Day-to-day on the Commune

[Morning mists are leaving the valley]

The land is very quiet right now. The caretakers and visitors are mostly away. It's a perfect time for me to set my habits for the next two months.

I go to bed with the sun and wake up at the first light. I enjoy my pot of tea as the sun crests the ridge. The color of the hot liquid is the same as the hot rays of light that stream across the meadow this time of day. It's very cold at night so the tea and sunshine are a great way to thaw out.

After tea it's time to weave. I think I've gotten up to full speed with the new flyshuttle mechanism: 11 yards a day. If I try to go any faster the shuttle starts jumping from the race.

(Incidentally, if you've ever considered buying a used AVL loom, I highly recommend getting it reconditioned from the factory. When I bought mine, they had replaced nearly every bolt and many of the incidental mechanisms. The loom I'm using now was not reconditioned and it just feels sloppy. Things wiggle and don't fit quite right. It's OK, especially since I'm mechanically-inclined enough to fix any real problems. It just makes me appreciate my own loom all the more.)

By 4:30 the sun has been on my cabin for a few hours and it's too hot to weave. Then it's time to go connect with people, do some chores, and get ready for dinner. I think today's chore will be picking as many blackberries as I can.

I am almost caught up from the production slowdown in July. Just one more productive week and I'll be there. Life up here is so relaxing that I think I can work 7 days a week until I'm caught up.