels. He told Michelle and I that because of his lifestyle he is able to have lots of free time and no debt, while other people in mainstream society have lots of debt( because they buy stuff they don't need) and not a lot of time ( because they work so much to pay it off). His views on things were interesting.
Peter, Bill, Michelle and I ate bread that I made and hummus that Michelle made. Peter told us to come by sometime and live on a tiny house on his land and do a work trade kinda thing. surely we'll see him again.


We said our goodbyes to Bill and headed back to Sky Meadow. The next day was the first time we saw Miles and the family in a week. They were very happy and surprised by how much work we were able to do. At the morning meeting when discussing what jobs were to get done for the day I was asked to show their daughter Emma how to make my Nannie Tillies Challah. I was honored to do so and I'm sure she would be proud. Emma was a natural at kneading and braiding a 6 strand loaf after i showed her just once, but she was not so good with keeping an eye on the oven. The outside was burnt and black as night, but it still tasted great. I like the idea of showing people how to bake bread. I could never do it professionally but once in a while it would be nice.

Cella, took us to meet with her friend Suzanna. We had a little potluck and then did some needle felting. I don't think I ever want to needle felt again. To stressful for me. Suzanna is real good with it though, she even sells some things at the market.
Later that day I went to the shop of a local baker. Bohemian bread. It is probably some of the best bread I have ever had. He has a huge brick oven that can hold about 30 loaves. It cost him $11,000 to have it built, but it was worth it. His bread is really well known around here and sells quick. Like all the bakers I've met he seemed to be in a big hurry, so our time together was short.

Sky Meado (part 4)

Sky Meadow ( part 3 )

We've been spending some time at the local libraries in Greensboro and Hardwick. One time we walked into the the Hardwick library and there was Kip. My brothers friend that I met in Ohio. What are the chances that i would see him in this tiny town? It was very strange to see him.

While at the local food co-op the cashier guy asked if we wanted to know anything about the area because he was a local. I told him i was interested in breads and wanted to know if there were and good bread bakeries around. At that time Charlie from Patchwork Farms bakery was there and we were introduced. Charlie was in a big rush and super spacey. I was able to get his number. I called him the other day and asked if i could come by to see his shop. He said he was very busy but that he would call me in a week.

While the family was away Michelle and i did a lot of work hauling firewood to the trail and chopping down the perrenial beds. On certain days the moss , fog, and the silence would make it feel like we were in a dream.

I got a big confidence boost the day I decided to make up my own bread recipe. I always follow a recipe from a book, but not this time. I put in oat bran, wheat germ, flaxseeds, whole wheat flour and a little white flour. It came out pretty good. I'll keep making it but altering it till it comes out perfect. I've made the recipe twice so far. the first time I used sourdough staretd and a little active yeast, and the last time I used all sourdough starter.

Usually for Thanksgiving I go to Conneticut with my family. This year was different. We at lightly and went for a nice long walk. A couple days before Thanksgiving whitney, my parents dog tripped my mom on the stairs. My mom dislocated her elbow and went to the hospital in a ambulance. I hear she is getting better now and that my dad is helping her out a lot with cooking and driving her to work.

Sky Meadow ( part 2 )

For lunch we decided to make hummus, challah, and potato kinish. I started the challah early in the morning because it has many rises. I made my Nannie Tillies recipe, but made of a few changes. I added in some poppy seeds and did a 6 braid instead of a 3. Everything came out real good especially the hummus and challah. Everyone seemed to be impressed by the braid and the fluffiness of the bread, which made me feel good.
After lunch Miles showed us around the property and told us what would need to be taken care of when he and the family went away for the week. He showed us how to care for the sheep and chickens, and how to make sure the pipes don't freeze.
The day after they all left, wewent for a walk through the woods. We went off the trail for a while. Then we realized we didn't really know exactly where we were. We were looking for the trail but couldn't find it. We probably wouldn't have worried so much if the sun wasn't starting to set. I could tell which direction we needed to walk because of where the sun was. We walked real fast and after a while we ended up on an old overgrown road that took us to the path.
When we got back we had a nice tempeh and broccoli dinner. I didn't know that kale and broccoli could stay in the garden so long and take all this freezing. After dinner I made a sponge for the bread I would bake the next day. It ended up coming out really tasty but it didn't rise as much as I would like. I used the sourdough whole wheat recipe in Laurels Kitchen Bread Book.
We've both been getting pretty good at jenga.
I've been using the crock pot a bit to make soup. It's real convenient. Michelle and I have been eating really well.

