Later, Crater!

This week was sorely needed. The few of us that stuck around DID do a little more work on the building, but most of it was spent relaxing and taking in the occasional adventure.

I don't have any pictures of the Terwilliger Hot Springs (cue Simpsons jokes/references/whatever) because I left my phone in the car. Even though we saw some photo-worthy stone work done by our master stone mason instructor from the program, it's probably for the better. For one, photos don't do justice to the experience of slipping into a naturally warm/hot pool of water (alright, it smells a little like sulfur, but you get used to it). Secondly, the springs are clothing optional, and ya know, most people don't like strangers snapping photos of them while they're naked! And yes, I got naked. That shouldn't be all that surprising.

ANYway, I was able to cross another big "To do" off my list this week when I convinced some friends to go with me to Crater Lake National Park. You can Google it if you want for more info, but basically it's a lake that was formed in the caldera of a collapsed volcano. No water sources leading into it or out of it except for the air and the slopes of its shores. Pretty awesome, awe-inspiring and way more beautiful than I ever imagined it would be. Take a look:

That's the water in the background, not the sky.

We DID jump in for a little bit, even though the water was cold enough to turn your wee bits differing shades of blue. Seriously fresh water...some of the best $10 I've ever spent.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

It Ain't Over Until It's Finished!

A whole fuck ton of shit has happened since I last updated.

For starters, the program ended yesterday. We culminated with a brief showing of our project house to the community, now with front roof sheeting, rear roof rafters, an earthen floor and a bad ass rocket mass heater! (It's that barrel/bench structure in the second photo)

By the way, there's horseshit in that floor. I laid a lot of that with my bare hands.

I'll have much more to say about this at some point. Today was a very awkward day, a day in which I had planned to write much more than this, but for whatever reason, I just didn't want to. I spent a lot of time attempting to decompress this afternoon. Almost everyone from our program has moved out already, and in fact the only people remaining in the dorm are Chan and myself. I can't complain about the company, but it's a very weird feeling to be in this place WITHOUT anyone here after seeing it so full for the past 7 weeks.

Quick FYI, I (we) will be sticking around here at least through October because, as you can see, the house isn't finished (more or less, that's why). This whole experience has been somewhat overwhelming. Productive for sure, but overwhelming. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, and hopefully taking some more time here will help with that, starting with a trip to a hot spring tomorrow! I've never been to one that was accessible to the public (stupid Yellowstone).

This experience has been so worth it. Good night, and have a great weekend everyone!

Reflections

I've been doing a lot of reflecting recently: reflecting at the end of the night, the end of the week, thinking about recent decisions in my life and long ago...

Depending on what time of day it is, my reflection can change.

Yesterday was filled with changes. I awoke in a somewhat tired state despite a good night of sleep. The workload was fairly light. We were working with plasters and paints as we have been all week. Even in a relatively short span of time, I found myself experiencing a broad range of feelings.

Frustration: figuring out formulas for mixtures of paint. I've never been good with formulas, following recipes or directions in general. I like to get my hands dirty.

Joy: sinking your hands into a bucket of clay plaster and slapping it (sometimes quite literally and liberally) all over a wall. Feeling every part of the material sliding off your trowel as if it were an extension of your own body.

Confusion: wondering why the plaster won't adhere on certain parts of the wall. Is it the curvature? Is it the texture? Did I apply it incorrectly?

Satisfaction: standing back for a minute and admiring what you've done. It looks perfect in this moment. The unevenness in color as the plaster or paint dries only adds to the experience.

Concern: returning to the same wall only an hour later and seeing cracks in the finish. Also confusion. We haven't figured out exactly what happened. We haven't found a solution just yet.

By no means was this a trying day. In fact, it was very rewarding to me at this point. The day was not over, either.

Annoyance: having a sit down with everyone in the class to discuss the future. Going in, I didn't want to do it because I didn't know what I was going to say, but I was completely honest, as we all should be. I still have no idea exactly what lies ahead for me. In the end, I'm glad we talked.

Fear: the fear of the unknown. I've learned so much, but don't know what to do with the knowledge.

Relief: saying it out loud to a group of people was more relaxing than I imagined it would be. I won't say comforting, but relaxing nonetheless.

Acceptance: hearing that there are other people feeling the same way you do and being strangely alright with the feeling. This came as a surprise for the most part.

Fatigue: mental exhaustion, for the most part. By this point, it was 10:45 PM Pacific time. I'd been awake since about 6:30 AM.

Some friends had started a campfire some time ago. I couldn't just go to bed without at least making an appearance. Why? Because.

Disappointment: in myself. I pulled out my guitar as I often do, then put it back in the case, saying to Chantelle "I just don't have the energy to play tonight." Then a strange thing happened.

Appreciation: feeling good vibes from other humans around the confines of the fire pit, and also for their talents.

Energy: like that of a burning fire, but within me. It took some time, but suddenly a switch flipped, I grabbed a guitar and music just started flowing out of me.

Synergy: 15 or so people uniting in song and verse. It wasn't continuous. It ebbed and flowed. But it flowed enough that I got to a point where I honestly felt like I could keep playing all night.

Contentment: around 1:45 AM, we decided to call it quits, and I went to bed happy.

As I do one more reflection by re-reading this journal entry, I realize that sometimes I adventure to some far extremes in my own mind. I'm alright with that. It's part of who I am. I'm learning more and more these days that even though I really enjoy getting caught up in the moment, I gain more appreciation when I reflect on those moments.

Of course my reflection was much different when I woke up at 6:30 this morning to cook breakfast, but that's another story...

Pacificity

As the program here winds down, I find myself with very little time to write, hence the lack of updates.

One of the most important things in life is relaxation, something that has also been in short supply lately. Some of us sorely needed a few days to take a vacation from our vacation, so we went to the coast. Plus, it was Labor Day weekend, and this is America, dammit! Although gray on the first evening, the next day was about as perfect as you could ask for, and I've got a lovely tan line to show for it.

I'll leave you with some pictures and a promise of more detailed updates later on all the cool stuff that's happened on site since I last wrote. Until then, I hope y'all had a safe and happy Laborious Day, and as always, cheers!