PHOTOS: Work Parties late July, Plus, not so welcome SURPRISE!

During the summer season, we ask that podmates show up for four hours of outside work per week, either during work parties or at other times, if not possible. I, for one, am always amazed at how working with a group helps both my mood and my energy level. There are times when I go out there and think there’s no way I can even do it (I’m 76 years old), but when its done I feel tired but refreshed!

July 22, 2019

Monday morning’s work party was small, only five people able to make it. But we cleared out the constantly burgeoning “weeds” from the front garden at the second DeKist house, with Rebecca (who wants to be called Cherisse from now on, returning to her given birth name), as usual, setting the stage and directing, when needed, Camden, Andreas, Solan, and myself.

Note the gravel piled at the bottom of these photos. That’s what remains from two other projects that used gravel as documented in previous posts.

July 25, 2019

Yesterday morning’s work party was much larger, and we got a lot done, again, under Cherisse’s tutelage, when needed. Young, unwanted trees pulled, a section of the DeKist 1 street edge cleared and mulched, the rest of the gravel to the front of the Overhill house where it had started to rut out, a huge vine pulled out of a tree, plus other little tasks that I didn’t witness. Here’s photos:

Thanks to Solan, here sitting in front of the huge, now piled, vine. That tree is much happier now.

Camden and Dan shoveled and wheelbarrowed, first gravel, the result shown here, in front of Overhill house —

— and then mulch, for the sheet mulching project nearby.

Here, BTW, is a typical shot of Andreas, our newly minted Ph.D. pianist, who is usually either talking or looking at his phone to find another classical piece of music to play for everybody, or, yes, sometimes, once in a while, actually working. All of these millennials seem to have a bit of trouble multi-tasking, that is, talking and working together. Both Cherisse and I just shake our heads, trying not to ask them again, to talk AND work, at the same time. But Andreas, he would agree, is hands down, the worst offender. Love him!

Here’s my stuff, as I get ready to pull weeds for the sheet mulching operation. Note both puppy Shadow and crone stool.

Solan and Daisy, without stools, show their butts! Ah, and that’s Andreas, (kinda) hard at work!

We pulled the woods, then chopped and or just set them down in place, where they will compost under the cardboard and/or layered newspaper, that will be covered with wood chips for mulch. Remember, as permaculturists, we are always working to make soil. And yep, Andreas still (slowly) working!

Daisy, raking the wood chips.

I never did get photos of Chris, pulling up the small trees. Or of Solan, doing something deep inside our front yard food forest under Cherisse’s direction. What?

Here’s the food forest. Three? Four?  years ago, it was a lawn.

I did get a picture of the funky food forest sign Rebecca just made, to instruct neighbors that this seemingly overgrown mess is actually very intentional.

And I took a couple of pics of new gardens behind the forest, in front of the DeKist 1 house.

Then, this morning, July 26th, I took a few more photos. Wow! Food Forest sign installed! Plus, Dan actually found the reflective tape, which we drape over the elderberry queen bush to keep birds away from the berries, before we can harvest them for tinctures and tonic. YES!

Even though we’re going back to nature the the middle of town, that’s not to say we’re not connected in the usual digital ways. In fact, we rely on cell phone texts for much of our communication, since you never know who will be where, or when. Here’s the text Rebecca sent out after yesterday’s work party.

One other discovery this morning. Dan attached the sign. We have yet to deal with the situation. It’s a very active free library, so I hope no one has been stung!