So today my good friends Wood and Patrick made it back into town from Rabbitstick, the primitivist gathering I opted not to go to immediately after wild rice harvest. Wood is the most amazing girl ever...well Patrick is the most amazing guy too, and they are so suited for each other. Wood is this tiny little pixie; today she was wearing this pointed, black leather hat with mink fur lining she made, with her wild, unbrushed, unwashed hair sticking out from under it, her bag full of soapstone beads she was working on, she was about as witchy-looking as you can possibly be. She makes the most amazing leather stuff you've ever seen; also really amazing jewelry and beads. Wood is a craftlady/witch....and she is one of those people I definitely have some telepathy with...I have a pretty good idea most of the time where Wood is and what she is up to, even when she's traveling in another state. She lets you pick up on her energy...she's very open and loving and just amazing.
Patrick is from Ireland; sadly he's been in the states now long enough that he is losing his accent, but he has the same type of witch-energy; he likes brewing herbs together that make you have strange dreams and put you into an almost ecstatic state...he uses lots of Mugwort and Wormwood and things they used in Absinthe, that French drink that apparently used to make folks trip out back in the day. I am not telepathic with Patrick, but I still feel an amazing connection with him. He looks a lot like a beloved cousin of mine; my cousin Oliver, who also has this majik/wood energy. I think his similarities to my cousin makes him that much more of a favorite person of mine; also the gentle way he acts toward Wood; I really appreciate tough rewilder-men who have a softness toward their lady-friends.
Anyway, it is great to have the two of them back in town; they are a very dynamic duo and when they are around, I always feel like anything is possible in the world. Not only did they have lots of amazing stories from Rabbitstick, but they made me start feeling like I really didn't want to pay rent this fall/winter, that I just want to buy lots and lots of tools, especially for tanning hides, and so, I am really considering squatting in forest-park, which is the largest urban park in the world. Or maybe not in the world, but in this country. Or something like that. All I know is that it is like 100 acres or something like that of woods, and currently, we have at least three other friends squatting up there....rent is getting really, really expensive here in Portland, and a lot of the punk houses have been recently shut down, which means there are lots of folks without a good option as far as a living space; which, of course, leads to more homelessness/squatting. I don't know why the city shuts down punk houses, knowing that lots of those folks are gonna end up on the streets, I mean, which would Portland rather have...punks in houses, or punks on the street?
So anyway, I'm sure if I'm stealthy enough, I can probably get away with living in forest-park for a good amount of time; after all, there was the infamous father/daughter team who where recently found and had apparently successfully lived up there for five years or so! They had a simple set-up; really just a couple of tarps and some books and food and whatever. It doesn't get all that cold in Portland, it is just always wet; so if I could stay dry, I think I'd be ok. If you get wet and stay wet, that is when you get sick. I know this from experience. I just really want to buy some good knives, outdoor gear, skinning and tanning tools, and maybe a better bike. If I'm constantly paying rent, I won't buy any of those things, unless my rent where dirt-cheap. I do worry about showers and the like; my biggest pet peeve about outdoor life is being dirty...a little dirt don't hurt, but if you haven't bathed in a week or more, you really start feeling disgusting...or at least I do. Ideally, I like to shower once every three days or so...but if I was living in forest-park, that might not happen.
Anyway, Wood and I have a date with HotLips Pizza dumpster....god I love that dumpster...
Love ya,
Carrot
