It did take me a few days to get into the movement of things on the farm. Then knowing that every place is so different, and that all of the people have been great, I knew I just had to make myself available for the new environment to display its' unique beauty. I warmed up to the new place and felt more enthusiastic with each project. Most of my work was around....weeding! As usual. However, this is the most intense weeding I think I've ever done. I aided Alice in her guest cabin project as well, which was mainly perfecting the plumbing in the kitchen. There was involvement in harvesting berries a few different times- not counting the times where I just sat and ate handfuls off the plants. And there was chicken detail, when I could refresh their food and water and collect/wash eggs or sometimes carry them in each arm to their other pen. Oh yes, I did a healthy bit of mowing the property and spent much time in the kitchen. :) The most rewarding thing of all was to knock out a solid 20x12 chunk of thistle with a big hoe. Or the day 3 others and I weeded the thistle and flowering weeds from the strawberries (VICTORY). The most emotionally connecting thing though, was to bottle feed and care for tiny baby kittens. Two weeks i spent with those silly adorable kittens and i miss being the first up to feed them.
Now the people were one of a kind for sure! Yet again, offered so many different perspectives and energies. I love everyone I get to meet and work with here. Drew and Alice were the only working people around for most of my stay, and then Brock arrived and helped me make some major progress on the blueberries, as well as many other projects that inevitably became easier with three and four sets of hands. Lauren and Brian came in the last 3 days and were priceless company and fantastic work buddies. All of our group was so great, I wished I could have had that combination all of my time there. :) All of us loved being in the kitchen and talked about music, drank with our dinners, and then had a mad game of Apples to Apples my last night. SO fun, I wont forget that.
I was able to see friends in town, see an amazing stock of fair trade items at Many Hands, indulge in humanly beauty at the country fair, meet more grand personalities, trade work for a new car battery and get hands-on training with my ride. I would definitely divide this into two posts to expand the details available, but this is more effective now, so that I can get back on track with this busy summer. I do plan to drive back through Corvallis on my way south so that I can re-visit Alice and her great farm for a well-deserved photo shoot. :) And now to catch up on my travel quote inspiration!!
To sum up my life-altering moments between Nehalem and the trip to Corvallis:
“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins
“Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.” – Pat Conroy
And for Fairfield Farm and Corvallis:
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” – Martin Buber
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