Sky Meadow Retreat (Part 1)

Miles and his family run a retreat center they call Sky Meadow which is 100 acres. Miles moved here over 20 years ago. They grow about half of their food and are working towards growing more. This land is really incredible. There is an amazing view of the mountains. To bad i forgot the wire that hooks my camera up to the computer. Most of their land is forest with paths going throughout. There are 2 sheep, Hiedi and Ashley, and a bunch of chickens.

When we first pulled up we were sitting in the car feeling really excited to finally be here. We were kinda making high pitched noises. I turned around and looked out the window, Miles was standing there. I got out and he greeted us both. He gave us a map of the land and told us to explore and we would meet back up later. On our walk Michelle said we should be real quiet and stand still, we could hear absolutely nothing. It was so still and calm.Later that night we met his wife Cella and had dinner with them. We talked for a while and then went back to our apartment. Our apartment is very cozy. The bottom floor has a small kitchen, dining area and a lounging area. The upstairs mostly is a bed, a dresser, and a big huge water tank. We had to shimmy up the hose that was connected to the well pump to fill up that tank. The tank flows down to the kitchen sink. Connected to the downstairs is a tiny room with a composting toilet.

For breakfast and dinner we cook our own food , and for lunch we eat as a community. They provide all the food

Every morning at 7 there is group mediation for a half hour, then we meet back up at 8 30 to check in and talk about what needs to be done. That first day we mostly worked in the forest collecting and stacking firewood, and making brush piles.

The next day Cellas 3 girls came back from Quebec Canada where their father lives. Cassandra is 13, Lidia 12, and Emma 11. They are all home schooled and very smart and mature. That day we worked with Lidia and Cassandra harvesting and processing Kale to be frozen. We would blanch the Kale, drain out all the water and put it all into bags. It was a lot of work, so much kale.

The next day we spent a few hours with Lidia in the kitchen watching her cook so we could become more familiar with kitchen, because the next day Michelle and I were on lunch. Later in the day we grated up lots and lots of cabbages and made about 7 gallons of sauerkraut. We mashed it all up with a apple limb Miles cut 20 something years ago. To cap of the night we played many intense matches of foosball with the girls.

Burlington, Vermont

A week or so ago Michelle and I left Canton and drove 4 or 5 hours to Burlington Vermont. We stayed with a guy named Ross we met on couchsurfing. I gave him a loaf of banana cranberry bread I made, but he couldn't eat it because he's vegan. So me and his friends ate it all.That first night the 3 of us went out to a resaurant called Stone Soup. I had a Seitan Reuben. After dinner Michelle and i walked up Church st, took a right and went to a cafe called Radio Bean. We sat outside for a while and listneed to the music that was inside.
Ross is very much into the bike scene. He and his friends started a group which fixes up bikes and lets anyone borrow them for free. We rode along the path that went alongside Lake Champlain. The water, the mountains, the sky!!!! On our way back we sat on a bench and watched the sun set.
At Ross's place we had our own room down in the basement. The old grandfather cat had the rest of the basement.
One morning we went to breakfast at Magnolia. They claim to be the first "green" resaurant in Burlington. Theire food was awesome and the atmosphere was great. After breakfast we went to the college to a free market that Ross and his friends were part of. There were people offering to repair bikes, give away stuff, do workshops, give food, and more, all for free. The night before we went to a potluck we heard about. We walked in the door with a loaf of bread, hummus, and pickles. I felt really shy because everyone knew eachother and I knew only Michelle.There was about 15 of them. We talked with a really nice guy, Yens. I think thats a German name.
When we left Burlington toward Stannard Vermont we took route 15. It was a little slower than going the highway but I'm sure it was much more scenic. We enjoyed the ride.

