With March has come the blooming of the flowers and the trees as well as the opportunity for college students to take a short pause in the midst of their busy schedules for spring break vacation. After our two quietest and serene months, we are now bustling with new enthusiasm and energy each day and expect to sell out our 15 person maximum occupancy almost every night this month. We had a vegetable oil and solar panel run bus occupied by NOLS, National Outdoor Leadership School, stop through a couple weeks ago and bless us with movie night. We hooked up a laptop, full PA sound system, and digital projector to their batteries that are charged from the solar panals on top of their bus roof and thoroughly enjoyed “Baraka” in the cul-de-sac of Mister road. Quite a treat!!! We had a great spring retreat this past weekend with many highlights. The labyrinth was as spectacular as ever with 450+ candles alighting it; we discovered a snapping turtle during our wetland ecology tour; the sweat lodge and meditations were incredibly powerful, and of course, Tom was in his element as an inspirational story teller sharing with us the history of the hostel. We are also very excited about the present website, just released off the presses as well as incredibly appreciative to Bread Dave, who has spent tireless hours and energy over the years founding, creating, and perserving our original website and groundbreaking leap into the digitalia of the internet. THANK YOU DAVE!!!! Just recently, we welcomed back Matthew “Mattchew-I” Bachman, who returned to become the official project manager and put his many skills into action. As the azaleas begin their full bloom and we find the first of many thousand wisteria petals on the deck, we bid winter goodbye and welcome the dawn of spring.

May the forest be with you,

Mark