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

:)