Last post from left coast

Its been an amazing trip. Michelle and I have learned a lot and have gotten to know each other a lot more. At the beginning of the trip I wasn't sure if I would go back east or stay out on the west coast, but no way do I want to be away from her for to long. Tomorrow she is flying to Virginia and will be there for a week and I'm going back to Canton.
We are now at my friend Rachelle's apartment. I met Rachel in Americorps. She is the nicest person ever, she is the grand final e of the trip. We left Bainbridge Island on Friday and then went to Rachel's. She took us to volunteer park and showed us the water tower. Normally from the tower you can see a view of the city, but Seattle is a very overcast city and it rains a lot.
The second day here we all walked downtown and had lunch with food not bombs. Potatoes, kale, soup, apples. . . then we got some fish at pikes place market to eat the next day. After the market Shelly and I went to Emma Goldman finishing school. They invited us to dinner. We ate bean burritos. Emma Goldman is a community in the middle of the city. After EGFS we met Rachel at molly moos ice cream and had delicious home made ice cream. I had a scoop of salted caramel and a scoop of vanilla bean. so good. then we sat in the park , ate our ice cream then played hacky sac.
Yesterday was my bday. 25!!! started off the day with eggs and a body massage. Michelle bought me a box of dandelion tea which I really like Rachel cooked the fish we bought at the market. She made a marinade of ginger, olive oil, mustard and honey. It was some of the best fish I've ever had, then Beth, another Americorps friend showed up. She just moved into Rachels apartment. She came from Arizona. We helped her move all her stuff in, then we at pizza. Later in the day we made black bean brownies that came out so good. We put in banana to replace some of the eggs.
Today I went to REI and returned the shoes I got there a while ago. They were falling apart. I tried on shoes for an hour and couldn't find anything comfortable so I didn't get anything. I walked back to the apartment and Michelle had lunch waiting for me. After lunch we took the bus to Theo's Chocolate. Theo's chocolate is a fair trade equal exchange chocolate shop. They make it all there. they had lots and lots of free samples.

Dinner is ready.

Last days on Bainbridge Island

Every day Netty pecks at our window. Her wing was taken off a few weeks ago by a raccoon.






A few days ago Michelle and I went over to one of Chucks nurseries and did lots of transplanting. We transplanted basil, chard, brussel sprouts, and kale. Chuck has maybe a couple thousand trees in pots. We went through a few dozen of them and composted the dead ones and pulled the weeds out of the alive trees. There were lots of beets to close together so we thinned them out and ate the beet greens with cauliflower and kale.
The next day Michelle and I spent some time planting seeds in some starter trays. the plants we already put in the raised beds are doing so well. After planting the seeds I made some bread. My first ever round loaves, the dough deflated and the bread was almost flat, but it tasted fine.
After the bread and lunch Cameron came back to the house from a job they were all working on. He brought Shelly and I over there because our help was needed. Chuck and the guys redesigned someones back yard and they are installing a permaculture garden. The design is beautiful, I'll post pictures of it soon. So we unloaded and set up all the bricks then we started hauling dirt to fill the space. I like doing that kind of work, I always have, but then. . . .. . . . . . TRU GREEN showed up and fertilized the lawn and sprayed. I was disgusted. I lost almost all my motivation to help these people out. Here we were thinking about how great it is to build them this garden, and I'm pretty sure when we leave its just going to get sprayed down with all this nasty fertilizer that's going to leach into the ground, go into the streams and continue to pollute. the whole idea of lawns bothers me. I'm a big fan of the food not lawns movement. I was reading that a lot of the fertilizer we use goes into the water ways and makes things in the water grow way more than its used to, and then they all die out and take out to much oxygen and the fish and what not die out.
A couple nights ago was the solar tsunami.
We went on the roof and watched the sky light up in the north. The lights of Seattle distorted our view. We ate cookies.
Yesterday Michelle and I cleared out blackberry bushes to make room for the chicken run, the chickens coop that they are in now is going to be extended. While we were clearing Michelle picked lots and lots of blackberries, then I made a brick platform for the bees because the other platform looked like it was going to fall apart.
Michelle made pizza. She made the dough from scratch. We think that the yeast is dead because it didn't rise much at all. Then I put some yeast in warm water with sugar and it still didn't proof, but the pizza came out really really good. everyone had some and liked it. the crust was thick and chewy and the spices were perfect. Michelle picked some basil to put on the pizza. she made 3 pizzas and now there all gone.
Today is our last day here. It is going to be strange to leave. Its hard to think that a week from now I'll be back in Massachusetts.

Bainbridge Island Washington

We've been here at old mill permaculture center for 5 days now. I love it here. Learning a lot and I like everything Chuck has us do. We have been to many places on the west coast but usually after a week or so we feel ready to leave, but this is the kind of place I would like to stay at long term, if I didn't have things I wanted to do back home I'd probably stay a little longer. chuck is very smart and takes his time explaining things. yesterday chuck took Shelly and i to his house on the beach and we did some work in his garden over there. Before we got to work he showed us the community garden at the end of his street, that garden is packed with flowers and veggies. He told us what all the plants were and explained why they were there. He also talked to us all about the bees they have there.

