tinder hearth to deer isle hostel

i stayed up until about 1am hanging out and slowly cleaning the kitchen at tinder hearth. then i managed to begin my day around 7am as activity began around the place in preparation for market and delivery day. bread bread BEAUTIFUL BREAD! i spent a lot of time relaxing, but also washed bread pans and made a dish of sauteed vegetables for lunch. the twins, one of them the founder of tinder hearth, returned in the late morning from a trip to bolad's kitchen, in new mexico. this is the connection between my host in tallahassee and them. they are students of this wonderful man martin pretchtel.
i read one of martin's books, called 'long life honey in the heart', when i was a youth, and was deeply affected by it. there is a story in that book about what i now refer to as the economy of generosity. the moral is that it holds us together in a beautiful way to be in one another's debt.

though i was enamored with tinder hearth, i departed that afternoon to make my way down to deer isle hostel. it was only about twenty miles between these two magical places, and i decided to just ride the distance. there were some steep hills, and sometimes i wished i had stopped and caught one of the many pickups that passed me, but it felt really good to work my body hard. i'd thought i might be late for dinner, but i made it in time.
i'd heard about deer isle hostel only a few days before, from a guy named andrew who i met at carpenter's boat shop. he was one of the founders of the place, and also at one time managed the hostel in the forest. one of the other founders, dennis, also worked with the hostel in the forest and has carried some of the same positive energy to deer isle. one tradition that i was happy to find is the same at both places is that they share dinner every evening and begin it with a circle of gratitude!
dinner the night i was there was a special harvest of clams! i brought bread, peas, and kale from tinder hearth, and collaborated on a miso soup. five of us shared a wonderful, peaceful meal.
dennis had told me i could do some sawing of branches, so i got out there after dinner to use the last light. the mosquitoes were a nuisance, but i covered up and kept sawing. i like this kind of activity. i used to love to saw up branch wood for our cook stove at wild's edge, where i lived on orcas island a couple years ago.

i'm so glad i was guided to this radical temple of positive change! they have an abundant garden, compost toilet, minimal solar power, handpumped water, and no refrigeration! this is the first place without a fridge i have visited on this trip. i lived without at wild's edge for almost two years. i heard recently that there is now a propane fridge at wild's edge because of increased goat milk production. i believe there is a need for people to show that this way of living is not only possible but quite enjoyable. a hostel is a wonderful place to share that with others!