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.