Chucks backyard garden was beautiful and over grown with weeds, so we helped him take care of that. His wife gave us chips and salsa and we talked with her for a while.

The day before yesterday was a party celebrating Chucks new land here. About 20 or so people showed up. I made 2 loaves of challah. there was lots and lots of food. and I ate a small amount of that rooster. its been about 4 years since I've eaten meat.

at the party we met Roberta. Roberta is Chucks neighbor and she was drunk drunk drunk. Michelle and her were laughing together all night. Roberta had a hard time saying my name. She said you look like a troll and then asked what nationality I am. I said partly Russian and she said, good for you. She kept talking about how in love Michelle and I are and how Michelle is shy and vulnerable.

the next day when we went to Chucks house we stopped by Roberta's place and said hi. She gave us plums and bread. I figured she wouldn't remember us but she did.

Oh yeah, at the party Chuck was giving a toast. When he was giving his thanks to all the people who have been staying here and helping him work the land he started getting teary. It's nice that he is so appreciative of everyones help.

GRAPHIC PICTURES COMING UP

the rooster after it was de-feathered

Chuck chopping the head off the rooster

we all helped to take the feathers off

after the bird was de-feathered chuck sliced open the stomach and took out the organs

then he washed it off

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I made some challah and Abby helped me with shaping the dough. Michelle cooked some beets

Michelleand Roberta. Roberta loves to drink

chicken in the kitchen. This is Netty she had her wing taken off by a raccoon. a few weeks ago a raccoon snuck into the chicken coop and was about to attack another chicken but Chuck shot it, then skinned it and ate it

Michelle and I built this compost bin with pallets

this is Cameron with Netty. Cameron is an intern here

this is Chuck cutting up the rooster

this place is called old mill permaculture center

I love to make bread.

another intern here, Jessie

Cameronand Alex making the sign

:)

portland to washington to portland to bainbridge

Michelle and I were in Portland for a few days staying with India and Julian, then we went to Pendarvis farm were I made my last entry. After pendarvis we went to Washougal Washington and stayed with Paul. Paul is a yoga teacher and a health researcher, he also has an acre homestead. He is really into health and was on a 5 day cleanse while we were there. He eats very simple foods and is very cautious of what he puts into his body. Paul hates packaging and tries not to buy anything that can't be reused or recycled. He says he goes to the dump every couple of months to bring a small bag of trash. A lot of people I know fill up many barrels every week that goes straight to the dump, not Pauly!! There was a mother and son woofing at Paul's place, Heather and Damian. Damian was the smartest most observant ten year old I ever met. Damian and Heather gave us a ride back down to Portland and dropped us off at a cooperative living house that we got in touch with through couch-surfing. We stayed with them for 3 nights in their backyard in my tent. Most of the yards in Portland don't have manicured lawns but instead they chose to create edible landscapes. On some of our walks we would pick fruit from the bushes and eat plums that had just fallen from the trees. as your walking along the side walk you will see benches made out of natural materials at the ends of people yards for people to sit at, and at a few of them there our books tucked away. Portland was great, for a city. We met a lot of really cool people. one of the people we met told us we should stop in Olympia on our way north. she had a friend in the city who she got us in touch with and we stayed with her for 2 nights. when we left Portland we were waiting on the side of the road for the bus with a sign we made which said Olympia. We were waiting for the bus because our plan was to get dropped off downtown closer to the free way. This lady named Leah literally came through the bushes behind us and said, hey do you need a ride. So we hitched a ride with her. I sat in the bed of her truck with her dog Bob. We stopped by her house for a few minutes so she could get a few things. She had a really beautiful small scale intensive garden.

I thought Olympia was kind of quiet. I liked walking through the woods there, and the co op food markets were nice. Shelly and I went to a fancy restaurant and split a plate of salmon. It was the first time we have had fish since we left home.

Then we hitched a ride out of Olympia but it wasn't as easy as most of our hitching. We waited over an hour for a ride but eventually got picked up by Andy. We could have taken the city bus from Olympia to Seattle but we didn't . Andy brought us into Seattle where the ferries were. Michelle and I payed 6.50 to take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island Washington, a perfect day to be on a boat. what an adventurous day. We were on a boat!!!! So the ferry landed and Jessie, an intern at the farm we are staying at now picked us up and brought us back to the place. Chuck owns the land. he has a real nice house and an acre of land. The farm is called The Old Mill Permaculture Center. It is in the beginning stages but they are moving quickly. We made a few raised key hole beds and have done a lot of transplanting in them. Michelle and I built a compost bin with a few old pallets.

