'Unofficial' Free Day

Many people today chose to do a bushwalk around the Valley Area while Jon, the Manager and Founder of the Sanctuary gave a talk about the native vegetation. While I'm sure it was a great adventure, I wanted to take a day for myself to get some chores done as well as spend some time alone from the energy of all my co-volunteers. I walked into Thames which is about 10km from the Valley, exploring the river's waterfalls and the bay at the end of our road. It was a beautiful walk even with the creepy mist that often hangs over everything.

At one point I realized that my walk was taking an unusually long time. Confused, I wandered onto the beach and asked a woman where I was. Indeed, I was going the right way but town was still a half an hour's walk, so she actually gave me a ride and we had a great conversation for all of 5 minutes. It's amazing how generous and welcoming people are in this country. They are willing to show you around and help anyone without batting and eye. No one is jaded...how refreshing!

In town I bought more yarn because I've been knitting like crazy during the long nights at the Valley. Last week I went into the Organic Coop here and the woman working actually went home to bring me all the knitting needles and yarn she just inherited so we've been putting that to good use. I'm making a scarf and a hat now.

These three work days were a bit tedious but also fun. Most of my time was spent putting think blankets of mulch around all the fruit trees. My workmates had to scoop duck poop from the duck pond to feed the banana trees...ah, the joys of conservation and simple living!

I've begun working a lot more with the birds. Daily I work with the permaculture chicken domes, mulching them and feeding the birds all our compost and weeds. The community has also been taking care of three goslings that were abandoned by their parents. They're a bit of a handful, but are so terribly cute. We've decided they need exercise so we've begun walking them to the orchard and back at least daily. Instictually, they follow us briskly in a straight line, as if human beings are their parents and are leading them to some essential feeding spot of waterhole.

After today it's back to work for 4 days and then a two night outdoor climbing trip about 4 hours south of here. It's a common place for us to go, so some have already been there before. I'm excited not only to see the island but also to be able to climb on natural rock formations...something I haven't done in years!

Internet access will probably be impossible for me before the end of next week, so I hope this entry is enough info to hold you over.

This country is incredible. I'm definetely coming back.