Oz Kitchen, Roof Repair, Acorn’s Squash, and Virtual Tours

by Raven

Having finally finished up with the July Facebook posts and having taken the month of August of from the blog, now that we are beginning October, we will start collecting the September posts.

I started with a post from Twin Oaks about the makeshift kitchen they put for the summer events in the one building in Emerald City (their former industrial area) that hadn’t burned down–Oz! (I used to joke that the difference between the Oz books and movies and Twin Oaks was that in the books and movies, the Emerald City was in Oz but at Twin Oaks, Oz was in Emerald City. Unfortunately, now Emerald City is gone but Oz was relatively untouched.)

This (the second post in September after my ‘we’re back’ post) did pretty well, with five likes, four loves, three cares, and a hundred and ninety-two views.

East Wind, a community that is often helpful to others, worked on a neighbor’s roof.

This also did pretty well, with eleven likes, one love, and a hundred and seventy-nine views.

At Acorn, it’s squash season.

This did okay on Facebook, with six likes, three loves, and a hundred and eleven views.

Finally, the FIC (Foundation for Intentional Community) has been giving online tours of various communities and here’s when they did some familiar Louisa county ones.

For a post that said little except the FIC was giving virtual tours and posted the four pictures that the FIC used, this did amazingly well, with thirteen likes, two loves, one comment, two shares (which is probably part of why it did so well on Facebook), and a very nice three hundred and ten views.

Serenity Solidarity Work Party, Part Two

by Raven

Last week I posted about the lovely work party we had at Serenity Solidarity, with folks coming from nearby (Albany, NY, region) as well as from places across New England (especially western Massachusetts and Maine). I put pictures of one of the projects working on their new house, replacing a structural beam. The other big house project was tearing out the kitchen floor, in preparation for putting down a new one. (This made cooking meals challenging, to say the least.)

In picture four, you can see Ethan and Eve trying to figure out how to remove a bench built into the wall. (Also seen in picture one.) Picture five is of the area after they successfully removed it. The final picture is of Dan, Serenity Solidarity member, Ericka’s husband, father to the kids, and the project manager for both the beam replacement work and the kitchen floor endeavor. I think of him as the major behind the scenes figure of Serenity Solidarity.

In next week’s final post, I’ll have pictures from some of the outdoor projects going on at the same time.

Serenity Solidarity Work Party, Part One

by Raven

In early August, I joined a delightful crew of folks to help with a bunch of the work that was needed to fix up Serenity Solidarity’s new home. There were a lot of projects that were needed to be done, including replacing a major support beam in the living room that had rotted and replacing the kitchen floor–plus a bunch of outdoor projects. I took lots of pictures. Here’s a bunch from the beam replacement work–the trickiest of the projects. Note in the second picture, they used a car jack to hoist one of the supports into position. The last three pictures show the completed beam.

New for 2024

by Raven

The disastrous fire that destroyed the Twin Oaks Conference site resulted in a lot of new structures. Here’s some pictures of both new stuff and what was left of the old. (The place is a camping site and has always been primative.) Pictured is new workshop spaces named Findhorn, Auroville, and The Fest, the new kitchen space at Oz, the new dining area, the dish clean up area showing burn marks and a leftover concrete slab, the rebuilt outhouses, and the lovely new showers–which I think are the nicest of the new structures.

The 2024 Communities Conference

by Raven

This was the first Conference since the fire and the Conference site, like a phoenix, literally rose from the ashes.  It was a baby phoenix, however, not quite fully formed.

The iconic Pavillion was gone and replaced by something that looked like the top of a circus tent.  There were a lot of new structures and I’ll have pictures of a bunch of them in our photo essay on Wednesday.  Most of the trees around the site had black scorch marks and were missing their lower branches but were green way up above.  It was surreal to look around and remember what the place used to look like.

The original Pavilion (on the right) and kitchen (on the left)

The content of the Conference was not all that different, however. The themes for the Conference were: “How can communities network more effectively?” and “How can our communities be more equitable and diverse?” and the workshops reflected that.  As usual, there was a “Meet the Communities” event Saturday morning and it was vibrant and full of communities, new and old.

