I've four itty bitty chicks under an incubator in my utility room.  I seem to have caught some sort of "fever" while living as a WWOOFer for a time while in Hawaii and France.  "WWOOF" stands for "Willing Worker on Organic Farms" and the opportunities and living conditions are as diverse as the folks involved.

 In my own particular case, with my background in landscaping and as one of two groundskeepers at a large chateau in the South of France, I mowed acres of beautiful green grass, created a flower garden around the chapel, painted signs for the entrance and on occasion cooked and served food for guests at weekend workshops.  What intrigued me most about this particular adventure were the caravans of families who arrived and stayed to work the land or give a workshop before moving on.  As a homeowner in Anacortes, Washington this was such a foreign lifestyle to me - one I would come to love and respect.  The evenings spent around a great campfire: singing, sharing food, telling stories, and playing with children and puppies was full of laughter and camaraderie.  What I gleaned from this particular experience was to loosen up and release my beliefs about how life "should be" lived, and come to realize that there are happy, fulfilling lifestyles far removed from what we in the United States call "the American Dream."

My experience in Hawaii was quite different. Between living in vacation rentals, I chose to stay and work at one retreat center and at a working farm.  It was in Hawaii that I was introduced to sustainable living.  It is one thing to have some knowledge about it, and quite another to live it.  From the building of soil, to solar energy, to collecting and using rainwater, to building raised beds, to compost toilets, to the recycling of materials (Hawaii's landfills are near maximum capacity, so recycling is extremely important and EVERYONE does it with nearly EVERYTHING) I learned so much!  When I was first introduced to compost toilets and was shown how to use sawdust and turn the barrel after using it in order to create FERTILIZER, I was a bit repulsed...shows my ignorance. The best learning arose when times were challenging.  At one place, cloudy days allowed for only sporadic use of solar powered electricity and were the impetus for writing and working by candlelight or lantern.  At the retreat center, I became the proofreader and editor for the owners newly completed book, of which I was fortunate to add a short piece to before it was published.  In both the South of France and on the Big Island of Hawaii, people easily bartered and shared their skills and their creations.  They shared rides into town on a regular basis, for gas prices were MUCH higher than any we've yet seen here on the mainland.

Amazingly, there was such peace to be found in these lifestyles....a return to becoming more aware of the cycles of nature, of the movement of the sun across the sky, of the weather patterns, of the coats on the animals signaling cold spells, of sharing, of gathering around the fire in the evenings, of community.  I miss it.

As a result of these adventures in 2009 and 2010 and after a year of RVing across the country in 2011, I have returned to my home and am reclaiming it with a new picture in mind - one of living off the land in a more sustainable manner.   When I first bought this property in 2002, I had wanted to create a park-like atmosphere in my backyard (near 1/2 acre) and dug a pond, put in a waterfall, built a patio and fire pit and a walkway through the cedars.  This YouTube shows a bit of where I am to date: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZgOcfGw6_s
Now, however, I have chosen to undertake a sort of hobby farm on the edge of town.  My first purchase was a composter and compost tea maker.  This was followed by a rain barrel connected to my downspout.  Two weeks ago I completed the building of my cold frame, set a waist level - so no bending to do my potting and seeding.  Yesterday I found that my peas had spouted in spite of the cold spell and snow we had immediately following their planting.  I guess this means it is working!  I have it up against the side of the house where my dryer vent blows warm air on occasion to warm the soil.  This is working quite well...I'm thrilled.  And now I am in the process of building a chicken coop.  In the city limits one is only allowed a few hens, but that will suffice this little farm.  I will have to be mindful of the raccoons that have lived in my huge cedar and enclose even the bottom of all runs with protection.  Having deer, raccoons, an occasional coyote, bunnies, (a heron who ate the coy in my pond), squirrels and loads of birds, I have always felt such gratitude for the tranquility this "park" bordered by unbuildable wetlands, offered.  Now chickens will join the menagerie.  Next year I hope to work on the possibility of a bit of solar power, building a yurt in the back corner, and even a pump to the creek that runs in the back of the property, but for now I am content building both coop to grow chickens and eggs and soil to grow worms and veggies.  This organic hobby farm/park and sustainable living has become my new passion (alongside music) and my hope is that I will be able to pass on the learning I've gleaned to my future grandchildren.