Lurking Lurker: September 2012

I’ve been bad at keeping in touch, I know. I want you all to know that I’ve missed you terribly and think of home often. I feel like I’ve been swept off with the changing winds, and I am very happy.

I’ve been living for three weeks at this beautiful farm called Snaggy Mountain, near Burnsville, NC. My plans of rapid traveling stopped abruptly when I found this place. It’s nice to stay when things feel right, and leave when things don’t.

A little summary of the last month:

I rode down to Charlottesville, VA near the end of August with a friend from Lothlorian. In her little car we played folk songs and watched the landscape change. I stayed about a week there in the sunshine-- couch-surfing, seeing the city, planning my next step. After that, a Greyhound to Asheville, which was a stressful medley of bad planning and unfortunate events. I made it there, though, narrowly avoiding being stranded in Lynchburg, VA.

Coming to Asheville felt like coming home. I visited my old friend Colleen at her beautiful campus in Warren Wilson (a short bus ride from the city). I half-camped, half-stayed at Colleen’s lovely little co-op called Preston House. I had an awesome time being in such beautiful mountains again and learning how an alternative college/ eco-community can function. After a week, however, I knew I should move on. I had grown tired of camping alone, but I was held up for a couple of days trying to get a ride from Asheville to Snaggy. Towards the end of the second week, some fellow wwoofers picked me up.

Snaggy Mountain is more wonderful than I could ever expect. It’s a small organic, non-mechanic farm near Burnsville, NC, which itself is a tiny little town Northeast of Asheville. When I first arrived I was bombarded with positive energy and movement. The house was alive with people making music, art, and juggling. There was music, animals, plants, and beautiful things everywhere.

It’s still incredibly inspiring being here, after 3 weeks and seeing so many people already come and go that I already feel like a veteran. There have been travelers of all types, real old-timey farmers and outdoorsmen, artists, musicians, people from England and Germany-- all nature-lovers and enthusiastic types. There are two kittens, several dogs, three goats, chickens, cows, a pig, and a hedgehog. We eat primarily from our land and from exchanges by other local organic farmers. This week, that means we’re eating a lot of bell peppers, eggplant, kale, lettuce, apples, and eggs. It’s luxurious. I’m learning to cook and my body feels fantastic.

The work isn’t so hard. It’s a brand new farm that only began this past spring, but it’s growing rapidly. It’s fun to be a part of that. The guy who runs the place, Jared, is really wonderful. He’s a skilled farmer and incredible musician. He and I and the passers-through live in the main house which is a converted mobile home. There are three others that live on the land, in a motorhome, truck, and schoolbus. Right now we’re trying to expand the place and are building a music bungalow for Jared to live in out of wood from an old barn on one of the prettiest peaks on the land. The views are incredible here, it looks like a postcard. The land is mostly forest and grassland, dotted with apple trees, very healthy.

In just the past couple of days the forest is beginning to explode with color. It’s beginning to get windy and very chilly in the mornings. It smells like fall. It looks like soon there will be much less to do here, and fewer wwoofers coming through, so I’m looking forward to hunkering down a bit until Christmas. I’ve bought some art supplies and I’m hoping to make lots of sculptures and paintings here through the winter. I plan to be back in Milwaukee by Christmas, and will probably stay a couple of weeks. Beyond that, I’m not sure. I’d like to be able to have an exhibition in Asheville early next year, to try and get some attention in the scene, and hopefully some gallery representation. All is up in the air as it should be too, because I’m also plotting a trip to Germany.
I’ve fallen in love with one of the German travelers that passed through here. We’ve only just said goodbyes a few days ago at the Greyhound Station. He was on sort of an extended vacation, but has to return for school in October. We only had two weeks together and it’s kind of mad but I’m going to go see him on his next break and we’ll vacation in Berlin for a couple months. All I need is a plane ticket!

My life is completely different here. Slower and more peaceful. Days are long and eventful. I spend hardly any time on electronic devices and I have so few possessions (all I brought was a backpack). I spend very little time alone but the energy is so peaceful and love so steady that I don’t miss time alone. Even though there is so much coming and going, the people living here at any moment are family. Everyone is so kind and has an interesting story to tell.

I should wrap this up because it’s nearly midnight and that’s late for Snaggy Mountain. I rise early now (like I said, my life is completely different). It’s nice. Today I got to see dawn at 7am.

Sending all my love from the middle of nowhere, NC,

Mia

(Apollo says hi too!)

Bobo hoops and juggles too!

In our garden!

Greens Garden

The view from our garden, with Celo Mountain in the background, one of the tallest in the Appalachian chain. That brown cow on the left is very sweet and curious. I think she is one of few without a calf. You can see the barn, chicken coop, and magic bus from here.