May no one who does not still wonder / what he is and what he does / suddenly arrive at my fireside —Sophokles
eople who feel drawn to our values and lifeway sometimes ask to visit Edgewood for extended periods. And while it’s true we have no intern or apprenticeship programme on offer, yet many have assured us that a visit to Edgewood can come to much the same thing. And while it’s also true that we don’t accept long-term visitors very often, yet sometimes things just click …
Edgewood Blue is an intentional community of two guys (Curtis and Trevor), a canine friend (Kabuki) and 4 ha of meadows, forests, ponds and marshes that feather out into wilderness in three compass directions. If you enjoy working outside while learning about the Living World, then there’s a good chance you’ll love it here.
By inclination and profession, we’re both naturalist-scientist-obsessives who make a living studying plants (wild & cultivated), lichens and mosses, and who, between the two of us, also spend an inordinate amount of time communing with beavers, cranes, ravens, weather patterns and forest shadows.
You? If past experience is any guide, you likely self identify as a rare blend of intellect, curiosity, work ethic, physical stamina, joie de vivre, and good heart. We also find that the people who really thrive here are at a stage of life where the usual forms of human bondage – job, spouse, mortgage, children, pension plan – haven’t yet begun to bite. The rest is really neither here nor there.
Three hours of work per day gets you room and board and food to keep your fit, though we’ll ask you to look after your own comfort foods like alcohol, coffee, chocolate and sweets. Breakfast and lunch are solo, but we do like to sit down to a communal meal at dinner – usually rather late in the evening though. Of course we’ll expect you to keep a tidy kitchen and pitch in with meal preparation and clean up. Light alcohol use is fine (if you supply your own) but we don’t permit smoking at Edgewood for all kinds of reasons.
Cell service has yet to reach our valley – online addicts beware! – but we do subscribe to satellite internet. Please bring your laptop with and maybe a phone card.
What will you do here? Mostly you’ll help with outdoor projects like gardening, grounds keeping, trail maintenance, firewood, but on rainy days we may also ask for a hand with housekeeping and/or things digital – a strong suit for neither of us, alas.
In exchange for the above, we’ll provide good conversation on the trail, lively chatter in the garden, wide-ranging discourse over dinner and/or, if you like, deep discussion of any of the books listed here. From time to time, we’ll also help you out with overnight excursions – a hike to the alpine, a canoe trip, a vision quest up in the park – though whether solo or in company is up to you.
We’ll lodge you in your own room in the main house. Bedding is provided for longer stays but otherwise, and because we do our laundry by hand, please bring a sleeping bag and pillow slip with. And please be prepared to use our outhouse.
If you’d like to find out more, please drop us a line, describe yourself in some detail, let us know how you think Edgewood could help you in your life’s journey and maybe mention any special skills or aptitudes you could bring to bear.
[sc]FINALLY, PLEASE READ THIS.[/sc] We love hearing from kindred spirits and encourage you to reach out. Still, you might want to consider the following two caveats ahead of doing so: first, a visit to Edgewood Blue is no picnic and never will be; and second, we simply can’t accommodate all visitor requests. Ars longa, vita brevis.
Next up: Readings