Hi everybody....
I just realized that I’ve become complacently silent since returning home. Or almost. Once again, it's due to happy occupation with my own affairs.

I’m happily immersed in my quest for a meaningful life. ... “What Color is Your Parachute?”, if I could find my copy, would probably call it a “life changing job search.” And it’s fun!

When I'm "on the job," I've been emailing, arranging meetings, and leaving the house on a whim to check out local sustainable ventures like Tryon community farm and Cooper Mountain vinyards.

I’m making a point to get exercise on a regular basis, knowing that it is necessary both for sanity and to maintain fitness for my desired lifestyle. So I bike to a lot of these things, or if I borrow Mom’s car, I try to fit a walk or hike in somewhere in the day.

I’ve tried one local aikido dojo, but it’s unfortunately moved from my local bus route, to another location that would require two transfers and a fair bit of walking to reach without a car (awkward location for biking, too). So, as time allows, I intend to check out the other dojos in the area, with an eye to locating myself near one or more of them when I re-establish myself with a rent-paying job.

Until then, I'm enjoying hanging out with my mom in the few hours outside her working day, and with her cat. There keep being opportunities to see family from out of town, too -- a second, family celebration in honor of William and Katrina's wedding; later dates with Lynn & Phil, and Ted & Joy, and with Grandma, followed this event. Last weekend, several aunts and cousins honored Maggie's birthday with a magnificent retreat to the McKenzie River Lodge. And tonight, our beloved Gisela from Germany is in town with her daughters. At some point, I'm supposed to spend a few weeks with Dad and Kacey in their rural home -- but I keep struggling to find the time!

I’m also taking any opportunity for short-term income, like helping out Steve and Katharine with projects/events in ther respective fields of electronics and social work. I've sumbitted a mere two responses to invitations for writing submissions -- not exactly ambitious. I also volunteered and donated a piece of art to the Tryon farm folks, not exactly income, but possibly "social capital." On the more productice side, the Cooper Mountain winemaker has agreed to take me on as a back-up assistant during the harvest season, which should start in the next week or so. Crazy hours, like 11pm to 6 am, or 7 am to noon, depending on the needs of the season.

This season could be overwhelming. With our late, intense summer this year, all the grapes look like being ready within a few days of each other. Normally, I’m told, harvest happens over about 20 days. This year, worst-case, might call for havesting as many plots as possible within about 4-10 days (over a total of about 150 acres). Which means doubling up on labor, bringing in pickers from Salem or even California, and boosting staff and production rates in the winery. The craziness of responding to nature’s whims gives work a more visceral quality, even if it also means frayed tempers and high-stakes decisions.

It’s a small, organic/biodynamic winery, which is why I like it. And, while I’m not sure my interest in wine is strong enough, the nature of the work could be rewarding. I like work that uses many of my abilities at once, and the job as I understand it combines technical work (monitoring brix, or sugar content, pH, and temperature), manual labor (carrying sticky sample pitchers between vats and lab workspace), and the aesthetic appeal of working with living things (spectacular hillside vistas, pungent vines, and the grateful affection of hordes of fruitflies). I’m looking forward to the chance to try it out.