June 30 Soil, more compost and hands on the land

June 30, 2011
Today is Soil Day working with Earth. We did the Earth Trance today that is in the book The Earth Path and it was powerful. We will not be doing trances everyday but I love it when we do. I did some tance tending since some of the younger students have not had the type of intense trance experiences I have and they appreciated a chance to process the power of Starhawk’s magic. I thought it was a little interesting that the teachers left the room right after the trance but sensed there was a need to stay.
This morning we talked about soil from the biological creation of the earth to the make make up and the components, sorta like a biology class but much more interesting. Then we started talking about composting and different ways to break it down and the many kinds of compost and its components. We also talked about vermaculture, worm bins and I got to share my experiences with that. Starhawk gave us the basic of bio-remediation, which is breaking down chemicals contamination in soil from household products to radiation.
Our afternoon session started with distributing our biobrew on to plants that will be planted in our new gardens. Building an aquaponic system for plants and fish, which we did not finish. And building self watering Earth Box style planter out of 5 gallon buckets. Then we weeded the spiral garden, built another one beside the old one with cardboard sheet mulching, cleared an area for a third, made a compost pile in the center, hauled many wheel barrels of horse manure up the hill. And then we made an area for the hammock, the most desired and loved permaculture tool.
The weather today was cold rainy and wet but it never really rained. It was a good day for physical labor. I am on Potty Patrol and we shut down the second of four today. Before we are done I am sure we will be totally on compost toilets. There is only one real toilet in the house the others are camper or RV toilets and the flappers are broken, several removed and that is what is causing the stink. With this group we will all be much better with composters. Eggs for breakfast and happy campers and if we are really good we might get salmon for dinner one night this week. We are all talking about what we want to do on or day off on Saturday. Louise has asked me to go to the market in town with her if we can find a way to get there. That really bothers all of us here. There are only a few vehicles and more than 20 people, we are very dependent on others to take us or provide for us, it is not a comfortable feeling, but one that is important to validate. It also has made us concerned that we need to leave this place in a week. How are we going to get to point A or to connect up with point B. I am seriously considering leaving and going to Montreal with Louis, instead of staying for the three days after the workshop. Because I am afraid I will not be able to make my flight if I stay and get stranded here. I feel obligated because I agreed to stay a few days but I am not comfortable with staying either. We will see how this works out..
Our evening session was about meeting structure in consensus. Now this is a subject I have a lot of knowledge and experience in but we had a great time role playing and laughing. We were really a silly toxic group and laughed so much class went to till after 10 pm. But it was part of our community building work too and in permaculture we are building a community here, even though it is only for a few weeks, we still use the same components and structure. Starhawk just finished her book in community building and it will be out in the fall and she has a lot of experience as an activist on doing this with people with a cause and action, even under the most extreme situations. It was a good day.
　
　

Photos Composting toilet delux

June 29 Compost toilets and Activism

June 29, 2011
I got an e-mail from Noah today that Trent went home and one from Jamie that Wiley was ok too other than teething. So now that the family at home is OK for now I can get on with the work I am up here to do.
This morning we opened our daily circle with a water trance. The one that I did in Texas in 2000 that lead me to the Reclaiming Tradition, I have done this trance many times and each time it is like the first, it awakens me to the magic I have committed my life to, very powerful.
In our morning session we talked about and discussed designs for gray water systems and black water systems and how to clean water to use on plants and for drinking water. It was very interesting and informative with very practical applications that I am sure I will use in the future as a designer/
After lunch we talked about building a composting toilet and the actually built one for the house since we are having serious problems with the plumbing. But we didn’t just build a composting toilet we build a outhouse with a seat and curtains, a compost bin and a stone path, the little house was a storage shed but we also put a water catchment forhand and bucket washing station. I am totally amazed how much work we can do in just a few hours working together. The composting toilets are very useful in situations where you do not have water or indoor plumbing and after a year of composting it can be used for the garden. Unlike what people think it is safe and odor free when you do it right. Our teacher Brook, bought one from England and spent $1200 on it and it broke in a few months and they went back to using their bucket.
The food has improved and the coffee is running freely. The mood of all the campers has heightened and everyone is happier some one is sing and playing the guitar or banjo, you hear a lot of laughter through out. There are two little boys here and their mother is in our class but they are only with us at night and meals. We have an internet café in one of the up stair rooms, the connection is iffy. For breakfast we had coffee and of course now eggs and cheese! We were all up this morning early and Charles taught a workshop on communication with birds, it was really cool to understand what they were telling you in the woods.
Our evening session was on activism and how to organize a campaign. Of course it is an activism workshop and I am with Starhawk. I have been working on the fringe of activism for many years but this is the first time I have ever actually had training in how it is constructed. Using the concepts and applying them to permaculture principles and improving the quality of life for people is so very important. There are a lot of activist here that are currently working on huge projects and some on an international scale. I feel very passionate about the work we are doing and how we are taking this out into the world. .

