October 21-27

The foggy days that have been prominent for most of the month continued through the week and into the weekend. On Sunday the prevailing direction of the weather shifted around to the north and the skies finally cleared. It was quite breezy on Sunday night, and the north wind shook a torrent of fir needles from the trees around the dining hall, covering the kitchen skylights and solar array.

time to clean the solar modules

(you can enlarge the photo by clicking on it)

a few minutes later

With the winding down of the program season, much of our attention has turned to cabin maintenance. Progress also continues on the foundation for the Kunz cabin addition. In the office, we are close to finalizing next year’s program schedule and are preparing for the annual meeting of the Indralaya Board of Directors which is coming up this weekend.

Jim working on setting the forms for the Kunz cabin foundation

Outside Juniper

At Juniper cabin the deck is being rebuilt and the big sliding glass door has been replaced by a window.

 Inside Juniper

Jacob & Thea finishing up a new roof for Hemlock

October 14-20

Mushrooms have sprung from the ground in amazing profusion this fall: Boletus, Shaggy Mane, Shaggy Parasol, Chantrelle, Puff Balls, Orange Milk Cap, Russula, Oyster, Amanita, Matsutake, and many, many more, found in clusters and fairy rings, growing at the base of trees and along old decaying nurse logs.

Kunz cabin excavation

Work continues on Kunz cabin. This week the area where the new addition is going was excavated. We are aiming to have the frames for the foundation in place and ready for concrete in time for the November 8-10 work party. If you’d like to attend the work party and help with the pour, let us know!

Over the weekend, a small group of people involved with planning for one of the 2014 Therapeutic Touch programs gathered here and explored possible themes and program structure for next year. Camp treasurer Kelly Bachman was here to prepare financial reports for the Board meeting coming up in a couple weeks. There were also two people visiting on personal retreat - all of which made for a fairly busy “no program” weekend.

It was quite foggy for most of the week. On most days the fog never did quite lift, and on the days when it did, it was usually only for a short period of time in late afternoon.

Oct 7-13

This was the weekend of the annual fall harvest work party. While this year’s harvest was moderate in scale, over 80 people were on hand to participate in this popular tradition and a lot of great work was accomplished. The camp shuttle from and to the ferry was in high demand, with an overload crowd arriving on the late afternoon boat on Friday and 33 people shuttling back to the ferry as the work party wound down on Sunday and Monday.

In addition to picking, juicing and slicing apples, wood was split, the garden was put to bed for winter, the skin of the greenhouse was attached, new insulation was installed under Juniper cabin, the dock was brought in, wiring and lighting were installed under the lounge, and great food was prepared including an especially delicate and delicious Saturday night batch of cinnamon-saturated apple pie with just a hint of citrus. Yum!

bringing the dock in under grey skies

heave-ho!

processing apples

Glena and Elliot at the apple grinder 

the green house nears completion

 

Anne

Jen, Mark, and daughter Naia

Cora

September 30 - October 6

The dream workshop this last weekend was the last of our 2013 programs. Participants in the workshop joined together twice each day to discuss their individual dreams. A core element of the program was the making of masks representing some aspect of the dream realm that a participant was interested in exploring.

Each of the masks were amazingly evocative and several of the participants had revelatory experiences in wearing their mask. In order to protect the confidential nature of the experience, these photographs are of the unfinished masks only.

q: who’s that hiding under the driftwood?

a: mr and mrs lizard

On Sunday camp awoke to a foggy and mysterious morning:

Later in the day, Ian and Margot came by and planted roses at the bower that was installed a couple of weeks ago at the Rose, Hawthorn and Apple program.

The big fall harvest work party is coming up this weekend. 

The apples are ready and waiting!