Soul Fire Farm, Yurt, Grafton Peace Pagoda

After Kevin graduated Goddard (see last post) we headed southwest to Grafton, NY, where our friends had erected a yurt on The Soul Fire Farm.  We were so captivated by the land, growing food, wild sheep dog named Ro, chickens, beautiful people, & the yurt, that we took no photos!  We shared a delicious meal with our friends, their friends, interns who became friends... all grown on the land.  Afterwards Kevin & I followed Taina, Gaetano, & their kids to the yurt.  We fell asleep talking & playing music.  Taina, Gaetano, & Kevin collaborated on songs.  I drifted to sleep dreaming of pirate love.

We woke in the morning & wandered back to Soul Fire Farm to share breakfast, witness Leah & Jonah dance, & Leah demonstrate her mad aerial silk skills.  Unfortunately, we had to be back in South Jersey so we moved on.  We drove a little ways, maybe less than a mile, & arrived here:

 The Grafton Peace Pagoda.  This beautiful, sacred structure emerges suddenly from the forest.  Moments before we'd been watching wild turkeys & now this.  We moved through the grounds watching what Jun-sun, the care-taker, had built through faith & patience.

 Our buddy, Yabisi!  Wise soul.  When Taina was pregnant with him I used to drive her to the birth center for appointments with her midwife.  We later realized her midwife was Eva, the professor who just graduated Kevin!  (See last post)

 Taina & Gaetano's miracle daughter, Caona.

 Taina helped me understand the scope & depth of Jun-san's life.  Jun-san has always been a spiritual activist.  She's fought for political prisoners her whole life.  Her journey is walking & fasting to draw attention towards social justice.  She gave me two cranes & a note from her last walk around Lake Ontario to stop nuclear activity in Fukushima, Japan.  It twirls on my rear-view mirror & reminds me of her, her work, & legacy.

 Unfortunately Gaetano was at work, so we didn't get to include him in the photos.