A week ago yesterday we made our shortest trek from one encampment to another ... eight miles I think. Whidbey Island is a long boot of an island and the southern end of this Salish Sea-found place is where we are today. A wet spring has extended herself to this area, leaving our two clotheslines of garmets mostly wet for the past seven days. People who live with chemical sensitivites know that cleaning most garments, bedding etc. can take as long as years and at least several months of nature doing her work (rain/snow/sun/wind/fresh air) before those garments or bedding are useable. Tall trees once again provide us their stout bodies for clothesline poles and the clean air and rain rinse and soften thrift shop outerwar which we might wear this summer, or next.
There is healing and progress by degrees as we look back on our year of life from VardoForTwo. Life from a cozy and tiny sleeping loft of a home has presented us with challenges and value. The challenges show up when we are without a place to cook and store our kitchen-chattels; and toileting/showering is another phase of the challenge; and finally the issue of how and where to wash and dry clothing round out the basic challenges. There are other luxury wishes, too yet the three challenges remain the basic needs of a human life so those are the ones we address ourselves to as we adjust once again to a new environment.
Camp Kitchens
Thus far, the reused green house frame gives us shelter and electrical connection to keep our hot plate hot and the tiny refrigerator we inherited from our Everett 'ohana is chilling most of our food. The water of Whidbey is hard, heavy with iron and magnesium. We use our glass jugs and use the grocery outlet RO (reverse osmosis) water machines for drinking water. A garden hose feeds water for dishes, and today I took my first rain bath which was wonderful. The magnificent trees and the woodscreatures are not offended by a little round two-footer washing herself with rain water and a cotton napkin. We use no soaps so the forrest floor remains intact save for my washings.
We are working on the next steps for kitchen improvements, with a wise memory of what the winter is like when there is no covered and sheltered kitchen. Many ideas in the work. At this point in the journey we are both still in agreement that keeping the kitchen and toileting space separate from our cozy VardoForTwo is a good idea. Maintaining a safe sleeping haven remains priority.
Composting Toilet
Liz our dear friend from Anacortes has recycled her Nature's Head composting toilet to us, and we are very thankful! In time, we will exchange some work for this valuable asset. The toilet is parked on a small platform Pete built of recycled boards, and is tucked behind a new stand of young alders twenty odd steps from the vardo porch. We have some work to do, and lessons to learn in making this toilet 'compost' ... our challenges come from using (too much) toilet paper/paper that doesn't break down easily, and the soggy cool weather makes it hard for air to move through the peat moss and poop.
The toilet separates the pee from poop, so one must become conscious of those bodily functions and push down on the lever for the pooping part, and pull up to direct the pee in its own holding tank. At first, it was such a treat to be seated under the tall stands of trees ... losing attending, until I was brought back to the moment.
In all, this part of our evolving VardoForTwo life is such a leap of progress. The details and adjustments are coming.
Laundry
Our first laundry day is yet to come.
JOTS and the Woods
With the minutes left here at Langley computer #9 ... I'll leave this first week's narrative with the wonderful times we are having with JOTS back in her woods element. She is happy to be with the woods again ... huntress and wild being. We have many more walks through the new trails and spend long minutes cuddling her onto shoulder or lap.
Blessings and aloha your way,
Mokihana and Pete
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