As often happens, I get ideas for writing themes after conversations at coffee group. A recent conversation reminded me of how I fell in love with wood.

Liz here, recounting the recent happenings at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage.

Humans love wood; it seems to be a deep-seated aspect of our beings. People who know nothing about tree species, about woodworking, about the relative qualities of different wood (density, water resistance, strength, harvesting status, etc.), respond with pleasure to a beautifully crafted wood chair, oiled beams supporting a ceiling, carved wood handles on cabinet doors, or a massive, protective wood door.

Since moving to DR seven years ago, I have been learning more about trees and wood. And this winter I have moved into learning more about woodworking, which was the next learning edge for me in my building project. Before I moved to DR, I had an enthusiasm for wood, but I thought that actual woodworking was something beyond my capabilities and interest.

I’ve done a lot of cutting, sanding and staining of pallet boards (100 boards in each of the three ceilings downstairs, for example) and walnut over the last five years for the straw bale building we call the Hub. This winter, crew member Ciaran and I moved into designing more complicated objects (humey bench, bathroom sink counter, stone bench, overlay ceiling trim, angled pallet boards on the walls, tiled shower surround with glass blocks inserted) and wood combinations (pine pallet boards, white oak trim, cedar trim, yellow pine sink countertop, walnut trim). And everywhere in the bathroom are edges where different types of material meet (tile to wood, wood to stone, wood to clay plaster), which requires some kind of trim to bridge it. I think that for myself, and possibly other woodworkers, once you start down a path of learning, the beauty of wood and making things out of it can become addictive. And that vague helpless feeling that I ought to have basic carpentry skills has vanished, replaced by curiosity, problem-solving skills, and satisfaction when it’s done.

There has been a lot of activity in the village around getting ready for the first visitor program of this year, starting with Land Clean Day. We gather in the courtyard, hold hands and sing a song, and then disperse to all the different tasks that need to be done, like weeding, mulching, cleaning out the machine shed, and bringing piles of brush to the front of the village for burning in our biochar incinerator.

I know spring has really sprung when my yellow daffodils and purple irises begin to bloom. This year Cat has outdone herself with a splash of color across the street from me, as her tulips bloom in abundance. On my walk home everyday from the Hub, I see so much spring color, as my fruit trees begin to bloom as well in my front yard.

We had a tornado touch down within view of the village, just last week. It quickly dissipated. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to tornadoes, but I did keep working over at the Hub while the sky darkened and the rain and wind whipped up. I happened to be working on the bathroom, a relatively safe room to be in when there’s a tornado. Javi sent a video around of the event, the closest I’ve come to one yet.

The Agroforestry Co-op has started planting 250 chestnut trees as the start of manifesting a chestnut tree orchard on farm. Figuring out the exact days to plant them is tricky, as suitable weather, enough people, and transporting seedling trees from a university nursery has to all merge together. Over the winter a five-acre site for the orchard was decided on and with the spring weather, holes for the young trees were dug.

Today is a busy day, as visitors start to arrive for the first two-week visitor’s program, a student group from a local college arrives to help with chestnut tree planting for the day, and work exchange people arrive to help us with gardening and building projects over the spring and summer. As I walked home after going to the gym, I saw PK and Robey waiting for tree planters and Cob and Squirrel waiting to greet visitors as they arrive. There’s definitely a buzz in the air. A community governance meeting is set to start within the hour, discussing whether people who move to DR should be allowed to bring their RV, bus or other temporary house to our community as a way to address our housing shortage.

And me? Well, as I keep saying, when the community is ready to start building homes, I am there. In the meantime, I’m pretty much head down, working on the Hub and making progress each day. We have been doing our own cleaning and tidying of the building, getting the Hub ready for a class on natural building for visitors in a few days, and a returning friend of the community, who will be staying in one of the lofts for the next month.

I hope you all enjoy the change in season, wherever you are.

Liz Hackney is a natural builder and designer, as well as editor of this newsletter. She also sits on the long term planning committee, and is a regular at coffee group in the morning.