The new Pavilion, at least for this year

There were workshops on starting new communities, living without fossil fuel, meditation for community building, BIPOC communities, community harm and accountability, dealing with conflict, etc.  I went to a workshop on polyamory and tried to attend three on ‘Authentic Relating’ (a current interest of mine) but only the first one really happened (I ended up as the only one in the other two except for the presenter, which gave me lots of time to talk with him).  On Sunday there were two ‘Open Space’ slots and I got excited when I learned one was going to be a second talk on ‘Social Ecology’ which I was also interested in but couldn’t go to the first one because of schedule conflicts.  I had also thought about skipping the open space time altogether and just going for a swim in the river.  Imagine my surprise when I found out that some organizers decided to combine the Social Ecology time with a walk to the river (to swim, of course) and I got to do both.

The Conference wouldn’t have happened, of course, without a lot of hard work.  First of all, Keenan took charge of a crew that rebuilt or rigged up a whole bunch of structures that made not only the Conference, but the Queer Gathering and the Women’s Gathering, possible.  Hawina took charge of registration and making sure things happened while Paxus managed the Conference itself, assisted by Kelpie.  A star was Holly, the overworked and burnt out cook, who made sure everyone was fed.  I can’t remember everyone involved but I will mention Angie, who provided transportation from Richmond for a whole bunch of folks (including yours truly), and Petra, who was always jumping in to help when things, as often, fell short.

I’m looking forward to going again next year, as I often do, because it’s a great place to meet other community minded folks and network, as well as usually having interesting workshops, but also because I suspect it will look a bit different again next year, as the forest grows back and there will be more new structures (including, I hope, a new wooden pavilion).

Keenan with the huge spool he found and turned into a traveling wheel

Fungi, Rebuild, House, Flowers, and Hammocks

by Raven

We did great on Facebook this week. I don’t know if it was because we have pictures again or not, but all the posts got well over a hundred views, two of them got over two hundred views, and one got over six hundred–and it was a post I would have thought would do average or a little below.

I started with a repost from Acorn, a picture of Kyle with a giant “chicken of the woods”.

This did very, very well with twelve likes, four wows, three loves (including one from the Foundation for Intentional Community), a comments, and very nice two hundred and seventy-seven views.

Twin Oaks is seeking help in their ambitious rebuilding plans for their conference site.

This also did very, very well. Although it only got three likes and a love, it got a share, and just about the same number of views as Acorn’s fungi picture.

Anyone want to buy a house near Twin Oaks? Twin Oaks posted this and I thought it might be worth reposting.

I thought it was a sweet little post. I didn’t expect the traffic it got: twelve likes, two loves, two comments, a share, and an astounding six hundred and sixty views!

Of course, we couldn’t keep up with this. Acorn posted this very lovely set of flower pictures from their land. (Note, I will probably republish this soon as a photo essay.)

Now, with all these pretty pictures, I thought this would get a lot of views. It didn’t do badly, but it was the poorest performer of the week, with three likes and three loves, a comment, and a fairly good hundred and eleven views.

Finally, they did have some hammock supplies left after the fire at Twin Oaks, and thus, a hammock sale.

This also did okay, with six likes and a hundred and seventy views. Normally I would think a hundred and seventy views was great but this week we did better than usual, so this was just fair.

Returning to Help, Curt Illustrated, East Wind’s 50th, and Beehive Art

by Raven

This post will overlap a couple of weeks of Facebook posts. The first of the weeks had only three posts suitable for reposting here. I often repost as many as five of the seven weekly Facebook posts since two are either posted here first (our Monday think pieces that are reposted to FB on Tuesday) or posted similtaneously (our Wednesday videos or photoessays). I also don’t repost stuff from Facebook that are actually reposts from earlier blog post here, or that gotten the original content from whoever posted it originally deleted or blocked for some reason.

The week of Facebook I was going to repost here had one of each exception, so I would have had only three posts–however, the following week was the week of the Twin Oaks fire when I dumped all the usual Facebook content and replaced it with a bunch of TO posts about the fire, and then reprinted them here that Friday. However, there was one post that week that happened before the fire, ironically from Twin Oaks, and I am reposting that here with the three posts from the previous week.

The first post was another Twin Oaks post (TO is a prolific poster) about a kid that grew up there, left, and now lives nearby and comes by sometimes just to help out.