Chuck doesn't live here on the land right now. He has property a couple miles down the road. He bought this land on foreclosure for cheap and is fixing it up real nice. he has big plans for this place.

tonight i was sitting in my room and chuck knocked on the door and asked me to help him with some bees. he had just gotten some bees from a friend and needed our help to carry the boxes to the other side of the property and set them up. Every day here there is a noticeable difference from the day before.

Also, big news, big big news. I haven't eaten any meat in at least 4 years except for fish, and my my reason for not eating meat was mainly because the horrible way animals are treated in slaugher houses and what not. i wouldn't get into that though. but i have been thinking about eating some meat but only if i know where it comes from and know that it was raised in a good manner. also, if you eat meat, you should be able to have the nerve to kill it and pluck its feathers and slice it open and take out its organs. so chuck has a friend who has a rooster. chuck got the rooster at night while it was sleeping. he quickly grabbed its neck and whipped it around to break the neck and give it a quick death and then he chopped off his head. blood poured out and he hung the body on a tree. after some of the blood drained out he put the rooster into a thing of hot water for a minute so the feathers would come out easy. we all took part in removing the feathers. i watched carefully as chuck sliced open the rooster and gently removed the organs. then he took the bird inside and watched it to get all the blood and poop off. now the rooster is in the fridge waiting to be cooked for tomorrow nights party. i might try some.

it is almost time for michelle and i to go back home to the east coast. we are both excited to go back, see our families, and do some gardening and biking, cooking, and nothing at all. where going to miss the west coast but will be back soon.

here are pics. there not in order. some of them are from portland, some are from washington

the seguls flying along side the ferry to bainbride island, washington

i sat in the back of the pickup truck with bob the dog. leah picked michelle and i up in portland and gave us a ride to olympia, washington
while in olympia, we were craving fish so we went to a really over priced restaurant and split a fish dish.
here is the artesian well in olympia. that is where everyone goes to get there drinking water. the writing on the wall says it's been flowing since 1914
me in front of the capital building
this is an average yard in portland. not much grass but lots and lots of vegetation. food not lawns :)
more segul pick from the ferry
a passion flower growing in portland
michelle picking blackberries while out for a walk in downtown portland
chocolate. sorry mom
the 2 of us have been flossing every day now.lately

this is paul. he is awsome! we stayed at his place for a week. we were both sad to leave, especially michelle.
michelle the bread maker

this is pauls house. he built most of it by himself
michelle and i went to visit my friend brooke in portland at pendarvis farm. shelly and i played some ping pong and i beat her. but only once out of 20 or so.
this is julian and india. we stayed at there place for a couple nights in portland. they are friend of stephanie who we visited in corvallis. julian and india have a parking lot for a back yard so they made this planter boxes
portland is this city of roses. lots and lots of roses here at peninsula park

this is stephanie. we met in the corps

Corvallis, Portland and more

A lot has happened since My last posting in Winston at Oh My Gato farm. A lot.

Anthony from Oh My Gato has a friend named Keith who lives a bit north from Winston. Keith injured his back and needed some help in his garden. Michelle and i spent 2 days at Keith's. We did some weeding and mowing around the garden. We set up our tent in the garden. His garden was set up really beautifully. The raspberries were perfectly ripe and the peas tasted so nice right from the vine. Keith is a bread baker and has a clay bread oven that he and his wife built. One of our nights there we baked a few loaves of natural risen sour dough bread and pizza. Keith's wife and son live in Germany and they come to visit every so often.

From Keith's house we went north to a community called Aprovecho in cottage grove. Keith gave us a ride there. Michelle and I were wondering around Aprovecho and we met a really nice young couple named Brad and Heather. We ended up having lunch with them. They cooked on something called a rocket stove, which I plan to make when I get back to the east coast. Its a super efficient way of cooking that uses very little wood. After our lunch we set up our tent and then met back up with Brad, Heather and a couple of their friends and we went for a long, long hike through the woods. My words and pictures can't describe how beautiful it was out there. We saw big bear tracks on the paths we were walking.

The next morning we packed up early and wondered how we were going to get a ride into Dexter were Lost Valley education center is. I was sitting outside on a bench and I saw someone driving down the hill and I went running down as fast as I could and waved my arms to stop them. I caught them just in time and asked him if he could bring us into town . I think his name was Chris. He waited for Michelle and I to get our things and he brought us into town and dropped us off by the on ramp.

