Things seem to be changing in our neighborhood in Deer Harbor and all over Orcas Island. I see more people struggling to keep their homes and to make ends meet. Construction is down, real estate is very slow, even the tourists are spending more carefully. But it's not all bad. We all have more time. Time to visit, time to rest and regroup and time to create a new way of living.
Folks are drawing together, sharing more, being more neighborly. I noticed the change when I was down with my broken ribs and so many people visited. Maria Bullock and her children came over almost daily for weeks. She lives with her extended family on a Permaculture Farm across the marsh from our farm in Deer Harbor. Sometimes she brought friends with her, and we talked of Midwifery, Guatemala, Women's Issues, Children, Homes Schooling, Psychology, Horses and Gardening. My dear friend Moriah brought soup, Shelly sent poems and flowers, Yvonne taught me to knit, Mary came by to swap stories, my son brought cookies and movies.
A delightful woman came to rent our little cottage last week. She brought her three dogs and a wooden boat which she masterfully parked next to the encrouching blackberries and nookta roses. She offers her help with the horses, she is becoming a part of our life here. We see her walking her dog along the creek carrying a cup of coffee, and the past two mornings she cleaned the arena where our horses like to play and nap. We plan to have gardens together and build a chicken house. This afternoon, we sat together in the sun at the Westsound Community Center during the Seed Exchange and talked with her friend Margarite. Community, that is what many of us were looking for and now more than ever I see it happening. Looking for community? Check out my website: www.orcasdreams.com
The Seed Exchange was a big success with much generous sharing. Bring your seeds and starts to share and help yourself to what others had to offer. We came home with everything from Spinach to Raspberries to Cilantro to Dalia tubers. People were excited and serious. The Island is changing - and this is one of the good ways. Want to know more about Suistainable Living on Orcas? Drop us a line!
Late in the day, my young friend Aurora came over for a ground school lesson with Shaman. She is 12 and longs for her own horse, but it is not just horses she is learning about. These are life lessons about using your energy, maintaining good boundaries and paying attention. For a young woman it is about finding your voice and being heard. I remind her she is in charge and help her to find that place. She is learning about body language. The horses are masters of that art. She likes to work with Shaman, who is crazy about her. When she arrived, Shaman got up from his nap and came and stood at the gate watching her, then went over and rolled the barrel in a circle at a canter..(surely this will get her attention!)
As the sun set, I planted my raspberries along the garden fence and Ken finished up his Incubator for the baby chicks which are due to arrive tomorrow. I came inside to warm squash from our garden which had been baking all afternoon. Rich, sweet and deep orange.
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