Alone

Today I started a 6 week housesitting gig in the Maine woods, near Belfast. I'll call the houselords, who are also my future midwifery mentors, "Rocky" and "Balls", just for fun. The house/homestead is SWEET. Nice cats, big vegetable garden, TV...and great bathtub- to quote Balls directly, "this tub fucking rocks".

I had some intense moments of realizing it's been AGES since I've been alone- and never for this long before....
Then the guy who ploughs the driveway here dropped by on his bicycle with the winter bill and asked to be friends with me. We went for a bikeride and he had a hard time keeping up. There was also talk of dinner and blues-dancing in the future, so I'll need to watch how friendly I am, but he does carpentry and stonecarving, so might be a useful associate.

I'm looking forward to getting a life here. I was terrified that starting fresh was going to suck bigtime, but I'm pretty excited, actually. This is probably because the start is only moderately fresh- I know several people around here already and am mildly familiar with the area.


Watch this video, if you haven't already. It's about enjoying your own company.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7X7sZzSXYs

Got it made

I took a vacation from my vacation yesterday. Spent the day with a good friend raiding his neighborhood trees:

a sample of the haul: kumquats, oranges, a meyer lemon, a lumpy lemon, avocados (2 kinds)

Playing with fire and glass, making beads:

I made most of these (all except the prettiest...). They are strung on pig gut.

...and eating good food, talking good talk and enjoying the sunshine.

Today, like every other day, I loved the baby:

....and climbed a mountain:

That's the ocean in the distance...

Notes:
You have Melanya to thank for the photos- she gave me her old camera.

Not everyone is excited about people foraging fruit in the neighborhood:

This loquat tree in a front yard has a sign on it that, somewhat ambiguously, says: "STOP PICK UP FRUIT! I WILL CALL POLICE". Loquats aren't that delicious.

Emily can walk both babies at once, now:

This Guy

Emily had a baby. He's all that. check him out!

Also, remember when I worked at summer camp? Turns out I made a video of my life there and it is available for your viewing pleasure here: http://campaugusta.org/Staff/StaffApp/KitchenApp/kitchenapp.html