June 23

I've been doing so many things that I completely forgot about writing.

Yesterday I built the room for a compost toilet, which means I put together a structure which is about the size and shape of a porta-potty. Beth was instructing me and helping hold things in place, but for the most part I built it on my own. I feel accomplished. :)
The compost toilet is a way to convert "humanure", Joseph Jenkins as calls it, into viable composting material. You can't put human manure into a methane digester, because the water keeps it from getting hot enough to kill off human (or pig) pathogens. In a compost toilet, the human manure is layered with food scraps and straw or sawdust, keeping it dry. Eventually it reaches 120 degrees, which is enough to kill off even roundworm eggs. You can learn more about them at his website, humanurehandbook.com
I also started my hand loom, but I'm going to need to use one of Beth's son's saws to finish it. When I go over there tomorrow, I'll also pick up the medicinal plant book I ordered, which his girlfriend considerately pick up for me from the post office today. I'm going to start studying as soon as I have it in my green little hands.
I'll probably also borrow his guitar so that I can start writing some music again.
We finally had an internet connection installed right here in the house, so I can update more often. But electricity is still limited, so of course my access won't be constant.
Today I battled with a GIANT stand of thistles that was growing behind the composter. Those buggers are spiky, vicious, and do not give up easily. I felt like the prince hacking through the brambles to get to Sleeping Beauty. Except instead of clearing a path to an unconscious (and basically useless) princess, I was clearing a path to a regenerative miracle.
I've been reading We The People, a book on the active destruction of democracy that is taking place in the US. I have to get off soon so our lights stay on, but for now I'll say about it that when I vote, I will insist on punching an actual card, and never vote on an electronic counting machine. They've been known to hand the election to Republican candidates due to "screen displacement".
New WWOOFers come soon, which is a relief, because my hosts can get a little micro-managey.
What is not a relief is the realization that keeps washing over me intermittently. I can forget about it for a little while at a time, but it always comes back...
I have had some friends who consider themselves anarchists. Those people ought to be pleased, because anarchy is on its way. Our economy is so bad, and corporate takeover is so widespread, that quite soon the democracy will crumble completely and you will find yourself unprotected by law enforcement. This is not the time to sit around playing computer games. This is the time to learn survival skills (if you can).
I just sent an email to the director of student affairs asking for a self-defense class at the Sports Center. Those of you I've talked to said you would love to take one, and it'll be great for both fitness and protection. So I hope they listen to me. I may ask some of you to send them more emails yourselves if they are fussy about it. I also sent an email to David House about getting a methane digester for Sarah Lawrence. If you feel like contacting him too, you can do it through completebiogas.com.
I bought five herbs the other day! I got Agrimony, Valerian, Lavender, Absinthe, and Lemon Verbena in pots. I also got some Chamomile and Echinacea seeds. Looking forward to cultivating them. Oh, we also started some mushroom plugs, which means we drilled holes in that oak we chainsawed the other day and stuck these little mushroom spore twisties in the holes. When we were drilling, one of the logs fell off the sawhorses and hit my leg... now I have a giant bruise on my right thigh!
Speaking of occupational hazards, I also fell down a steep slope straight into the creekbed. For some reason I thought it would be a fun challenge to see if I could control my slide.
I could not.
I only scraped my hand up a little though, and it was actually pretty fun...
OH and Chulito the dog found a rattlesnake under the house the other day. Don't worry, we're all fine (I mean, except the rattlesnake). First one I've ever seen... it was kind of cool.
Alright, I have to go because I'm literally burning daylight. Now that the sun is down, the solar we collected today is running out.
See ya!