Mietzke's POST Holden Adventure

I followed Dave’s footprints from the Hydro to our house. I picked up the trail where it meets the road and heads up the hill on the backside of the village. I could tell he hadn’t come this way for a couple of days because his footprints were edged with fresh white powder. A few feet into the trail I noticed some tracks coming up and joining it and as I walked I began to see where the Coyote’s feet had joined with Dave. In each of Dave’s footprints there was a paw print deliberately and cautiously placed. They followed his path all the way up the hill then branched off as they came to the edge of the house, then climbed further up the hill and out of sight. I can’t help but smile at the notion of our late night visitor moving on the same path. I can’t help but feel a connection to this quiet creature that I haven’t seen.

Stillness Broken

The wild hare runs
Shadow to shadow
In the blue light
The hare pauses between trees
Waits and watches
In the stillness and cold
You can just see her there
Silhouetted
On the edge of time
Waiting for something to happen
The stillness is broken
As the coyote
Moves at a quickened pace
The hare darts and turns and in the nick of time
Clambers down a hole to safety
The Coyote pads away
And the cold blue stillness is left behind
As if nothing ever happened
Only the prints are there to tell the tale
Of the wild hare
And the narrow escape

I have been leading a college work group this week. We have been painting the rooms in the Hotel. I have had three volunteers each day and we moved through seven rooms with some soft yellows, peaches and a warm orange. All sun colors! It was just what the rooms needed. The rooms feel comfortable and inviting, and a little more up to date. We did the side walls a light peach, orange, and yellow and then had a deeper tone for under the windows and around the door. I love how new paint can freshen up a space and create a mood. Right now the mood is relaxation. My favorite room combination is room 11. It has light peach walls and a warm orange yellow for the accent. That room gets direct sunlight and it feels like arms being wrapped around you when you sit in there. The work group was fabulous and took instruction very well and worked hard and well together. It was really satisfying to see the "feel of the area" transform, and to have a completed project at the end of the day. Some of the rooms still need some trim work done but we got a lot accomplished in just three short days. I think leading groups is one of the best parts of my job here at Holden. I love getting to know new people and having a common goal that unites us. It was a good and satisfying week!

I love starting the morning fire from last night’s coals; the process of chopping kindling, laying it around the coals, opening up the flu and waiting for the pieces to ignite. I always spend the first few moments wondering if there was enough kindling… Should I have just used paper to help start it? Why am I so impatient?!

With the flu open the air rushes in, swirling the smoke round and round faster and faster until I can hardly see the kindling anymore just the small steady glow of the coals as they heat and brighten, then like magic the kindling ignites and fire dances through the stove. I add little bits of wood as the fire gets going and with in moments I can begin to feel the bits of heat pressing against the morning cold and filling the space around the stove warming my hands and face. A few more logs and the fire is in full swing and before I know it the temperature in the room and then the house will begin to change. The draw of warmth and the crackling of the fire will call little feet, and big feet out of bed to begin the day.
Nyrie is often first bring out the days clothes and warming each side of them to her liking and then slipping into them. Then the rest of us follow in kind.

It all begins with a coal left over from last nights fire made new.