People

I've been in Portland nearly a week now. I am surrounded by inspiringly lovely and wonderful people all the time. I don't know any of them very well but I am getting to know them. It is surreal to be here where I know no one, and they have such established relationships. They all seem to like me though. I hope to get to know them all very well. There are also babies everywhere (a baby explosion happened within the last year, among many of the appropriately aged couples I know. Most of them are poly. I find this to be fabulous.)

Here are three of the wonderful men at this welcoming and strangely named house:

They are hugging. One of them is of another one's back. The one with the yellow pants is getting picked up in the process.

Right now I am sitting placidly on the couch while a couple different wonderful people discuss a coding project, some other people cook dinner, and somewhere the babies are probably sleeping. Earlier today, because I was jealous that a baby was riding someones shoulders, I got a ride on some wonderful person's should while I squealed and giggled with glee. And this morning, at 6:30 am, I made blueberry pancakes with a wonderful person and his baby-year-old son, and then accidentally went back to sleep. I didn't mean for this to be so much of a vacation; I meant to draw, and post more reliably, and get other important things done on the computer. But I didn't bring my own computer, so I can't follow my usual posting work flow, and have instead been very vaguely learning GIMP and the other ways of ubuntu.

Places

I go a lot of places. I talk to a lot of people. I have an experiance of the world that is quite different from a lot of people.

Right now, while in Portland, I don't know very many of the quirks, and I only know a handful of people. Because of that, I'm thinking of what it is like for people to visit Berkeley, specifically those who know me and ask me to show them around. Well of course I show them "MY" Berkeley, not the clock tower or naan and curry on telegraph. Or even people's park, because I've only been those places once or twice in passing, and have no emotional connection.

My version of Berkeley is often, in fact, Albany or Oakland. I don't care though. And some times I show people around who already live in Berkeley; they just know a different Berkeley.

The person on the left in this picture is Jim Bow the HoBo:


This picture was taken at in the library on the Albany Bulb, which I was showing to a friend. The library is made of old broken boats and things, and Jim Bow used to live there. He seems not to anymore. There is no longer a bed or cooking supplies.

I feel like in some ways Jim Bow was watching over the library. Now there are holes in the roof, and many fewer books. I should go fix the roof,and I have some books for the place. I just hope the little library can last. It is so peaceful. I had a favorite place at the bulb, a little house on a cliff, occupied by the hermit, and an arsonist burnt it down. Jim Bow told me that. He told me the other homeless worked together to get the hermit an apartment. The bulb has a lot of entropy, it's true, but that can work in it's advantage. I don't want to see unnecessary destruction.

Home. Love. Family.

I really like it here. These people are family.
Even the awkward boarder is such a part of this household. I like how when I bring people over, my family has something to say to them, a way to relate.

When I came home late last night, my heart flooded with wellbeing to see that everybody else was home. I am so lucky.

And the in/out board Barbara made is actually really cool.

Have a goat

They are pretty cute.

doing laundry

Today is a sleepy day. I did some laundry. I like going outside to hang out the clothes to dry. I see the pretty plants growing along the railing.

Camp

I spent this last week at a contra dance and music camp called American Week (it's over july 4th). It was pretty fabulous.

Among the things I did while I was there:

It's been a while since I made a sock creature. I don't remember if I've ever finished one. This is, obviously, a black squirrel with a monocle. I plan to give it to someone.

Redwood trees like music.

It gets a little cold at night though.

Still no post

I haven't posted for today. And then tomorrow I'm leaving for a camp, and wont be back until until next Saturday. I might get around to queuing up some posts for the week, but don't wait with baited breath.

however, I wont let you down for too long.