'80's Dance Party!

Yesterday there was an 80's party at Tupelo. When I was in grade school, we used to have 50's parties. Everyone would dress up and we'd listen to music and maybe dance, if we were allowed and were brave and the desks weren't in the way. The party at Tupelo was pretty different from those parties. Half remembered dancing to 80's music in the '80's, and the other half were born in the 80's.

I went in a dress that I actually wore then, with my hair in a ponytail on the side. Other people mostly wore clothes you'd see on aerobics instructors. I very much liked the swirl of my dress, and tried to swirl and twirl as much as possible without falling down. Other folks fell down and became break dancers and that was fun to watch, too. About the only music I didn't dance to was the Beastie Boys. I just never got into the Beastie Boys, although I can see why folks would. One fella really was going with it.

It was a rockin' party, and I wish everyone reading this could've been there. No one got hurt, no one threw up, everyone looked like they were having fun, and if they weren't, they had someone to talk to about it. There was a guy in the kitchen being encyclopedic about bands and dates, which is always helpful. I tried to listen to him as much as I could, given the volume and the lure of the dance floor. He says he'll DJ a 60's dance party -- I'm looking forward to that.

okey dokey artichokey,
Kelpie

Calf and Legos

The new calf was born, and is about half a week old, and darned cute. He didn't know how to suck (I'm sure he's gotten it by now), and looked ridiculous with his large tongue hanging out, gulping milk from the bottle. He was born after the all-day dairy day (say that 5 times fast), the warm day of hand milking when the pump broke, in the late evening. Debbie told me they couldn't find the calf in the dark -- Willamette had gone against the fence and dropped her calf (he doesn't have a name yet) on the other side of the fence. There's a slope there, too. Apparantly he got up and walked off. He's a strong little bugger. He needs a name that begins with a "P," and is a villain or superhero. "Pluto" is one suggestion. Hopefully someday, if we're lucky and he isn't, we'll eat him. I kind of like the idea of eating Pluto... (it's a planet, not an asteroid. I don't care if I'm wrong).

Speaking of cute young things, I hear the patter of small feet upstairs. Zadek, our three and a half year old. I hope he comes downstairs soon, and, yup, there he is!! He likes the lego tower on wheels with the propeller on top that's on the table, and we're both wondering what it is. He would like it to be able to fly. His poppa made it.

okey dokey artichokey,
much love,
Kelpie

Pump broke

It wasn't 'cause the vandal took the handle, for you Bob Dylan fans. It was some kind of roter in the motor.

What it meant was that about half a dozen or so of us human beings had to milk by hand the half a dozen or so cows, each with three or four teats and 20-30 pints of milk per udder. I'll let you do the math. What it meant to me was good company, a common goal, and sore muscles. So, yes, I had fun, and yes, I'm glad the pump is fixed now.

I was surprised at how strong my right hand is, compared with my left. I am right-handed, so that makes sense. I also play the tambourine, and hold it with my left hand while I drum with my right, and I use the same muscle groups drumming as I do milking. I'm not going to milk or drum today -- even typing is somewhat of an ordeal, I'm that sore.

I rewarded myself with a treat -- I watched the mid-70's movie, "Network." I really liked it. I'd heard it was good, and it was! And, although I'm not currently outwardly mad as hell and can't take it anymore, I can certainly work up that feeling without much effort. I like to think that milking cows and living on a commune is a good way for me to deal with my anger about bullshit. I certainly am living a real life, and I certainly know what it's like to live an inauthentic one. What a good movie -- funny and true. My favorite kind.

okeydokey artichokey,
much love,
Kelpie

Cows and hoses

So, anyone who'se taken care of animals knows that you must have a steady supply of fresh water. And cows drink a LOT of water, especially the pregnant and lactating ones. So, when the long hose was frozen this morning, I knew I was in for a long morning. Rusty had hooked up a series of hoses for the two pastures where the pregnant and the milk cows are kept, after the hydrant out there froze. It's still frozen, if you were wondering. I actually wonder when it's going to thaw.