This did extremely well on Facebook, with nine likes, five loves, one comment, one share, and two hundred and twenty-five views.

Curt was an older man who lived at Acorn and died suddenly of a heart attack a few years ago. He was a musician and an artist and left a lot of art behind. I don’t know who did this picture that Acorn posted.

This got two likes, two cares, one love, and a hundred and twenty-four views.

I think that turning fifty is pretty good for any community. Twin Oaks hit fifty a few years back. Now it’s East Wind’s turn.

This was an event post from East Wind, and event posts on Facebook generally don’t do well. This was no exception. It did get three loves (including one from East Wind Nut Butters!), two likes, and a care, but it only got seventy-one views.

Finally, Twin Oaks posted about an art event there that featured the Beehive Collective, an artist group from Maine known for their posters. The blurb here is a direct quote from the original Twin Oaks post (which I usually say, but somehow forgot this time).

The link is in a picture so you can’t click on it. Here’s a real link to the Beehive Collective. And here’s the pictures TO posted.

This did pretty well. It got six likes and a hundred and eighty-one views.

Power Balls, New Year’s Eve, Exits, and a Question

by Raven

February may be over on the calendar, but I’m just getting started on our February Facebook posts.

And I’ll start with a little treat made with East Wind peanut butter.

This one did fine on Facebook, with six likes and a love (and the love was actually from East Wind Nut Butters–I guess they appreciated the publicity), and a hundred and twelve views.

Twin Oaks reposted Paxus’s post on their New Year party, so I re-reposted it.

Maybe because it was more than a month out of date, but this didn’t do as well, with only one like, and a little less than a hundred views.

When I was visiting Acorn in January, I noticed something I thought readers might find amusing. I think they did.

Well, I guess folks did find it amusing, because it got thirty-one likes and loves and three ‘haha’s, not to mention almost three hundred and ninety views.

It also got a comment which I think is worth printing here, because it gives the origin of the slide.

Nearly four hundred views is a lot, but if you really want a lot of views, I found that posting the occasional question on Facebook gets an enormous number of views, not to mention some pretty interesting comments. Here’s what I posted that early February Monday morning:

And, yes, I got responses:

This did incredibly well, but I was surprised that in spite of the fifteen comments and over five hundred and fifty views, it only got six likes and a ‘care’.

A reflection on the evolution of Twin Oaks

By Keenan (from Your Passport to Complaining)

Dining: 

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Llano is crowded, noisy, and filthy and should be condemned.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) ZK sets new standard in luxuriousness and cleanliness at Twin Oaks.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) ZK is crowded, noisy, and filthy and should be condemned. Dining should happen in Llano, but only if it has a less offensive name.

Visitor program:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Visitors housed in SLG’s.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Visitors housed in Aurora.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Visitors housed in SLG’s and Ta Chenerates housed in Aurora.

Degania:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Degania is built for childrens’ program.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Degania abandoned.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Degania used for childrens’ program and then Degania abandoned again.

Technology:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) No video allowed anywhere.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) No video allowed in bedrooms.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) No video allowed in public spaces.

Allowance:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Allowance is .75 cents a month
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Allowance is $35.00 a month
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Allowance is $115.00 a month

Behavior issues:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Behaviorism will deal with any problematic behaviors among members.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Behaviorism doesn’t work. Problematic behavior is dealt with through policy: feedbacks, support groups, process team, mediation, mental health team, and membership team.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) nothing works to change problematic behavior—reject all visitors who exhibit any potentially problematic behavior.

A/C:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Air conditioning kills the planet.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Air conditioning protects equipment, but is not for people.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Air conditioning kills mold and saves lives.

What is offensive: 

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Makeup and shaving are offensive.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Having babies is offensive.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Wrong pronouns are offensive.

Buildings:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Naming buildings after past communal efforts is uplifting and inspirational.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) No new buildings to name.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Naming buildings after past communities with problematic values is offensive.

Children:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) No children until the community is ready.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) The community raises children. Biological parents discouraged from caring for children. Censor children’s books to remove all mention of “mother” or “father.”
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Pregnancy approval process to ensure that parents really want to be parents. Parents raise children.

