And then it was April...

Woahhhh. Somehow, it has become April. Late April, at that! Who knew? (Hopefully most of you already knew...) Since last posting, I've been pretty busy--- buzzing around doing all sorts of things--- and here are some highlights and clips:

I got a few tubes of the magical new print run- courtesy of all the fine folks that helped support us with the kickstarter campaign- i may or may not of had an excited freak out- which included pulling them all out and saying 'ahh!! yesss!!' alot.... the landlord was doing a check in at the time, and probably thought i was a total crazy person...


the doughnut man came to hang out- and we made delightfully colorful (red, white, and yellow!) beer batter vegan onion rings.... deeelightful!

Strategy session for the media working group... outside on the porch-- success!

haha. oh my.

birthday birthday bithday!


Dartmouth College students came for a visit to the coal river valley- and we had a hang out/chat about the work volunteers do with CRMW... followed by a beehive presentation in big room.

I complained to my mother about the John Kerry sticker that was on my new car---- so mom decided to get me a cover up sticker.... Give Bees a Chance... so so so cliche and so perfect.

Just hanging out in Charleston...

Beehive show at the Covenant House in Charleston



Our little ballerina

This is the pressure I have to deal with... everyday. I just wanted to make dinner...

My mama came to visit---- buttermilk biscuits for breakfast!

haha....


triple wow! heading to dc for a Training for Trainers for powershift stuff. The trip was horrendous-- including the worst anit-oppression workshop I've ever been to. But there were some highlights: meeting our new friend Reece- whos family is from WV and he has worked as a union organizer for years and now lives in DC and plans to come to the march, eating sprouts in the most obnoxious fashion during a session at the training, pressuring andrew to sing opera in front of everyone, and getting Georgetown cupcakes. Worth it? No, but those are some pretty great bonuses.

Open house pot luck at New House...it was so nice to have folks over and the weather was just perfect to be hanging out outside

Emma came to visit (the same week Mattie came to visit- what a week!)- we went for a hike up the the ridge behind our house... a few days after I had just hiked up there. It was so amazing to see how much the plants had come to life and peaked out---

We found a nice big patch of ramps... the first time I had pulled some out this season. And Em got to take some home- win win win!

Ramps, Fiddle Heads, and the first morel of the season!

We went for a family hike at the New River Gorge--- it was pretty much a cluster, lots of running around, getting there late--- the usual. But it was awfully pretty and things were on the verge of bursting out of their winter time shells... so exciting!

I was being serenaded by these two lovely folks from above that rock--- "If i fall, will you let me down easy. If I leave my heart with you tonight will you promise me that you're going to treat it right?"

Exploring

mountains + hiking= happy dave!

Family photo!
awwweee we love each other!

love bug

CRMW strategy meeting... we were able to rip open the big bag of 'what is our strategy, what are we doing, how are we doing it, and why are we here?' a long day of meetings, but totally productive.

More strategy session break outs- at the end- we came to the conclusion that one day is not enough and we have scheduled a follow up session to put that bag we ripped open back together... woohoo! (i love meetings, i love strategy, and i love collaborative conversations... even if they take us a while to get through!)

The only photo taken at Powershift (from my camera). Lord Andrew leading the crew...

Powershift 2011--- ended up being rough. The trainings went better than I expected, but still felt like an un-strategic use of resources (time, money, people power...). Blair Outreach went really well, to spite not having a table (which means there was no CRMW outreach- bummer!).

Most notable and summary report I can give? We made the very smart choice of bringing a coffee maker with us- and setting it up in the training room. So on sat morning, we got the the convention center at 7:30 or so, and immediately put on a pot of coffee (duh). EK, Becks, and I all fell asleep, right next to the coffee maker- waiting for it to brew. So sad, so true, and so telling. We were woken by James yelling 'hello beautiful people' and Andrew opera singing us to our feet... yup. that's powershift 2011 in a nut shell.

Question: How do you make a 5 day march more accessible to more people? Well, you have 40 cots shipped to your house so people who need them can have another option other than sleeping on the ground or being driven to a hotel each night....

Of course, those cots may be damn near impossible to put together (as the reviews promised). We tried pulling, tugging, wiggling, inching... and every thing else to get the polls into the slots. EK and I even tried a game of tug-o-war to stretch out the canvas... no luck. Just impossible!

And then-- out of the mountains- come Ivan and Maureen. Who, after the standard push, pull, and tug- ended up using a root digger tool to pop the polls in. Next step? Test out the comfortability of them.

Conclusion of the cots: Well, it might be better than sleeping on the ground. maybe.

Mountains providing dinner for us- Morels, dryad saddle mushrooms, fiddle heads, nettles, poke, green brier shoots, chick weed, ramps, solemn seal, water leaf, dandelions, Japanese knot weed.... so. so. amazing! (plus- i'm learning a lot about wild edibles--- woo!)

