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Updates and News
Volume 10
4/24/2009

Update April 24, 2009

Hello everyone,

I’m sitting amidst ash scraps all over the floor, the humming of a sewing machine, and the chattering of a group of kids and parents, and it’s time to write a new update.

Since the last update our new teacher Andy has joined us for the spring and the river trip. Michael from Ecuador was supposed to be with us but was not allowed into the country for some unknown reason, so along came Andy, who is also called Handy by some of us! Andy and Hannah, (Vermont Semester Program ’06) live near Sterling College in the Northeast Kingdom, have a three-legged cow, and are universally liked! He slid in to our community with a big smile and a lot to teach us, and we are excited to get to know him.

Our new canoe is finished and has a name, “Min Kjaere”, which means “My Darling” in Norwegian (and believe it or not, it was NOT my idea, it was Ethan’s!). Our Kjaere lives a calm life down in Bill Manning’s workshop, only disturbed a couple of times a day to be varnished and painted, then carried out to dry and carried back in again in the evening. Our boat manager, Ari ‘Bezquizah’ Brouwer, took on the job of varnishing and preparing the canoe. Bill Shamel gave him instructions on the phone about how to find the proper varnish in the workshop. For a couple of days Ari and a helper applied several coats of “varnish.” It seemed like many coats of this finish were required, so Ari kept walking back and forth to the workshop – one wet day he went five times to stoke the stove so that the “varnish” would dry properly.

With time, as the layers of “varnish” turned white and looked more like spilled milk than a protective finish, suspicions began to mount in Ari’s mind. Finally, during lunch one day, someone mentioned “mineral spirits,” and this made Andy give Ari a funny look. They both understood that something was wrong. The so-called “varnish” was really paint thinner. After a lot of talking, explaining, apologizing, laughing, and, of course, teasing Ari, we were all happy that the problem was not so bad. There was still time for Ari to apply fresh coats of the real varnish and let the boat dry. Now our new canoe looks beautiful.

Before we knew it our parent weekend arrived! The first ones here were Hytham’s family including his father, Rachid, who works in Africa and was on spring break. It was good to see so many “old” and “new” family members. Miron’s grandparents, Mara and Joseph, who some of us met back at KROKA, came with his little brother Mathias. Miron’s older brother appeared on Sunday morning, happy to visit with Miron and eat some of his grandmother’s delicious egg and pea salad. Other surprises were Jacob’s brother Miguel and his niece Grace; Dylan’s grandmother flew all the way from Oregon (she promised to take pictures back to Daniela’s parents!); the Farnsworths brought Lauren’s aunt Laura and their little puppy Willa, who is not as little as she was a month ago at Green River. Everyone got to spend time with their loved ones or, if their families could not make it, were invited to spend time with other people’s loved ones. We had a wonderful potluck dinner Saturday night and lunch Sunday noon (we are still working on the leftovers!). Thank you again parents! After playing “Little Sally Walker” with the whole community, we said goodbye and returned to our tasks at hand.

Saturday night Chris, Ashirah and their little boy Owen arrived, and by Sunday afternoon, we started making pack baskets with them. This is one of the major projects of the semester and one many of us had been looking forward to. Ever since Grandfather’s visit we had been pounding and stripping brown ash that Jayson Benoit at NorthWoods had donated to us. Now we are weaving and molding the ash strips into beautiful baskets under Ashirah’s skilled guidance. These baskets will carry our gear down the river and accompany us for a long time to come. As I write, the last baskets are getting the straps fitted and pack liners are being sewn. We will finish tonight!!!

Two of Baruch’s friends are here to visit. The frogs are singing in the pond all day and night. No one sleeps in the tent any more because we are all sleeping under the sky unless it rains. Other than that there is no more news from the North. Everyone must “laila tove” and “droemm soett”!

For the New Hampshire-Vermont Semester, this is Ida.

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