Maggie says she knows where the hammock’s going now. Whewh. That means we’ve moved from dreaming
and planning to visualizing. With the foundation forms going up, it gets easier to see ourselves living in this special place.
Our big news – we have a lane to the new place – and a beautiful trail it is. John (the same gentleman who dug out the house site) understood our desires – one – to weave the approach around the oaks and – two – to do so at a gradual incline so that visitors with bald tires can make it to our door – even in winter. We’re very happy with it. Feel free to drive up and down a few times next you’re out this way. It needs packing. With all the rain we’ve been getting, we want a solid road on which a gravel truck can deliver crushed rock for the next step in the foundation.
Some time ago, as we began digging out the house site, an elder-friend suggested it might be time to host a blessing for 
the site. The right time came across this past week as our daughter was traveling through from Iceland to Nelson. A gathering of friends – including ten children, all of whom thought the clay-sand-mud at the site was the perfect place to play – blessed us and the new home site as a nearly full moon ascended. There’s a definite stress we place on the surroundings as we drive, dig and hammer around the place – seemingly with abandon. It’s good to pause and say thank-you to our friends and to all creation’s relations. This is a beautiful experience we’re living.
Finally, a big thank-you to the folks who hosted us a couple weeks back as we traveled around southern Manitoba looking at alternative building materials, masonry stoves – and – an actual earthen floor! There’s nothing like seeing these in person. Thanks
to all who open their doors to help searchers explore new (and old) ways of being sheltered.
If you want details of any of the above – foundation design, our central stove plans or how an earthen floor holds up to the rigours of life, please ask.
Due to a journey I’m making to South Africa in September and time going to and from Winnipeg this fall to help parents through a transition, I’m motivating to get the foundation poured before 3 Sept. Hopefully the weather cooperates.
Ahh, the changing of the season.