December 2013

 Early December was a bit of a scramble to try and finish a few things before the snow started.  We wanted to get the heavy digging done for the new hoop greenhouse beds before putting the frame up over the winter, and figured that our last chance until spring was NOW.  The backhoe wouldn't start (too cold), so Linc removed all of the fluids (oil, antifreeze, heated them up on the stove in old pots, poured them back in, stuck a magnetic block heater on, running off of a generator, charged up two batteries, sprayed ether, and finally, with a groaaannn, it started!  Linc used it to dig out each greenhouse bed, grab loads of semi-rotted Cottonwood and Siberian Elm logs from the other end of the property (above), piled them in the dug bed trenches, and put dirt back over.  With only three beds left to go, daylight fading, and the big snow storm and cold expected that evening, he made the mistake of running the backhoe out of diesel fuel.  Quick run down to the gas station for 5 gallons of fuel, and 30 minutes of mechanicking to bleed the air out of the fuel system, and it was running again!  The final digging was done by headlamp, and came out a bid messy, but it was done, yay!

 The snow came that night, and temperatures dropped to below zero.  Winter arrived like a flick of light switch, it seemed.  Restricted to indoor chores for a couple days, Linc has been helping a group of friends organize a community shift into gift economy, inspired by the ideas presented in books such as Sacred Economics, by Charles Eisenstein.  Below, a focus group meets in the warmth of a friend's home. 

Winter this year seems to be starting out as a time to reflect, look at what we did during the last year, have a few doubts and misgivings, maybe, and research some alternatives.  I'm sure by February, we'll be starting to envision what is next, and maybe begin the first steps towards as author Eisenstein puts it, "the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible". 

Thanks for joining us in this blog summary of our own efforts.  Hopefully, it will help inspire you and let you know that other people are out there struggling, like you maybe, with understanding what's wrong with our dysfunctional human world, and starting to take the first steps towards something better!