Ana has a friend in the Portland area who had invited us on a farm tour a few weeks ago. We lamented that we couldn’t go because of timing. Tadej LOVES animals. Animals, music, and reading are definitely his jams. And running around as much as possible. But he really does love life in general but when you add animals into the mix, this little boy is in heaven. Ana has been scheming about getting us to this farm ever since the invite. I was lobbying for a closer to us farm or some nearby new neighbors but the farm didn’t actually have the experience we had in mind and we haven’t gotten up the nerve enough yet to just appear at new neighbors places for goat time. So we booked a tour with this farm in Ridgefield, WA. We loaded up all of us (Serbian grandparents are in town for a month) and made our way to this little touring farm with goats, chickens, bunnies, a donkey, miniature horses and cats walking alongside us, of course.

We had a great time! Tadej was totally in his element beyond what we could have imagined. As you can see, he got super comfy with the goats and fed many an animal. He hopped with bunnies and declared there were chickens. So lovely.

We made our way back to a full weekend at Menucha and a fun one too. Menucha is closed today and no one is on property but a few of us that live on site. This is a rare moment in time during this season.

This day makes it super clear that we are transitioning in seasons. Two days ago it peaked at 95 degrees and today we wake up to sprinkles, crisp air and cool clouds. The mornings and nights are cool and the sun is shifting position. We are still fully enjoying the longish days that are getting shorter and Tadej even took a bath in his bathtub on the back patio last night! Why not?? How amazing that we get to be here in this place to enjoy the shifting seasons.

I feel it as well in me. September is here and like so many of us, my body starts to reflect and get ready for newness. I am sure this is because most of us feel the school days as a new beginning. Something in us is stirring. Certainly something here is stirring.

And a memory ….four years ago, Ana and I tried to go on another pilgrimage from the Eastern border of Germany in Gorlitz westward. We originally had planned a whole month long itinerary and even though we only decided to complete five days, we learned a ton. It was in the fall of 2020 and everything covid was uncertain. We stopped because so many things were closed or not available due to the changing world. No one knew much of anything and the structure for pilgrims was just not there. But on our second day of walking we found ourselves in the middle of a small town called Kubschutz and desperate for coffee. We had been walking and walking and had hit a bit of a wall.

We sat down on a bench in this little place, gearing up for the last 7km or so. A woman was out working in her garden and looked up and asked how much further we had to go. I told her and she commented that my German was a weird accent. I told her that I was from the US and she got really excited. She said that Americans never came through this part of Germany and she invited us in for coffee. We probably should have been more cautious but it seemed destined to be plus I really really really wanted some coffee. I had hit a wall.

We spent 45 minutes with Barbara in her kitchen talking and talking. She told us about the area and wanted to know about us. She asked if I had met the amazing artist Banksy. She thought the artist was American and I told her that I thought they were British and no one meets Banksy. She told us about all sorts of things and even gave us a bit of chocolate to go with our amazing and needed coffee. We continued on with a bit of pep to our step.

Today I hope to be more like Barbara…a good reminder on this lovely quiet cool day.