Eunique Eugene - Saturday Market

Last Saturday I gave Genevieve a lift to the Saturday Market. I'd been to it before, but early in the morning when it opened. This was the first time I'd seen and heard the REAL Saturday Market. The drums could be heard two blocks away. Drummers come and go all day, keeping up the deep, rhythmic vibrations that pierced my body and went on for hours into the night (I'm told). The vendors are only allowed to sell things that they had made or grown themselves. Whether it be felt boots, mushrooms, honey, vegetables, tie-dye cloths, and any kind of craft you can think of, it's sold. Musicians stand around on the street corners surrounding the stalls, busking for money. The food area next to the stage is where local bands entertain people as they eat. I didn't have my camera with me last week so today returned and spent an hour at the Market shooting anything and anybody I ran into. At the bottom of this blog is a small video of the raising of a teepee that I shot at a Rainbow gathering in town. I'm beginning to love hippies. Welcome to Eugene.

First Month in Eugene

I'm going to start this blog with a funny manifestation story. After I moved into the Mothership - the name of the house and community I'm living in - I started to think about how I could make some extra money in Eugene. Not sure where to start I just decided to "feel" like I had plenty of money. That day I went for a walk and on the way found $50 (above) - haha, very funny, I said to the Universe. The very next day I got an e-mail from my friend Toni in Santa Cruz saying that she wanted to buy the statue I left for her to take care of for me and she was sending me the first payment of $200. Yahoo. Now that's the kind of money manifestation I appreciate! Good news is that I finally have a carving commission - a Buddha carving for Brian, who owns the Dancing Heart Center where I'm also going to be creating my second giant land art piece. This time it will be big enough (about 4 acres) to definitely be seen on Google satellite (if they ever update their satellite photos). We haven't decided yet what it will be but I will be designing it with Lanie who got her degree in landscape architecture and Brian is going to help by running the rototiller over the lines I draw out. Lanie, who lives in the Mothership, introduced me to Brian and Genevieve. I've met some wonderfully generous people since I've been here.

Last night we had a big party at the Mothership - about 30 people showed up, two bands played then we ended the evening by going outside for a bonfire, but were first entertained by several fire jugglers. This is the third party I've been to since I got here.







Someone asked me to show pictures of my room so I've made a virtual tour of it. I got exactly what I manifested for - a large sunny room where I can work and be at home. I painted the wall by my bed and built the blue bookcase from throw away wood. The easel was given to me because someone left it behind a long time ago and no one else wanted it, and the desk and dresser came with the room. Oh yes, another manifestation, I was sleeping on a futon on the floor and told Omni that the next time I had money I was going to buy a wooden stand to put the mattress on. That afternoon Ian, a young guy moving in to a cabin in the trees behind the Mothership, asked me if I would like to use his futon bed because there was no room for it in his room. That was a fast one.













Bathroom I share with Krisashwa who rents the room next to me.



I can see Spencer Butte from my windows, so when Krisashwa invited me to hike to the top with her one day, I went. I've been up there a couple of times now - great exercise and spectacular 360 degree view of Eugene. Below is Krisashwa, the backup singer in the band and student at the local college.



It took me a couple of tries (hikes) but I finally was able to find the Mothership and photograph it from the top of Spencer Butte.



Rock embedded in tree roots on Spencer Butte.



Below are just a few photos of life in the Mothership.



Omni, a weaver, also makes one of a kind felt boots (below). They really are nice - I think these would sell well on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.



Several of us worked to put up a fence around the garden (I cut the branches off of a dozen young trees they had to cut down to make the garden). This is Troy and Nanda (bass player and drummer in the band respectively) putting up the garden fence. Below that is the gate David and Omni made from the trees I trimmed.





Lemonade on stump for garden workers.



Every once in a while we do spontaneous things like having brunch on the big deck off of the main room. David's mother was visiting and sitting are Krisashwa, Nanda, Lanie, and Omni.



Omni has been teaching me how to eat vegan. She makes all her own veggie burgers, puts them on wax paper, cuts them out individually, stacks them in plastic containers and freezes them. Whenever we want one we just take it out of the freezer and cook it - yum.



This is David and Omni's band practicing - Troy on bass, Jai on keyboard, David on guitar and Omni, singing and percussion.



Rainbows are big in Eugene - many places and people are named rainbow around here. This is one of many rainbows I've photographed since I've been here. It rains often but many times the sun is out. I've noticed that when the rain finally stops everyone runs outside to enjoy the sun while they can.