Work practice for last week’s sesshin included putting irrigation pipes into the trenches dug the previous weekend. These connect with new standpipes that will make it much easier to water the gardens. Yesterday’s work party saw 20 people from Great Vow Zen Monastery come out to tour and then contribute labor to the property. One of the things they did was to finish putting in the pipe and backfill the trenches.

In spite of poor soil, hand-watering as we can get to it, and the incredible heat of this summer, we are still harvesting tomatoes, potatoes, and other produce in small amounts. This makes a nice supplement to our summer diet.

Today the light poles for street lights were installed. Yesterday a section of the fence along Siskiyou Street (between 85th and 86th) was opened up. This will be for water hookup when we get to that point. We keep inching closer to getting electricity and water, and have hopes of getting both soon (a term vague enough that it requires patience to navigate).

We have work parties most Wednesdays from about 9:30am to about 3:30pm. Come in the gate at NE 85th and Siskiyou and look for people out toward the Sodo. We break for lunch at noon at the 85th house (3155 NE 85th, a block from the main gate).