BABIES ALL OVER THE PLACE!

This morning we found that our sweet white chicken has managed to hatch out 12 babies! Chicklets everywhere! And our new piggie, Tocino, has been for a walk and discovered where the mud bath is located! He is one cutie piggie! Tomorrow his future mate arrives, Chuletita! As they are still very small, we all will have to pay lots of attention to them. We will try to post pictures tomorrow. We are also watching our burro Shakira very closely, she is due anytime now, she and Ramses the male burro will be parents. And our filly Ayla is doing well, she has learned to give kisses! and her mane is going blond, such a pretty girl! Now we just hope those cows start popping out calves and pouring out milk and we are one giant step closer to complete sustainability! As it is, it is very nice to now have our own eggs!
Tonight the whole farm gang is gathering for a field trip, heading into Vilcabamba for a traditional Temascal, the ritual sweat lodge, led by a shaman friend of ours, then dinner in Quinara by the bridge and a long walk home in the dark, No moon tonight. But there will be sooo many stars! Just so you all have some idea of how our field trips work, each person will pitch in 10. extra for our outing, 2. for transport, 3. for food and 5. for the sweat lodge workers. Affordable and fun! Come and join us!

In other news, I, Tina, am recovering from the long stay caring for my friend Elysabeth, who passed peacefully last week. The farm is covered in ash from the huge wildfire that swept over last Sunday, but we had no injuries or loss of animals, so there is plenty to celebrate. We hope in the future that our new foreigner neighbors will also participate in firefighting (the Ecuadorian neighbors staggered on out around 5 am and helped tremendously, even protecting Walters land), creating a whole neighborhood helping each other. This time we found that some people DO need to be taught to come out and help when they see your farm burning down. It's all about learning how to make things work for everyone. Thanks to Jay and all the volunteers who kicked in and worked so hard to protect our paradise from fire. Sorry we couldn't keep the mountain from burning, but the valley is OK, thanks in great part to Pilgrim and those who patrolled all night to make sure the fire didn't jump to the lower lands, where Walter was absent and his crew hasn't yet learned about fire on the mountain!
It's so great having all these animal babies around, and Patricio is now coming daily with Davey and Alba, his almost 3 year old son and fiance'! I can't wait til next week to see how Davey likes the new piggie! Life is very good in our Neverland Farm paradise these days!
Peace, Tina

community health issues

sometimes in a community being a health care-taker makes a big difference in our daily life. this past several weeks i have been helping as one of two primary caretakers for a very sick friend. and while i hate seeing my friend so ill and with so much pain, i know i am in the right place doing what it best for my community. i know because i am happy with my choice to be with her now. i am happy because so many wonderful people have been showing up to share this time with her, and with the rest of her caretakers. and because an amazing group of volunteers have been here at neverland farm, encouraging me to help my friend and not worry about our home!
its interesting to me the range of help that has come to us, volunteer riko on the farm, helping cover the bases there, as well as blandine and fred and allan, who just left for the coast and i miss already, and pilgrim, a long time communard from twin oaks and the states. these guys and girls have been so generous with their time and work on the farm that i have been able to stay at my friends place of rest and care for her day and night.
i write this in hopes that all september volunteers will recognize that life on the farm right now is slightly different than usual, because i am not home much at all. i am 5 miles away caring for a woman with a seemingly terminal cancer (we are gonna hope for a miracle til the end!). her only family members have not been able to come here and she can no longer be transported. 24 hour care is required, and on an extreme budget. i have come to realize that my being here is deeply needed and appreciated. i cant say how long i will be needed here, some days i think i will be home soon, others i pray i get to stay for just a while longer, as i have decided to accompany her as far and long as i can.

the good people who come to neverland while i am away are being welcomed by patricio and silvia, pilgrim and riko, and our dogs, who are very happy to meet new folks! orientation is abbreviated, but the gang will show you around and teach you, patricio and silvia will work with you and explain things, you WILL improve your spanish, as the primary persons on the farm are spanish speaking! use our dictionaries! and Riko can translate fairly well, his spanish is improving by leaps and bounds! the food is good, the big house is open for games and the internet on the farm will be repaired in the next day or so (we blew up a solar controller in my absence!). the wind did it, not a person or misuse thing. i am coming home whenever other volunteers fill in and i can get away for several hours. and i hope to be back home for the long term pretty soon.