2008-08-11

What a perfect day for me to make the drive up to Avalon! The temperature topped out at 78 F! For the middle of August, this spell of comfortable weather is amazing and wonderful! After Morning Offering I went to the farm to spot Mel while she works with the tractor on the access road. The road is narrow and steep and she has a concern on this 100-foot stretch of steep, high-crowned road that the tractor could tip into the ravine. So I am her 911 call on the hoof.

This time I sat in the car and watched her in the flesh rather than going to the cabin and counting on the walkie-talkies which failed us last time, running out of battery power only an hour into the exercise. It was a much better plan.

After she finished another 40 feet of smoothing the high crown down to make a flat road bed, she was exhausted. We went down into the valley for an outhouse break and to check on the chicks and her new cat, Mr. J, and then we drove across the Ohio River at Madison, Indiana, and had lunch at Shipley’s, a fun and funky bar and grill.

Our planning meeting went until 4 p.m. and I had just time enough to get back to Louisville by bath time. It was an excellent adventure. Mel is slowly transforming the place, bringing it step by step from rough wilderness to comfortable country in feel. The road is now safe for regular cars and the cabin looks better and better as Mel paints and cleans and uses her carpentry skills to build in shelves and tables and whatever is needed to live conveniently.

Meanwhile Mick was able to mow all his customers’ lawns, do all their gardening and still get in his daily maintenance and plant lariope in the front bed that runs along the parking area in front of the house. Mick had had to take down the stones at the end of the bed where the sewer lines went through, and the previous lariope did not make it. These were replacements. The re-finished stones and plantings now look as though they’d been that way forever!

We heard that Isaac Hayes died today. What a loss! He seemed to be such a nice man, and his music was great, imprinting a whole generation of rappers with his style. Farewell, soul man! We send you on your way with prayers and angels.

Mick and I had a very romantic date after our bath, always a significant spiritual time and a beautiful and healing event in my life, thanks be to God.

I offered the closing prayer at the Gaia Meditation tonight.