A walk through my neighborhood

A. View from our porch. January 15, 2014, 9:16am

Starting out on my walk, I leave from my front porch. The rocking chair is one I grew up with; it came to me after my parents moved out of their house when my father got sick.

B.  Feeding my chickens.  January 15, 2014, 9:18 am

This morning my chickens get some corn in the yard in addition to last night's vegetable scraps and old bread.

C. Down the road. January 15, 2014, 9:22 am

 

A gentle curve in Firefly Drive.

D. The bouncy bridge. January 15, 2014, 9:28 am

This is known in our community as "The Bouncy Bridge" and is the site of many events, including the Arthur Morgan School graduation each May when students walk over the bridge from the teachers and student to their parents waiting on the other side. We built this on a community workday; see images of this day here.

 

E.   Footbridges. January 15, 2014, 9:33 am

These are some footbridges over the creeks that run through the woods behind Camp Celo.

F. Gib feeds his chickens. January 15, 2014, 9:42 am

My friend Gib is out feeding his chickens. He has a great movable chicken coop and uses the chickens to clean up and fertilize different part of his garden.

G.  Gib's cows. January 15, 2014, 9:53 am

I milk Gib's cow Belle every Wednesday morning. Belle and the two calves watch me hungrily as I get ready to give them sweet feed that supplements their winter diet of hay.

G2.  Belle runs in. January 15, 2014, 9:54 am

I have milked several of Gib's cows over the years, but never have a met a cow who is as excited to run into the barn to get her feed and be milked.

G3.  Belle chewing her cud. January 15, 2014, 10:26 am

I have finished milking and am getting ready to let Belle out of the stanchion. She has been patient, chewing her cud as I milked.

H.  Pete and Jon. January 15, 2014, 10:46 am

Pete and Jon are building a new deck at Camp Celo. Jon is an old friend - one of the most talented and humble people I know. Pete and his girlfriend just moved back to the area last year after having been gone, and we're happy to have them back.

I.  Elizabeth pouring up soup. January 15, 2014, 10:49 am

Elizabeth of Stone Soul Soup is inside the Camp Celo kitchen pouring soup into jars for her customers. The soup today is Caldo Verde soup with kale fropm Wildwood Herbal and organic chorizo from Dry Ridge Farm.

 

J. Work projects. January 15, 2014, 11:19 am

Wednesday mornings are work projects at Arthur Morgan School. Here Micah and Andrew stop their wood splitting chore to consult with a student who is on her way to the barn with an umbrella and a matress. Go figure.

 

K.  Meal prep. January 15, 2014, 11:34 am

Students at Arthur Morgan School participate in all the cooking. Here Asha helps Sarah get ready for lunch.

L.  Archives. January 15, 2014, 11:36 am

Michelle and students find old photgraphs as they are cleaning up the school office.

M.  Ladders. January 15, 2014, 11:45am

To reach high in life, you need a little help. This is behind the Arthur Morgan School barn.

N.  Sign. January 15, 2014, 11:47am

Leaving Arthur Morgan School, I pass the new sign the students made that features Yancey County's biggest pencil.

 

O.  Portable sawmill. January 15, 2014, 11:48am

The students and staff at Arthur Morgan School have been milling lumber from trees on the property using a portable sawmill.

P.  Gib finishes drywall. January 15, 2014, 11:57am

I catch up with my friend Gib at the house he is building for himself and his wife Annie. Only the basement is finished thus far. This room will be an apartment for their daughter.

P1.  The foundation for Gib and Annie's house. January 15, 2014, 12:12 pm

After talking to Gib for a while, I head back out. Here I'm looking back to Gib's housesite. Next year, Gib will be putting up the framing for a two story house on this foundation.

Q. School is out early. January 15, 2014, 12:22 pm

I'm heading home now. There is some snow coming in, so the local public schools have been let out. I pass Leif and Marvin, two students from my wife's school, out riding bikes.

Q2.  Marvin. January 15, 2014, 12:23 pm

Marvin really wants me to check out his tricks.

Q3.  Isaiah watches Leif. January 15, 2014, 12:24 pm

Another of Margot's former students, Isaiah, watches Leif, who is not to be outdone.

R.  Horses in the cold. January 15, 2014, 12:26 pm

As the snow starts to spit, I stop for a visit with my neighbor's horses. The one in the background is a rescue horse - one that had been badly maltreated before it came to live near us.

S.  Amanda and Eric. January 15, 2014, 12:29 pm

T.  Back up firefly drive. January 15, 2014, 12:36 pm

And now I am coming to the last leg of my short journey. My house is at the top of Firefly drive.

U.  Polly and Ginger. January 15, 2014, 12:48 pm

My friend Polly and her baby Ginger pass me on the road and stop for a (very quiet) chat.

V.  Fork in the road. January 15, 2014, 12:54 pm

I head up towards the last turn to home.

W.  Bowling ball pendulum wave sculpture. January 15, 2014, 1:08 pm

This sculpture below my house is something I made with friends a couple of winter's ago down in a field nearby and then rebuilt in the woods last summer.  It's a part of the physics playground.

X.  Home again. January 15, 2014, 1:09 pm

Margot and I built our house over 5 years with our own hands, starting by cutting trees and milling timbers with a portable sawmill. This had always been our dream, and we are lucky to live in a community where many friends could help us make it happen.

 

Y.  Egg collection. January 15, 2014, 1:11 pm

Back in the chicken house, this hen has laid my lunch.

Z.  Lunch. January 15, 2014, 1:19 pm

Since we sometimes feed our chickens kitchen scraps, this egg has energy in it that was trapped by the sun last summer in our garden - which means that, at least in part, I will be eating July for lunch.

Z2.  Did someone say lunch? January 15, 2014, 1:20 pm

Charlotte and Uncle George aren't far away when food is around.