A lot more has happened. And a lot more down time has passed. It’s been raining for about three days, so our outdoor projects have basically been put on hold. Yesterday we were able to get a short bout of cob work in, and we patched the cob floor in the cabin that we’re staying in. But otherwise, Mother Nature is taking care of the plants for us.
I’ve decided to try to do shorter posts, since that’s more realistic at this point and easier for reading. We’ll see how that goes…
On May Day, Myshkin and I went to the nearby Faerie Sanctuary (a beautiful safe space for gay men set up in the 70s) for a Beltane celebration. It was raining all day long, but that didn’t stop about 100 people from dressing up in their finest drag and costumes to dance around a may pole. It was pretty amazing. People were so open and friendly, and the May Pole was enormous. We waited around for a good hour before they got it all coordinated, and finally the May Pole went up. It was a really exciting moment. After many speeches, spreading of good Spring blessings and some sharing of … tea (not me, but nearly everyone around me, which was pretty intense), we began to sing and weave around the pole. It was incredibly hectic with so many people, but very fun to smile at everyone as we went. I lasted pretty long, and got to squat near the maypole with some good folks and hear the beautiful harmonies that were happening around me. In the rain especially, it was a magic moment.
What wasn’t magic, however, was the negative effect being in the rain for 2 hours had on my health. I was already a tad sick, and that just made me worse. I sat by the fire for the rest of the night and Myshkin and I played some music. But unfortunately my cold was strengthened, and even today I am coughing like crazy. It’s not fun, and it’s hard to do digging and cob stomping with a runny nose and cough. I’m hoping today is the last of it.
On Saturday night Myshkin, Barbara (visiting from Portland for the Beltane celebration) and I drove with a great couple who live nearby, Maryanne and Renee, to Ashland to see Barb sing in her women’s choir. It was a fun, relaxed night – the choir sang cheesy renditions of Melissa Etheridge and songs like “What a Wonderful World,” but it was great to see such a progressive group of women perform, and it was wonderful to hear Barb sing a beautiful solo. We went out for a beer at a cute place in Ashland and sat and listened to a hippy band play while munching on french fries.
Also on Saturday, we got a new WWOOFer! I was excited to have a new friend. Amanda is fantastic and we’ve already had some great times together. We are both on similar missions to be a part of the new food system and have a lot of similar opinions about the world. Today we took a trip to Grants Pass to explore a bit. We went to thrift stores and health food stores and stopped to get some potting soil for the greenhouse. I didn’t bring my camera, but here’s a photo I found on Flickr. Grants Pass has a banner above the main drag that reminded me of the one in Redwood City that says “Climate best by government test.” The GP one says “It’s the Climate.” Whatever that means. But Grants Pass was very cute – and the thrift stores were amazing. I got a fun old book on wildflowers for 25 cents, and some awesome fabric scraps to make a skirt with for about $1.50. Yay for sewing project! I know what I’ll be doing if it keeps raining…
“…and the May Pole was enormous.”
With a bunch of gay guys dancing around it? You’re tellin’ me.