Living on the Ledge: Power On

Life in the woods includes adjusting to the number of steps it takes to complete a task. From within the wee space of our vardo there are two electrical boxes, each box allows two plugs to draw power ... the power a 20 AMP electrical service in our friends' garage. In twenty-four hours during the three weeks on the Ledge those four plugs allow these things to draw power:
the ceramic heater, the AUSTIN Jr. air filter and ... then the choices begin ... is it dark? choice 1) the fairy lites or choice 2) the 40 watt bulb that lights the lamp. If the heater, filter and lamp/lites are going I turn the heater down low and can turn the laptop on to write. To heat the kettle for water or cook a meal outside heat and filtration are the only things going on inside.

Cooking with electricity outside in the woods while Washington continues being wet at any moment is a roll of the dice. We have levelled off the natural slope of the Ledge without totally upsetting the world that had been here before VARDOFORTWO. Our cooking table is no longer a calf-stretching yoga posture. Since we have yet to create the awning to keep us dry, last night's rains have dampened the cook top again, inspite of the tarp I so diligently pulled over the appliances. I'm writing from the Belfair library ... taking a break from the simple life on the Ledge, not yet ready to face the music of drying out the burner canting prayers to the cooking goddess ... "Be patient with us we are unseasoned ..."

JOTS our kitty pal has a ritual of hunt constantly on her agenda, along with long naps during the day on Pete's old grey wool sweater. Evidence of her successes appear in disgustingly apparent rolls of undigested cat food and vermin. While the pollens of the world rain supreme our trail therapy sessions are short and few, but we get in the cuddles and crawl on the shoulder needs regardless.

Pete is back in Seattle for a couple more days of helping Joel prepare The Kitchenette for new renters. The vardo is proving to be a home of warm, security and safety ... There is plenty to share from the Ledge and in time this journey will morph into a whole new season. Until next time, a hui hou, malama pono, take care and keep in touch.

Living on the Ledge:Parsing the messages

Living on the Ledge in the woods has us stretching our resiliency muscles. The weather bounces from one sunny day to a evening of hailstones. The wee home balances nicely on two fir stumps and with that restored balance I don't roll into the wall or off the edge of the futon. I find the rocking feeling is settling too ... I walk from the rock in the vardo and have my legs with no conscious adjustments. Pete and I are at the Timberline Regional Library, our internet cafe for now. The posts will continue to be sporadic till we link up with a server from Pellet and Turtle's computer in the 'big house.'

We're here researching composting toilets ... the need for something more than a back-packing eco potty has made the point with us. Even living small will need to include a toilet with more substance to it! Life without connections to things electronic or cyber is shifting us. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it ... my first visit back to my NAET practitioner in 3 weeks, and she said, "You certainly seem a lot more relaxed!" It's probably the serenade of the frogs that has done something to my everything ... There are many things to finish, and projects to make our ledge living more, hmmm what's the word "useable, convenient ..." Pete's just erected a giant mail box along side the porch for a shoe box ...to keep our shoes dry...Our electric stove top has dried out and is working for us again after being drenched by rain when we were too pooped to do one more thing. The old favorite yellow Hawaii curtains had to be replaced earlier this week ... the polyester blend cotton started to give off the long-lasting formaldahyde treatment smell and I was waking up in a panic and nausea. So now our former green flannel sheet is now covering our windows. It's a gray green muted shade that induces great long sleep.

The messages from the woods are powerful. We are training ourselves to slow into the lessons here. No pictures for a while. You will have to imagine two old dears and a black kitty covered in tree pollen living on the ledge over-looking a high mountain pond ... cooking under a golf umbrella when it's hailing, snuggling under the silk comforter, listening to the froggies serenade them into sleep.

More when we're able. Aloha, Mokihana

VARDOFORTWO from the Ledge our tree family

Laundry drying in the fresh air, held in place by Tutu, the giant elder fir who granted us permission in the first place.

The top third of Tutu. She is a very grand lady!

Barely visible is a slender young vine maple that is coming into bud. I watch her every morning and see the green shoots expand ever so delicately ... yet persistently. JOTS and I like to do Trail Therapy past this vine maple and down toward the pond below.

In the weeks to come we'd like to introduce and share the creation of our Shared Community with Pellet, Turtle and Jane E. Dog as VARDOFORTWO and Mokihana and Pete learn to live in the woods with gentle and loving acts ... A hui hou. Mokihana

VARDOFORTWO from the Ledge in the Woods

Welcome to our wee home perched on the Ledge in the Woods near the foothills of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. Take this short curved stone-edged path to our front porch. The beautiful flowers were delivered by the Flower Fairy on our second morning on the Ledge ... a gift from Turtle.

A major motivation for building a mobile VARDOFORTWO grew from the ill effects of pesticides and chemicals on our bodies and our well-being. We are a PESTICIDE and CHEMICAL/FRAGRACE FREE ZONE.