Photos

 My French room mate Louise from Montreal Quebec 

The three Swales change the water flow on the land and run to over flows that feed the pond

June 28 sawales and A frames

I am having a very difficult time down loading photos

June 28 A frames and Swales

June 28, 2011
Coffee Yes! This morning I went for my run and then a long walk in the woods and played my flute to awaken the Elements. Class starts at 9:00 but the sun comes up at 4:30. Decided since my headache was still with me, if I were offered coffee, I would take it. After hearing the discussion yesterday of some of the other campers longings for foods such as sugar, chocolate, eggs, cheese and orange juice. I was not the only one being physically challenged and I knew it was coming.
We opened our morning circle and called in the elements, then we made Biobrew! I have made it many times before and make mine diifferent but making it with Starhawk in permaculture class just really set the mood. You can already feel the energy shifting on the land and I am starting to feel that despite all the emotional energy I have been processing. There is good reason for it and that I am not alone. The woman that had an issue with my snoring did not leave and we have been talking a lot about our process and she offered to make that trip in to town, to pick up a few things for other people.
In our morning session we started off with some powerful intervention about our FOOD NEEDS! and yes, we will be having eggs for breakfast if we have to purchase and cook them ourselves. I over heard the cook telling Starhawk that if she knew we ate eggs it would have made her baking better, so there has been a huge communication break down.
　
Then we talked about water and systems of water how to use it and how to move it and collect and store it. I was much more awake and really enjoyed class and engaged in conversation than the past few days. Talking about Nestles’ and the Wacissa river made me miss home. At lunch I handed over some money to Marilyn and asked for a French press and coffee. And yes! I got it! Now I can make my own coffee when ever I want and I am a happy camper!!
I called Leslie at the hospital and talked with her for a while about Trent, but I did not talk with Trent. She told me about all that was going on with him and that they are keeping him another day till the test are all back to confirm. She said that the meningitis was caused by the rota (?) virus and it went to his spinal column. Then she talked about the baby daddy drama. Believe me, on top of everything else that is going on this shows just how stupid he is. And this will come to some kind of closure soon. We just have to trust that what goes around comes around. Please continue to send Trent, Leslie and Noah energy and Jamie and Wiley as well. I understand Jamie is concerned about Wiley being exposed to Trent and took him to be checked and he has an ear infection.
Our afternoon session was the first of our manual labor application to permaculture. And I am so glad I have been training physically for this work over the past few weeks. We build A frames to mark the contour of the land and went out into the field by the pond and marked the contour for swales, that are ditches that do two things, some trap the water running down hill so it absorbs into the soil to give your land more stored water and the other is to divert water to holding ponds and over flows. Next we build the swales and I mean hard physical labor, digging into rocky wet grass with rocks under the surface. And pulling back the soil and grass to build the burm. But is just a short time out team was done because we worked together. Other teams were sitting around watching others work, ours was the longest and we just jumped in there and did it. And it felt good. Then we covered smoothed the ditch and covered it with straw, the draiins were filled with rocks. Now to wait for rain to see if it works, but we did a good job and it looked very nice. I would have not had the same experience at home because I don’t have the thick grass, the slope or the rocks to deal with. We got the afternoon off since we did a lot of work and dinner was much better and I had a cup of coffee.
Our evening session was about Natural Earth Buildings and a man that talked about buildings made out of Cob, some straw, mud and sand mixture. We will be discussing it in the class but his slide show presentation was actually very good showing houses all over the world built out of natural materials.
I feel much better and Louise and I talked about how this work is shifting the energy here and we are settling into it. I have had such an emotional shaking since I have been here that I am just now starting to relax and get into the work. This is an intensive and it will not be easy work but I know it is important.
　

Heartroot farms photos June 27

I can only down load a few at a time and not with my blog but I will try to keep you up dated