Dryad Saddle mushrooms... beautiful and delicious!

Ek petty the very very cute baby goats we had at our house for a bit. William and Julia got these two babies- blacky and spot- to raise and make into dinner once they get big. They have been moved to a new home now (thanks to the extreme patience and understanding of William and Julia)...


And now- April is somehow coming to an end. What's next? Well- a week and a half of go time here, then zooming to columbus for a few days (beehive show, family/friends, work time mania), flying out to Maine for a week and a 1/2 of Beehive meetings, stopping in Boston for another show (with tyler! who i've never done a show with- sounds fun!), getting to columbus and quickly heading south for MJ Summer Camp in KY, and getting back to WV by the end (very end) of May... oh and then you know- getting ready for this totally amazing, totally huge, totally overwhelming, and totally great March thats happening starting on June 6... woah.

If you didn't catch it- the March on Blair Mountain is happening in June. You should come, and you, and you, and your friends, and your sister, and your parents.... yup- even you. Oh, and especially you!


its go time!

into the coal river valley

It's true! I live in WV these days. I've been pretty dang busy... and haven't had much time for things like a blog post- but it seems well overdue! So, since I've been living here for about 2 months, there are photos from all sorts of things- an exact flow and time sequence doesn't really apply here... but here goes! The past 2 months of my time in WV....

First things first, new house! I live up Rock Creek holler with 5 other delightful people. We rent our house, and it sits on 178 acres of land on the side of Coal River Mountain. It's incredibly beautiful- with trails that lead all over the place in our back 'yard' (is a mountain a backyard? i guess so...), lots of random little out houses, a cemetery, and a stream that ranges from a trickle to a roar (it's a small little one- but sure does sound nice!)

two of the little out houses on our property- there are hopes and dreams of fixing them up enough to provide seasonal housing--- but... for now that's just a dream.

William (housemate!) showing the watershed of the coal river valley to a passerby at the capital building in Charleston--- perhaps my least favorite place to be in WV (well, next to going shopping in Beckley... maybe)

And even tho I live and work in WV these days- I've remained pretty connected to things happening in Ohio. I've been in WV for... 2 months or something now- but have spent many many of my weekends away. One of those weekends I went up to Athens for help facilitate OSEC meetings. The first night, we had a packed house as folks crammed together to hear mattie share the history of osec.

Besides having a ton of people come out for the retreat and seeing people i care about- there is one really rad thing that sticks out from the weekend- OSEC took on the 'Don't Frack with Ohio' campaign! Hells yeah! Folks spent several hours in a break out group (above) trying to figure out how OSEC can help create an Ohio movement to stop fracking.

On sunday, we finished the weekend retreat strong with a moment for closing thoughts. And as extra bonus- we were able to do it outside (mind you- this happened in... early feb... so being outside was particularly exciting)

Group photo- osec Streeting retreat Winter 2011, Athens, OH

And then there was our households valentines day celebration--- which mostly consisted of EK writing beautiful poems for everyone and hanging them in our dining room (plus- some baked goods... duh)

I went with Rooster and William to see the Edwight permit-- a MTR site. We made it up the mountain side (on a very small, very bumpy road) just before 4 pm. Which is when we heard the alarm go off and moments later heard an explosion, felt the ground move a bit, and watched as the mountain was thrust into the air. It was the first time I saw a mountain actually get exploded. As it settled, you could smell the air-- it smelled a bit like matches. Here, you can see the dust settling after the explosion. It makes it look almost small, but it's not. Oh, and that little patch of trees in the upper left of the photo- is a family cemetery.

That same day, we went for a hike on the side of Rt 3 to look at some drainage that... well... shouldn't be there. It's funny how beautiful it can look and peaceful it can feel, just moments away from the active destruction of these same mountains.

The not-so-natural drainage coming out of what we think is an old mine... it was called in to the DEP, but I don't know that anything has really been done.

This is Frankie- Beccas new teacup pig. Frankie lives outside in a pin (tho, they sure do escape alot), loves apple cores, and hates being picked up. Unless its by Becca- on a good day.

The incredible exploded flat tire- that resulted in an eye opening and incredibly awkward experience for becca and i. Long story short: after several failed attempts of changing this flat into a doughnut (think: jack falling over twice, then falling over again and getting stuck under the car... fail), we knocked on a the door of a near by house-- which was home to what turned out to be perhaps the friendliest person.

So, I found myself sitting in a strangers home with becca drinking bad coffee with even worse powdered creamer, and trying to make small talk. As one can assume- what we do around here was a question- and after trying to beat around the bush- the real answer came out- we work with CRMW. i could barely say it, as i was afraid she'd know what that meant and she'd... i'm not sure... react strongly- be angry, kick us out, not help us with our tire? the woman had never heard of it before, and i was able to talk up projects that dont directly address mtr. But the fear of how she may have responded had she known, was very telling to me- and emphasized my role... as an outsider. A radical. An environmentalist. I am those things- and there's no denying it (nor would i want to), but the combination of the 3 creates a heavy challenge- and it's not a new challenge. it's not something i didn't realize before this, but--- it made it hit home and realize exactly who i am in this story.