VARDOFORTWO is a very simple, one room safe and cozy room-home.
The futon bed and punee (Hawaiian for 'day bed') fills the back half of the vardo.
In time, we may hinge the futon and push in up by half to give us more room ...

Storage of our clean clothes, and safe in-side things like the laptop in its case, my sewing machine and medical first-aid equipment is under the bed.

There are four wonderful windows that let in glorious light and exquisite oxygen filled fresh, clean air. The window above is the one at the head of the head. It's within easy reach to open or close. All the windows will be screened soon ... Pete's made all four screens and has set them out to off-gas and be cleaned by rain and sunshine.

A gentle table lamp that we have carried for thousands of miles, and many moves gives us our light ... tiny white fairy lights line the top of the wall with light too ... more than enough light run on very little electricity. YES ... VARDOFORTWO is connected by 12 guage electrical cord at the moment.

There are so many things to learn during this transition. We are now part of the woods. We cook, s*it and p** in a PEET (portable eco-efficient toilet), and store everything ELSE under the trailer or outside. More shall be relieved, as we show up for each new day and each new night.

A few more pictures are in the next post ... our tree family. Posts will be sporatic and responds to any email will definitely happen, but it may be a while in between as we make connections from the woods.

Many loving wishes to all our family, friends, followers and readers. Dreams are children waiting to be nurtured. Aloha, Mokihana and Pete

THE DREAM CAME TRUE: On the road and in the woods!

Pete, Doug and Lois in the ferry line for Bremerton

VARDOFORTWO hitched to the rental truck (a heavy duty 250 GMC diesel works) It cost us less than $150 dollars for two days rental plus gas to move us. We consider this a wise was to spend money, and for the time being owning another vehicle is not the choice we make.

Pete is way out in front, after backing out of a Dead End. There was no stopping him and that sense of authority to be in charge of your life ... it was affirmed in this pic of him.

Doug and Pellet ... old time friends, doing what they have done for decades. Playing!
Waiting for Pete to back into the spot in the woods.

That's me, this morning looking through my Dutch Door listening to the frogs, and looking out across the trees to the pond. Anchored and totally blissed out!

Yesterday, Sunday, April 5, 2009 will be remembered as a gem of a day for dreamers. It is all worth it ... the imagining, the work, the steps forward and the steps back. Without dreams there is only someone else taking responsibility for the dear lives we do have. Pete said last night, "When you post ... tell 'em it's GO FOR IT time, no more just talking about it." The man was in heaven behind the wheel of that heavy duty pick up truck heading for the ferry, and then onto the roads for the woods.

There were moments of hesitation ... once off the ferry from Seattle the Bremerton, Pete was having so much fun the back roads he was having TOO MUCH FUN SHOWING OFF, he wanted everyone to see it~ It was the DEAD END sign that tripped an old memory living in me from a life long past ... the genes of a construction worker father who taught me and my brother to drive D-8 Caterpillar tractors; and the young wife who helped back up a trailer towing boats. The vardo and the driver was at the end of the 'back road' route ... it was time to get that wheelie home on the highway. My body language and confidence with directions to Pete in the rental truck was the kick in the okole for both of us. Time to get MOVIN' now, ... imua (forward).

From there it was no stopping the builder of VARDOFORTWO.

We have positioned and anchored our wee home in the woods of the Olympic Mountain foothills. It is beautiful there, and our friends Doug Lois were part of our caravan to the woods. Great fun and laughs along the way, with a bit of understandable anxiety, too.

Pellet and Turtle and Jane Dog were there to welcome us to our new home and a great feast of salmon, potato salad and brownies were shared by all. Our first night and morning in VARDORFORTWO was bliss. The tiny space is lovable and the ceramic heater works like a champion. Of course, the first 65 degree day of spring helped as well.

Dreams are the makings of any tomorrow. Thank the gods, the spirits and the friends visible and invisible for all the love and direction that has given our dreams .... mahalo, mahalo.

Thanks everyone for your good wishes. A hui hou!

DREAM COMING TRUE WEEK 22: VARDOFORTWO is Mobile!

Pete and Tony. Angling the trailer for pull out.

Joel (our friend, owner of The Kitchenette) and Tony, our neighbor. Thanks so much guys. We couldn't have done this hitch up with out you.

We are hitched up to the rental truck. It took a village--three neighbors and Pete, and lots of inch by inch movement to get the vardo out and up to the road. We are tired, and so appreciative .... so thankful the dream has come true! It's an early morning ferry ride tomorrow and then in the woods we go. Hope the journey has been worth the visits ... Internet service will be different in the woods so we'll keep you posted as we can.

This life simply takes a village. We are off to be no mad momads.

This week I appreciate these people and things:

1. I appreciate Joel.

2. I appreciate Tony.

3. I appreciate Chris.

4. I appreciate Doug.

5. I appreciate Lois.

6. I appreciate Turtle.

7. I appreciate Pellet.

8. I appreciate the 12 steps.

9. I appreciate Bette.

10. I appreciate Pete.

Cheers! Mokihana and Pete