I milked last night, and filled the tanks and drained the hoses. Or, I thought I drained the hoses. But no, they were full of ice this morning. So I took them in the barn to thaw, and in moving them, two broke. Arrgh. So I spent a good chunk of time unattaching and reattaching hoses, and trying to thaw out the ice dams, and got good and wet (did I mention it's cold?), and finally succeeded in getting water in both tanks, hurray! And I feel that my character has grown and is strengthened. There's nothing like a little wrestling with obstinate inanimate objects to strengthen your character, I've found.

And that on top of getting up at 2am to make sure our pregnant cow wasn't calving. She wasn't. She wasn't this morning at 6am, either, and it may be that she won't for a while...

Okey dokey,
much love,
Kelpie

Insulation installation

Wow, today I'm dealing with upper respiratory problems, due to 71/2 hours of installing cotton insulation yesterday. I looked online at cotton insulation advertisements. They actually say that you don't need any safety equipment for installation. That's just not true -- cotton batting is much much better than fiberglass, for oh so many reasons, but you still want dust masks and goggles. The cotton dust is hard to take, and it just goes everywhere. I'm glad I only had one day of it. As it is, my eyes are still burning, and my lungs are still working at expelling. I can't imagine going back and doing it day after day, but I'm sure there are people who do.

I went with three other Oakers to a small house outside of Afton to install the batting. It was fairly easy to install, and compared to fiberglass, well, there's just no comparison! If I'd spent all day yesterday installing fiberglass insulation, I'd have all sorts of skin prickle problems. Blech.

We got home finally at 7:30pm, too late for dinner, and half an hour before Drumgasm, which Keith and I had to cancel, as we were both too tired. He had been one of the Oakers who worked on the insulation.

The good thing is that Keenan and Rowan and Elijah had a great time at the Inauguration. They had no difficulties with traffic or crowds whatsoever, and came home safely, also exhausted. I'm glad they went, it's a lifetime opportunity. Arlo chose to stay at home.

It's still cold, and a heating pipe burst in Morningstar, so that whole building has no heat, and won't, while the pipes are being repaired. There's been several pipes bursting from the unusual cold spell, with water messes to clean up. I'm glad my house hasn't experienced that (yet!).

okey dokey,
much love,
Kelpie

Bragging on Rowan

It's warmer today, and overcast. Maybe it will snow!! We've not had snow yet this season, and I miss it. I would like to be able to sled down Pagan Ridge just once this year...

Yesterday, Keenan and I went on a double date with Keith and Claire, and we took Rowan and Arlo! Rowan is quite the social animal. We went to Roma's for dessert (yum, btw), and then Rowan insisted on going to CVS, which in our family stands for "Candy Very Sweet." But CVS was closed, so we went to Walgreen's instead, and waited in the car for Rowan, who came back and gave us all candy!! Wow!

When we got home, Rowan and I went to a farewell party for Ivy and Daniel at Degania. They're flying back to California today, where Ivy's in school. It was good to see them for the short time they were here. Rowan again was quite social, making friends left and right, and then, after a reasonable time, asked to go home. At one point, I saw him across the room pour a glass of wine. Hmmm, I thought. And he took it over to Daniel. Pretty cool kid...

okey dokey, off to the races,
Kelpie

Cold and dreams

It's been really cold here, although it's warmer today, all the way to freezing! There's ice you can play on at the pond, and the hydrant for the cows is frozen shut. I had to haul a hose from the barn out to the cows to fill up their tanks. It's so cold that the mud is frozen and it's hard for the cows to walk on. I also brought in a load of wood for the woodstove, after making a fire with the last of the wood.

I got up this morning, early, to milk the cows, after a night of not sleeping very well. Just at dawn, I had a dream that Willow, who's in Europe with his family, came to visit me and was crawling on me. I told him his mother would be here in a couple of weeks (which is true). There were also people running in circles around the house, and peeping in the windows. Several more children! When I went to the door, a woman was there, who said her name was Lily. I gave her a big hug, which seems weird to me now, but appropriate at the time.

