Since I last posted, a second and third storms did indeed come through, one of the few times that the internet weather reports have been right for this area.  Perhaps it is the remoteness and thus economic irrelevance of this area that results in the scant nearby data and poor forecasts, and at times we know it is the canyon’s micro-climate, as there can be storms all around us with an eye of blue above us.  Not this time however, with each subsequent front coming through on barreling winds that shook the house like a toy in a cat’s mouth.  There has been many instances of my regretting how well I nail things together, the often bent-over nails making renovation difficult, but at such times we are all amply glad that the humble little pine board cabins are so securely held together.

Judging by the snow sticking on the roof, we got over four inches of fluff the second storm, and a good 6″ on the third go-through.  The rain barrels were quickly filled, along with the outdoor tub, making us wish we had more food-grade barrels, or at least more heavy duty rubbermaid can that can be used to hold the precious fluid.  Given the increasing periods of doubt, saving the bounty of the storm events will be ever more important.  We have long though about getting a very large container and using a 12 volt solar powered pump to move water into it, but the fact that a first flush is ashy and for washing, and additional flushes for drinking, requires a system of smaller containers that can be rotated, as well as easily accessed and cleaned.

The second storm was as much cold rain as anything else.  And thus, yesterday we awoke to the sound of a river, choppy with whitecaps, overspilling its banks.  But by last night it was already back down to thigh deep at the deepest, since there was no store of previous snowpack to be melted by the rain and sleet deluge.

Rhiannon was already sledding when I got up early this morning, knowing that impending blue skies would quickly melt her boon.  Sure enough, a few hours of even Wintertime New Mexico sun was enough to strip the trees of the piles of white briefly held there.  I did get these photos for you before it was gone, proof that we know what the stuff is even if – unlike the Eskimos with their dozens of word for snow – we have can find only one word for it: amazing.

It doesn’t take long to miss the sun, however, for its warmth, the way it cheers and emboldens us, and the vital electricity that it puts into our solar system, converting brightness to power the satellite internet that this school and its projects depend on, the writing we do, and the music that we listen to and our inspired by as we write and do our other tasks.  In the 4 days of thick cloud cover, we ran the large bank of batteries down into the “red,” but were still able to power up long enough to download and send off emails, and never lacked for lights at night thanks to the energy efficient LED bulbs in the cabins.  It wasn’t possible to run a high-drain appliance like the coffee grinder, so Loba and Rhiannon ground my treasured Ehtiopian beans with an ancient stone mano and metate I discovered when I first moved to this Mogollon village site so many years ago.

Students can expect to get more lessons back in the coming weeks, with us getting close to caught up with all the Animá conference and other project needs.  Kiva is close to releasing the first of her Animá Herbal Tradition correspondence courses, on herbal energetics.  And I have kept up with magazine article deadlines, while putting together a full color 11×17 Traditions in Western Herbalism poster that we will introduce here in a few days.  Hope you love it…  The conference has turned into a huge project, but with the help of Resolute, Rosalee and our other motivated volunteers, we will make this miracle happen.

I’ve been asked to post my latest column for general audiences, on the topic of authority… and resistance to others having authority over us.  I hesitate to run too many non-Animá specific pieces, but may share it here if sufficiently provoked.

Everyone sends their best, on this truly lovely January day.

Love, Wolf   (www.animacenter.org)

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Categories: Announcements & Updates

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