Michelle went into a cardboard dumpster because we wanted to make a sign saying Eugene which was close to Dexter. After she spent all that time sitting there making the sign we didn't even have to use it, because when we were walking back to our spot by the off ramp i stuck out my thumb and the first car to drive by picked us up.

We spent most of the day at Lost Valley. They have a lot of permaculture courses there and do a lot of other teachings. The plan was to pitch a tent there and go to Eugene the next day, but they charge money to pitch a tent even though they have 90 acres of land so we decided to hitch a ride into Eugene. We called a friend of a friend and asked if we could spend the night there. They gave us directions to there house but we ended up getting confused and getting dropped off to far away from there house, luckily Brad, a really nice guy picked us up and gave us a ride all the way to the house. Brad was going way out of his way for us, we told him he didn't have to but he said that if his he didn't bring us to where we needed to go his grandfather would come out of the grave and smack him. If we had to walk it would have taken over 2 hours and that would be no fun with our heavy bags.

We got to the house in Eugene and met with all the 6 or 7 people that live in that house, nice people. We ended up spending a week in Eugene. The first couple days we did a lot of walking around. We spent 2 nights at an Eco village right in the city called Matreya. Matreya is located on 5 lots, a little less than an acre. a few different family's live there and share the land. It was beautiful, they have many natural buildings and every spare part of their property is filled up by gardens. They let us stay in a cob cottage.

We went back to stay with the people we stayed with those first few nights and a bunch of us ended up going to the cougar hot springs. We all got naked and hopped in the hot hot hot water. The hike through the woods to the hot springs was a mile long, there were 5 separate pools, one below the other each getting a bit cooler as they went down. It felt so nice to sit in them and watch the sky and the trees. We ended up staying at the hot springs until 2:30 in the morning before we went back to the camp site.

From Eugene we went to Corvallis, where we met with my Americorps friend Stephanie. She's awesome. We stayed with her for 3 nights. We went swimming in the lake one day, another day when it was so hot we drove to the coast with her and 2 of her friends. When we got to the coast the temperature dropped. We were all in shorts and short sleeve shorts and everyone else there had on coats. it was so cold, but Stephanie went in anyway. I went in up to my ankles and that was good enough. Across the street from the beach there was a candy shop. They were closing up and gave us a bunch of fudge and popcorn for free. There was a sign that said you can sample the taffy but just one per customer. I thought it meant 1 of each flavor.

Michelle and I planned to go to Portland and Stephanie said she was going up to see some friends so we were able to get a ride with her. We stayed with her friends India and Julian. They are such nice people, it would be nice to see them some other time. They have an apartment and concrete for a back yard so they made these really cool bamboo pot holders and filled them with potting soil. India, Julian, Stephanie, Michelle and I all went to India's parents house for a party. Stephanie and Julian played piano and we all played scatagories.

Now we are at a farm called Pendarvis just outside of the city visiting my friend Brooke who I met in Americorps. This place is very open to creativity, they have so many instruments and art everywhere you look. Tomorrow or the next day we will go back into the city and hang out for a few days ( if we can find a place to stay. We are looking on couch surfing)

A lot more has gone on but I am so sick of writing. I'll try to get some pictures up soon.

Michelle and I finally got to play ping pong.

more pics from Oh my Gato farm

these pictures are out of order



I have one loaf all braided and ready to be glazed and set to rise, and I am in the process of braiding the second loaf. My other balls of dough are at the end of the table waiting to be braided, behind the bucket you can see the banana bread ready to be baked

kneading the dough. Anthony let me come to the kitchen he rents out to make some bread to sell at the farmers market. this was my second experience working in a commercial kitchen. my first was when my mom took me to her work when I was a kid and helped make cookies and chicken cordon blue

pouring the bucket of "sponge" into the blender

all ready to go to the kitchen with my bucket of sponge.

Michelle and her parents were talking about how great kiss my face lotion is, and Bruce said they are coming out with a new product called kiss my ass. So I thought they could use this picture to promote it.


a box full of veggies for the CSA, and Michelle dirty hippie feet. This week the CSA box had, arugula, chard, kale, radishes, kohlrabi, daisies, and more

a mouth full of sprouts

Michelle and i standing at the booth we had at the farmers market. I had 4 loaves of challah and 2 loaves of banana bread. I couldn't sell the challah but I was able to trade a loaf for a day pass to the wild life safari.