Summer Fun 2023

I wasn’t going to write anything about this summer just because I’m still in the process of learning how to relax from all the amazing adventures we had this year. A few different experiences warrant their own posts so I’ll try to get to them soon. I know no one reads blogs anymore, everyone is more interested in the quick video snippets that we are bombarded with on a daily basis. These posts are really just for me, to look back on and realize all that we’ve accomplished and all the amazing experiences we have each year. It’s easy to forget all these wonderful moments especially as the photos just fall further and further back in our photo galleries. We’ve gained so much more from this land we now call our own, and we love learning more and more about the area we are now part of. I’ve met some of our lovely neighbors, which gives me so much joy and excitement to be part of a community here. I know as the years go on and we create more of a life here, having these relationships will continue to help us burry our roots in this place.

The willow suffered a bit from a very late frost, after Spring decided it wanted to come early. We worked all early spring on building a composting bay system complete with storage for straw and rain water collection from the roof for cleaning. It was a challenge for sure and we learned so much about composting. The goal is to be semi-off grid here and with this compost bay completed we are well on our way to sustainability.

My little garden flourished with life. I’m especially excited about Rhubarb, which I always wanted. A beautiful perennial that I sure plan to grow more of. I tried Black Hopi Dye Sunflowers too, and we had our first pumpkin success!! We planted Apples, Cherries and American Hazelnuts too. It’s quite a thing to finally have land to grow things on and I don’t take it for granted, not one bit.

My second season of growing garlic was a success and I managed to save all the garlic I needed for later on this year. Being garlic sufficient is also super cool. I always thought garlic would be so hard to grow. Now I feel like a true upstater with more garlic then I know what to do with.

We purchased the biggest size chest freezer we could find to help facilitate our Yurt Build Workshop in 2024 and for eventual willow storage. Once this willow freezer is full I won’t need to worry about soaking willow perfectly for a class. Another step in the right direction!

Made my first garlic braid with strawflowers that I started from seed as well. I’ve fallen in love with strawflowers and have visions of gardens full of them and lots of flower crowns for all summer long. They lasted all the way until November and were absolutely beautiful. Speaking of flowers I finally got around to making a flower basket out of my own white willow. It was in the middle of summer so the soaking tank was helpful. I even spent a few minutes weaving this one underwater just for the fun of it. I might possibly try to improve this one and try it again, but it was a fun experiment that worked as well as I could have wanted.

Watching the willow grow is such a joy. It grows so fast that each weekend I’m astonished at how lush and lovely the world becomes. Watching the willow sway in the wind is enough to hold my gaze for hours. Our little pocket valley is so nicely tucked away, it’s like we disappear into another world. I have to remind myself to stop working all the time and enjoy the view. I can’t get enough of this view and every time I look down the rows towards the RV, I envision the day that our Yurt will replace that space and our home here will really start taking shape.

This summer I was able to collect lots of willow bark. I combed through the willow surrounding our stream and was gifted some beautiful cultivated willow by one of my neighbors. I absolutely love striping willow bark and wish I had the time to sit and collect bark for weeks. I’ll be running maybe two willow bark classes this next year so it felt great to add to my stash. Sunshine on willow bark will always be one of my favorite photos. There’s just something magical about all those beautiful rolls all lined up together. I even got to make some willow buttons out of the white rods. If you shave the outer layer off the rod it will dry nice and white. Then it can be cut into slices and holes drilled in the center. These types of little projects bring me so much joy.

We visited our favorite 3 Mile Point on the lake a couple of times. I wish we had more time to visit but the days we had were beautiful. We are so lucky to be close to Cooperstown and all it has to offer. There are amazing restaurants, museums and the lake has so much to offer. Wish the summer had more weekends.

Hopi Black Dye Sunflowers were an unexpected surprise. The birds didn’t get to the seeds before I could, so I was able to experiment and found they are great for basketry dye. The dye took to ash, willow and willow bark very well. Sunflowers are my favorite flower so having the dye was an extra fun benefit. I would definitely grow these again just for their beauty. The rain came back in the later part of the summer but up here we are used to it. The resulting rainbows are always a treat.

There was no shortage of soaking time in our 8 foot tank. I purchased this for willow soaking, but I doubt many rods will ever find their way in here, as I am quite comfortable on my own, or with my favorite human and a couple of drinks on a hot July day. We fill the tank with water from our stream that is clear and cold and absolutely delicious. I’ve never been anywhere the water is so nice; our springs feed down from the state forest above us. It truly is my heaven on earth in this tub of water listening to the birds and bees singing around me.

We got to work on an outdoor shower that I am so excited for. I got to use it a couple times at the end of fall but next year I’m looking forward to this every day. Most of what we do these weekends is to help get ready for our Yurt Workshop. Writing this now there are only 8 months until it happens and I’m excited and terrified of being ready in time. At least I know that we can offer a beautiful space for participants to cool off or get clean after a long day of working to help us build this amazing structure.

Most of the shower is made with reclaimed materials. Cedar inside to keep rot away and make it smell amazing. I’m kinda obsessed with cedar shingles these days and I’m totally ready to put cedar shingles on all three roofs of our yurt. Our reclaimed windows and door make me smile and I can’t wait to take wonderful warm showers in the summer with the windows wide open and the willow creeping in.

We had lots more adventures in new places this summer and I plan on writing about some of my teaching experiences as well. Looking back on 2023 it was a full year of hard work, fun and wonderful new connections. I’m so thrilled for all the exciting adventures this next year will bring. Cheers to 2023!