(anyway... back to photos of what i'm doing these days...)

In late Feb, the CRMW office hosted the March on Blair Mountain:Appalachia is Rising general meeting. About 50 folks came from all over Appalachia to jam together about the march. It was a pretty amazing moment, where I was able to put names to faces, catch up on the current permits (there are currently 7 permits that are of eminent threat to the historical site of the Battle of Blair Mountain), see the incredibly beautiful color prints of the poster (photo!), connect with the media working group, and generally feel a part of something big.

Outreach break out group for the march... And just as a bit of back story for why this March on Blair Mountain is happening (and why you should totally come...) : Remember those 7 permits I mentioned? Well those are permits that are planning to blow up Blair Mountain- a mountain where in 1921, thirteen thousand miners came together to take up arms against the company and fight for their rights to safe working conditions and collective bargaining. It was the second largest armed insurrection in Unites States history (second only to the civil war), put down only when the coal bosses brought in federal troops. The battle proved to be a landmark fight for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the right to unionize. The Battle of Blair Mountain set a powerful precedent for the rest of the country that resounds today in the continuing fight to defend collective bargaining. Now, that mountain is set to be blown up by the coal companies- an attack not only on the mountains but also an attack on the history of WV and of labor on the whole. Guess we better stand together to protect it, eh?.

A group sing along of Solidarity Forever... with the totally awesome DustBuster Sisters from Sylvester, WV (just up the road from where I live now). If you're not familiar, check out their story (or ask me about it!)

Coloring together at our dining room table. Awww ethanpants!

Baking in what appears to be a totally crazed kitchen. Since then- improvements have certainly been made and it's less of a crazy place (tho- still not what I would call 'fully functional') Either way, getting to bake and cook food for my housemates is still an enjoyable break

Ethanpants, becca, and EK in the back seat- heading up to kayford mountain. Crossed eyes may or may not be a major part of the way we communicate with each other...

We headed up to kayford to show beccas father- Leonard- the site. We went to a viewpoint I had never seen before, which took us by this giant crack in the earth--- it's hard to see how big and how deep it is- but it's huge. Just imagine if you're house was built near where the land just broke apart like that from all the blasting happening on nearby mountains...

Becca and Leonard... looking over the eerie green hills, large roads, and moonscape that was once kayford mountain. heartbreaking- no matter how many times i see it.

Meal sign up for the collective dinners ... sat night... awww!
(also notice: Friday night reads: '{Cookies} or burritos')

Dropping Ethan off at the train station in Price, WV. That morning- the morning we HAD to be on time, I woke up late and it decided to randomly snow- making rt 3 a scary drive. We got there just on time-- to learn that the train was going to be 3 hours late (that's just the way it is... doo do doo do doo do...). After that- Becca and I headed to Wise County VA to do a beehive presentation and the VA Mountain Justice Spring Break, where I got to meet some of beccas friends and see a lot of folks who are joining the movement, as well as some old timers who were putting the week long training camp together. it rocked.

And then there was the week we all spent doing support work (cooking food!) for a group of about 40 folks, who were in the valley working with Restoring Eden, doing research for a health study. The kitchen work was stressful, but the study went really well, getting more participants than expected, and the group of students was really appreciative and nice.

One challenge of the week, was making 'normal food' (what does that even mean???)- which included packing 40+ sacked lunches everyday (sandwhich meat anyone? barf!) On the bright side, Dave now feels prepared to have 40 children....

Cole slaw for everyone!

EK eating a chocolate glaze doughnut off a string- hands free- at a birthday party. I would share the post game photo of EK but that just feel cruel....

Oh just... you know... loving each other a whole lot in the E council....

While shit got real- and then got bad- in Ohio... and while things continue to rage in WI... a whole lotta folks in West Virginia attended a solidarity action. On the down side, it was a lot of politicians encouraging people to act with their vote (only), but on the bright side lots of folks came out, Nick spat a mean game about acting beyond your vote, Brandon rallied for the march on Blair, and we passed out lots of fliers for the march. So---- win win loose?


And now--- I'm sitting on the porch (where it is a lot warmer than in the house), listening to our little stream roar, catching glipses of Frankie running by, preparing myself for delving back into my to-do list (and thinking about how things on my wish list- like spend time outside and post blogs 2x a month, seem to be the first to fall off), being excited spring is here (to spite not getting in a sledding adventure), and getting excited for a quick weekend visit to columbus of a statewide fracking strategy session (plus- seeing Mattie, Megan, Mom, Ian, Bobb, Erin...).

(oh and trying not to think about what seems to be the apocalypse just around the corner...)