by Laura Johnson, 2013 Summer Intern
| Saturday. 6/15/13 Songaia Secrets: People lose their underwear, three pairs in lost and found. Garden Updates: Worked about six hours. Built trellises for green beans, first we had to get the rebar out of the ground… what a challenge! Thanks to some community smarts, we finally got a system that worked: a chain, crowbar and carjack. We got one full bed worth of the trellis put up, but then due to time had to move on. From there we went to help set up a bed for some yummy edamame. The area was weed whacked and we went through with a group of people to clear all of the weeds, make mini rows, plant the beans three inches apart, and fill it back up. | 
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| Social: Met up bright and early with Michelle to do some yoga, it was very different than the yoga I’ve done before, not like I had done much. It was much more energy based (and more fun), also had you focus on some question or idea. The session we had was about what was blocking us from compassion and love towards everyone, which is certainly something I struggle with, so I really felt like I took away something more than just some sweat! Sunday. 6/16/13 Songaia Secrets: The people here have really diverse pasts, but common goals and vision that have drawn them to Songaia, it is, as Nancy put it, “A peace experiment”. Thankfully, it is working out. Garden Updates: (Morning went to Journeys, worked on organizing/ base camp prep) In the afternoon, we finished up the trellises, including the supports! I added piles of compost over the edamame patch, then joined up with Brain, Patricia, and Caroline to work on the second hoop-house/ tomato-house. It was a good afternoon and felt like we are slowly starting to get in the rhythm of life here, we still have so much to learn it is nuts, but so far, so fun! Monday. 6/16/13 Songaia Secret: At Monday night dinner there are sing-a-long songs. Garden Updates: We got another intern! Maddy works on Mondays and Tuesdays with us, which is a nice pick-me-up for the work week. Myself and Maddy de-taped cardboard to use as a base layer in the garden. That, plus a PIGLET Meeting (it’s about permaculture) was what our morning consisted of. That afternoon we did a slew of things. At one point of the day I filled up wheelbarrows with compost and filled in the edamame that was planted while contemplating if I could actually have the guts to sign up for PeaceCorp. The compost got done, but I still haven’t decided if I could do such a commitment as PeaceCorp, good thing I have plenty of time to figure that out! Tuesday. Songaia Secret: All left over food and weeds that are pulled get composted in a hot compost method. Garden Updates: The main memory I have of this terrible Tuesday was composting, I’m just kidding, it wasn’t terrible, aside from the smell. We learned the ins and outs of the composting system here at Songaia. I didn’t expect for the turn-over of waste to good soil to be so fast - as in 3 weeks for a decent break down! Patricia pointed out the amazement in the food web that we were completing, which made it all seem a lot less bad. As someone new to composting, it was, from a technical way, very interesting and cool. As a participant in the process, aside from consumer, it was less appetizing. | There were also some people in the common house, so we hung out with them. Together we all had some intense conversions ranging from neuroscience, conspiracies, the importance of good farm systems, the agreed awesomeness of aquaponics, secret free energy, to things like how our organs communicate with light… yeah, we were there for a while, but it was great! Afterwards a few of us experimented and made cookies. It turned out to be a fun evening! Social: Journey’s having intern training, so there are a slew of 20ish some-things around and we are starting to get to know more people, which tends to happen. Towards the end of our tomato hut work, I proclaimed my desire for an iced cold soda, when Patricia stood up, and gave me this serious look. She instructed me to get some Izzy’s… while they were beyond delicious, I have to say that I might have a new addiction now, they were so yummy! We went out to get some caffeine, dinner and I got some Baskin Robbins, I think it’s been about 10 years and wow, still as good as my memory. Later we skyped a close friend from home in the common house where she got to briefly meet a few people as they passed in and out. We’re trying to convince her to come out and visit, we think she’d like it a lot here! 
Social: We went rock climbing, then bed. 
Social: That morning Caroline and I were invited to breakfast with Nancy and Patricia. There we had a meal that was most delicious as well as heard just a few stories. (Not sarcasm.) I think that if we could have, we would have gladly listened for many hours, nothing better than listening to good stories, well, maybe some good puns, maybe. |
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