Labor:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Variable labor system (members work too much).
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Quota is set at 49 (members work too much).
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Quota is set at 42 (members work too much).

Taking a break:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Don’t leave the farm during a hammocks push.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) P.A.L. policy
• Twin Oaks 3.0) P.A.L., Suspended membership, Emotional LOA, Sabbatical, and Associate Membership.

Building design:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Members reject mainstream building practices, like proper foundations. All building labor comes from Twin Oaks members
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Members accept mainstream building practices and most building labor comes from Twin Oaks members.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Building labor is hired.

Income:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Hammocks is main income source. Concerns about Pier 1 as main account eventually prove accurate.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Tofu is main income source. Concerns about cost of upgrading tofu eventually prove accurate.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Seed Racks is main income source. Concerns…?

Decision-making:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Members involved in all decisions of the community.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Decision-making happens at the managerial level after much community process.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Members are sometimes, but not always, informed of decisions.

Ex-members:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Ex-members are treated like traitors to the values of Twin Oaks.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Ex-members are treated like old friends and welcome to come to parties.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Ex-members buy adjoining property.

Cleanliness:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Cleaning is a bourgeois middle-class affectation that focuses on appearance over substance.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Cleaning with chemicals is bad for the planet.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Mold kills! Scrub everything! Use bleach!

Trees:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) There are no trees near newly built buildings.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Plant trees to provide coolness and shade buildings.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Fight mold! Cut trees near buildings down! 

You are a long term member after…:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) 2 years
• Twin Oaks 2.0) 5 years
• Twin Oaks 3.0) 10 years

Longest term member at Twin Oaks:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) McCune
• Twin Oaks 2.0) McCune
• Twin Oaks 3.0) McCune

Communal networking:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) Twin Oaks is isolated and focused on survival.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Twin Oaks helps build a national communal movement (Communities magazine, builds FEC, Leaves of Twin Oaks, welcomes national media).
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Twin Oaks helps develop a local network of communities in Louisa County.

Leaving Twin Oaks:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) You get nothing if you leave Twin Oaks.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) You get $50 and a hammock.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) You get nothing if you leave Twin Oaks.

Death:

• Twin Oaks BETA version) No need for a cemetery.
• Twin Oaks 2.0) Cemetery in the woods on a hill.
• Twin Oaks 3.0) Can’t keep track of buried bodies.

This is mainly satire, please don’t message the blamer…also…make your own additions to the evolution of Twin Oaks.

Roof Repair, CSA Shares, Ira, Alexis, and Acorn Art

by Raven

It’s another weekly Facebook summary, featuring more creativity from Acorn, celebrations of well-known communards, and a post I wasn’t happy with.

It started with a repost from Twin Oaks about getting the dining hall roof fixed.

This post did very well (Twin Oaks posts often do), with lots of likes, two loves, and a wow–and almost two hundred views.

The next post didn’t do well and for once I was glad of that. It was a repost from East Brook Community Farm (Glomus Commune’s business) and featured a picture of one of their low income CSA subscribers. In retrospect I decided it wasn’t a good idea to reprint this woman’s picture. She was obviously okay with it being used for farm advertising but I think it wasn’t appropriate for larger distribution. Fortunately, most things on Facebook are ephemeral but that’s why I am not republishing it here.

I think this is a lovely thing that they are doing but, as I said, I had second thoughts about republishing the face of someone who really wasn’t involved with communal things. Therefore, the fact only fifty people saw it was a relief.

On the other hand, while I usually feel happy when a post gets over a hundred views, I republished a post about Ira from Acorn–and because it was about Ira getting an award, and I know posts about Ira do very well, I would have been disappointed if this post got less than two hundred views. I wasn’t disappointed.

As I said, this got 24 likes, loves, and cares, and two hundred and thirty views. I am only surprised it didn’t get more views.

Another well known communard who often gets noticed is Alexis from Living Energy Farm. But it was Twin Oaks that posted about his newspaper write up.

As usual, since there is a picture of a link, here’s the actual link.

This also did well (although not as well as Ira’s piece) with a good ten likes and a hundred and thirty views.

After posting here last week about duplicates I accidentally posted on Acorn’s creativity, here is a brand new repost on Acorn’s artwork.

It got five likes, one love, and one wow, and also a hundred and thirty views.