Copyright 2009
Happy New Year!
We’ve written New Year’s update letters before, and the content is typically just a look back over the prior year. This year, we are doing something a little different. We are also writing about and looking forward to the coming months from the point of view of The Universe…
The Avalon’s are enjoying having a little more human living space available with the cabin and the dome and Zarah’s new room which was finished in 2008. Closet space for Zarah and Lillith has made their lives much more convenient. The efficient space has allowed them to keep warm this winter. Jonathan is sketching and measuring for the next steps in the cabin build out which will create another bedroom space, a covered porch, and a passive solar gain room. No telling how fast this will all manifest, but meantime the Avalons are safe and comfy in the living space they have. It is plenty of house to keep clean and tidy and we’re quite accustomed to hanging out with each other.
There is an efficient fleece skirting operation set up and operating in the dome which is the first step towards having alpaca fleece products for sale again. This year the process will include washing the fleece which will save a lot of costs at the mill. There is a definite plan in place for sock and yarn production.
The dome still boasts a large kitchen space and full bathroom as well as a living room suitable for shared meals and social evenings with friends.
The dirty and failing bay window in the dome finally surrendered to the elements during a wind storm late last year. Jonathan and Lillith were so grateful that it wasn’t raining when it happened! An excellent temporary patch is in place and a clever scheme for a more permanent repair job is being whispered about.
Lillith has a big juicy project in front of her at the courthouse this year. The resources and information she needs to get the work done are coming together. There are complex process questions to solve making the work interesting. Her managers, co-workers, and the software vendor and state project team are all going to really appreciate Lillith’s attention to detail, creative problem solving approach, and in-depth knowledge of the office’s process when conversion day comes.
Once this conversion project is complete and the hectic transition period is over for the staff at the office, Lillith will have an opportunity to evaluate what she wants to do with her work week hours next. In fact, she is already thinking about the exciting possibilities that transition time will bring.
The new Animated Human web site is coming along slowly as Lillith sets aside other exciting projects long enough to add a page here or there. She is using a new web development tool that is really fun and Zarah and Jonathan are learning it too. Lillith also educated herself about WordPress and got a new site going for Jonathan. Check out www.illuminatedhuman.com to see what he is up to. Lillith is playing with the idea of becoming a WordPress guru and making some money doing that kind of development.
Zarah is busy building her own web site to display her fabulous art, more about that really soon. She is also home un-schooling this school year. She is learning all kind of things, using an MIT based math program, working through the Rosetta stone Spanish, writing papers on science social studies topics, and running tutorials on her computer art program. She loves being home and is meeting new friends locally that she can see on the weekends.
The Avalon’s will be spending quality time with their friends this year. They are reconnecting with Farmer’s Market friends and helping with the incorporation of the market and writing of the
by-laws. We plan to have alpaca product to sell along with gourds and other things at the market this year.
We have all joined Facebook and are really enjoying finding old friends there and being in touch. It is much more fun than we ever suspected.
Already in the works is a 4th of July Soda party featuring Jonathan’s homemade root beer, ginger ale and more. Some homemade ice cream may even make an appearance at the party. We are also going to attend Mysterium and Mayfire with our Beloved Fire Tribe. Some other vacation and visit to friend opportunity may come up this year too… we absolutely loved our week long visit to San Diego California last year where we were spoiled and pampered and got to go to Disney.
The rancher’s cows jumped our garden fence and made off with the 2008 fall harvest. Dug up the beets and carrots and ate the asparagus fronds and everything. It was quite a blow at the time, but the cows look healthier and sleeker for it, and we didn’t have to do all that onerous canning in September. They kicked the garden up pretty good too so Jonathan gets to rework the raised beds with some improvements. We left the garden fallow for the winter but are rubbing our hands together over seed catalogs and plans to start seedlings for the new season.
The Alpacas are looking really fuzzy and warm right now and we’ve got our shearing planned for April. Last year we started shearing them ourselves and bought our own equipment so this year we only have the cost of blade sharpening which is very sweet. It also stresses the animals out a lot less to just stay home for shearing rather than transport to another ranch. We’ll still go out and help out at our other friend’s ranches with their shearing ‘cause it is fun.
Last year we acquired another beautiful stud boy named Zivago and were gifted with a fleece gelding named Romeo who needed a home. With Zivago, Eros, and Gabriel we’ll be doing all our breedings at home this year which will save stress and money. We have several babies due starting in June and are optimistic about having a better year this year than last.
Zarah was gifted with a horse named Blue last year and she is spending time a couple of days a week learning to ride him. He is a sweet older fella, big and really beautiful. He loves to eat. We’re pleased to have added him to our family.
Jonathan acquired a boy dairy cow last year and is raising him for meat. He is cute and sweet and kinda dopey. He’ll keep the horse company in the new pen and become a delicious source of nutrition for our family later on. Providing our own meat has always been a big goal of living out here on rural land so this is an exciting step for us after years of rabbits and chickens. We are double dipping now, buying at the grocery store and feeding the cow, but before long that cycle will change and we’ll have higher quality less expensive meat conveniently in the freezer. Meantime we are learning that we like cow energy and that our thoughts of raising and training a team of oxen may not be so far fetched.
We still scheme about growing grass for the animals. This year garden re-fencing, a nice big horse pen, and dome repair are all in order for sure, but maybe a patch of learning grass will get planted in the fall too. Cabin expansion is a possibility and Jonathan will definitely get back to the methane brewing. So far that has been a little too successful and blown the lid off the barrel each time! We gotta get storage hooked up, wash the valves, and start again when it is warmer. We have so much marvelous poo to use, it is very exciting to think we can use it to keep warm and cook with after a little alchemical transformation to methane.
We are grateful for our family, friends and the opportunities this new year will bring for prosperity, learning and fun. So there you have it. Better late than never, thick and juicy.
Love!