So now I'm very tired, and I'm going to take a mid-morning nap!
much love,
Kelpie

Trigger?

It's a mighty cold day on the ol' commune. The water in the dog's dish is frozen solid. I'm not sure where the poor dog is. He's not allowed inside anymore, but he manages to find warm hidey holes anyway.

Keenan is busy making plans to take the boys to the inauguration. The plan is to leave at 3 am, drive to Maryland to a friend's house and park, and then take the hike and bike trail to the Mall. The boys are pretty excited. I'm not going, it just sounds like torture to me.

My friend Mala, who lives upstairs, had an ultrasound yesterday and was told she's carrying another boy. Keenan and I have been thinking up names: Trigger is our current favorite. Mala and Ezra don't agree. The baby's due in mid-March, so we've plenty of time to annoy them with weird and inappropriate names.

Looks like today's a day for the hammock shop. Hope the furnace is stoked. I'm glad I don't have a milk shift today (although I think I do for tomorrow...).
much love,
Kelpie

Eighteen Years

Today's my 18th Anniversary of joining Twin Oaks. I was shown two rooms: one in the basement of Morningstar, that was tiny and painted dark blue, had one small window and a loft bed, and was claustrophobia inducing. The other was on the second floor of Tupelo and had no furniture and smelled like cigarette smoke. I took that one, despite the smoke, and later was woken up in the middle of the night by yelling. The woman in the next room was having a hard break up with her girlfriend. People at Tupelo ignored me and one woman remarked to me that she was surprised a new member had been put there. Needless to say, I was unsure I'd made the right decision in moving to Twin Oaks.

My main work was construction, doing the dry wall and painting at our new building, Nashoba. I moved in to an open room there after 3 months of living at Tupelo. This was after one member informed me that I probably would not be allowed to move to Nashoba, since I was a new member.

The habit of treating new members poorly has been addressed over and over again, on the O&I and in conversations. We now have a "New Member Liason," whose job is making sure new members have what they need and have their questions answered. I had no "new member liason," although the new members did have a once a week meeting, in which we mostly listened to the fears of one member concerned that she would not pass her 6 month poll. She did pass.

January is also not the best time to join Twin Oaks. It's cold, there's not a lot of work to do, and people are crowded indoors. This January, we have a waiting list, and no open rooms, as we also have a few long term guests. Keenan's put a couple of beds in upstairs Degania, to house guests, and has gotten in trouble for that. The message of "no more people" is loud and clear, and it has not changed since I moved here 18 years ago, even though there's only about a dozen of the same people left from that time. I truly think it is the wintertime blahs that descends upon the commune, and most of us just should hibernate and wait for spring and warm weather.
much love,
Kelpie

Cows and drums

I'm pretty happy, 'cause Katydid the cow did not kick me this morning! That is a first. She's been very kicky, and I've been developing a dislike for her, and worrying about that, and today, hurray, she swished her tail but she kept her feet (mostly) on the ground! Hurray!

I'm also happy because I figured out how to thaw hoses to the water tanks. It's so cold, the hoses were frozen. Unfortunately, the tanks were empty and the cows were obviously thirsty. I was flummoxed, until I decided to use my brain, and took the hoses inside the barn and ran hot water through them. Voila! Suddenly they work!

The other reason I'm happy is we had a terrific time drumming last night, and achieved drumgasm several times, hurray! If you're ever in the neighborhood, come and drum or dance with us on Tuesday nights at Tupelo, in the living room.

okey dokey artichokey,
much love,
Kelpie

Catching up a bit

Wow, it's been a while since I posted last -- and in the meantime, the Dakota family computer died and was resurrected. Meanwhile...

We took the boys to see Terry McAuliffe's announcement that he's running for Virginia governor. I've probably misspelled his name, oh well. He was speaking in a restaraunt in Charlottesville, and was pretty convincing. Afterwards, the boys went up and shook his hand, and Rowan got a book autographed. I imagine Keenan and I will vote for him in November... which is a long way away.

I liked that McAuliffe spoke about renewable energy, several times. He wants Viriginia to be in the forefront of development, and so do I, so that's good! I've been enjoying working for EarthStar, a local solar energy company. I'd like to be working for them today, but it's not happening, due to a miscommunication. Oh well, these things happen.

What else has been going on? Katydid the cow is still kicking, and I'm developing a dislike for her, which I'm sure will vanish as soon as she stops kicking. It's just tiresome to milk a cow that continually harasses me, both with her tail and her legs. I imagine she's feeling a lot more harassed. It's getting to the point that when I see her, I don't think, "milk;" I think, "hamburger." Hmmm....

Our labor balances were published, and there is good news: I'm slowly and steadily working my way out of the labor hole, and at the rate I'm going, should be out in a couple of months, hurray!!! I want to not stop, so that I can build up a nice cushion for future vacations.

Okey dokey, January's cold and somewhat boring....
much love,
Kelpie

Magical box brought by friends

Last night, I dreamed there was a flood in my backyard. The creek was rising as my friends and I looked on, and then decided it was time to head for higher ground. I woke up, it was still early, so I went back to sleep and dreamed I was heading to a ritual with a friend, telling her to dress warmly because our rituals are always outside. As I woke up, I realized I'd forgotten an important box, that I really needed for this ritual. I wondered a bit about why the box was so important, and what that could mean. Then fell back asleep to find that my friends had brought the box to the ritual after all. The ritual was on a barge, on the flooded creek from my first dream.

Now I think the box is the important parts of myself that I tend to forget about. And it's no accident that it was my friends who brought this box to me. I think that's what friends do -- they remind us of the important parts of ourselves that we forget about, and that we need. Certainly that's what my friends do. The best part of my dream was the feeling of relief and gratitude that they'd brought this very important box with them. Oddly enough, the box was a plain cardboard box, filled with white sheets.

So, to my friends who are reading this: Thank you!! You bring me back to myself, and I'm very grateful.
much love,
Kelpie

New Year!

I'm somewhat embarrassed that I didn't go to the party at Tupelo for New Year's. My friends put a lot of energy into decorating it, and I had been looking forward to going and dancing a lot. First I had a date with Keenan, and, well, Keenan and I kept saying to each other, we need to go, and then we didn't go. Finally I went to sleep at 10:30, and then Rowan woke us up just before midnight, outraged that we didn't stay up. But the four of us sat in the living room and waited for the exact stroke of midnight (give or take a second -- I don't know what our clock did with the extra second tacked on to 2008), and yelled Happy New Year to each other. We opened the door, briefly, to see if there was any noise from outside, but no.

I milked cows both New Year's Eve morning, and New Year's morning, so that also contributed to my less-than-party mood. I had a good time milking, as always. I don't get tired of the routine, and the cows are very good company. I believe they like me, too. They're pretty good about pooing before they get into the barn, and I always say thank you. I talk to them the whole time they're in the barn, too. They don't say much, but they have very expressive eyes and tails.

Poor Katy is still very unhappy with us messing with her udder, and is still kicking. She always swishes her tail first, so you have some warning. Rusty came down and showed me how to tie the belly rope to be more effective. That does seem to help. I'm sure she'll grow out of it.

We have another new calf, too, and so now there are two! And soon there'll be three. That's a lot of milk! The new calf got sick, and so Rusty gave him some medicine, and fed him himself. New Year's Eve morning, the calf wouldn't get up, and, more alarming, wouldn't suck and just let the milk fall out of his mouth when I put the nipple of the bottle in his mouth, poor guy. He was better the next day.

There was an illness at the Tupelo party, too, with one of the guests having a seizure. Fortunately everyone helped and the rescue squad came and the young man was taken to the hospital, where he still is. We're waiting to hear more. It seems like the seizure was not party-related.

All-in-all, the reports are of a very satisfactory party, and I've heard no complaints at all. Sounds like a good new year's was had by all!
much love,
Kelpie