Happy Memorial day: in honor of those fighting for peace too. This week was full of celebration and rebirth. Though we said a sighing sad goodbye to our magical kitchen manager, jon-athan, who is embarking to stir his blessings into pots in Eastern Europe, we welcomed four former managers including Mr Papillon whose birthday we got to celebrate. Hey Ho Geminis. We unfortunately didnt get to throw Poppy in the pool which was in the process of being cleaned but the weekend swimming and laughing payed off as we enjoyed the bounty of the sparkling swimming water. After being donated a large box of an array of apples and bananas we decided we’d opt for a week of banana bread but juiced the apples and began a spontaneous hard cider. Thursday evening’s full moon brought our sweat lodge ceremony which ended late in the evening as we exited the lodge stripped and purified at the height of the lunar rising. On Sunday Yedelka Tavera from Miami gave a watercolor workshop in the Glass House discussing the spectrum of color and the creative outlet of painting with this medium. Four Chickens arrived Sunday evening cunningly packaged in KFC containers by Mark, our Chicken Guy and his lovely daughter Alice. We have two spanking new araucanas (looking forward to green eggs and spam) and two marans in their home sweet forest home.Our sweat lodge has been rebuilt, the gardenia’s are intoxicating, the yellow flies linger and the forest is bustling with helpful hands and wise spirits.

May the Forest Be With You

The Hostel Staff

Namasté Hostelites. As we still wait for any sign of rain we wrapped up a week of much relaxation, healing and mental and physical stimulation. Our minds and tastes were taken on a spell by Miss Sally from Eureka, Montana who whipped out her chocolate tempering machine after dinner and showed us how to make sugar-free, vegan chocolate elixirs with a base of cocoa liquor (the cocoa butter and nibs). To make them sugar free she uses a coupling of stevia powder and stevia extract and some other secrets I am probably not obliged to share but yum and I don’t think we were able to get to sleep very easily that night.

The weekend brought yogis from far and near to take part in a yoga retreat filled with a NIA class let by Dragana Zappia, a Yin Yoga class led by Lynne from the Yoga Co-op Savannah (kinda like Shivasana), a Luminary Labyrinth walk, a Tai Chi class led by a Nateo and Mike and scrumptious ayurvedic and macrobiotic food which recharged us. We had a sushi making workshop the results of which we enjoyed on Friday night and a vegan raw chocolate presentation by Lindsey from Asheville’s yummy ULIManna to wrap up our Re-Treat.

Om Tat Sat.

May the Forest Be With You

The Hostel Staff

The airs of freedom permeated the forest this week. Our home-brew chicks had their first unaccompanied, unpenned play time in their adorable, chirpy fluffiness. The star ship galactic dome had all scaffolding removed after a week of frenzied shingling and a sad goodbye to the wondrous Dennis Carter from beautiful Deer Isle Maine. The dome will be a phenomenal space for workshopping and education on all things green and ecologically responsible. The summer garden is in after a week of much sweat and mulching thanks to a Zak H Stern who whimsied through on his way up north. He also held a bread and croissant making workshop for all those gluten-enthusiasts the bounties of which were enjoyed all week and weekend. His skills come all the way from Tuscany, Italy where he has spent the last few months as a resident baker on an eco-village villa. Saturday night had us stepping to the dub as a Dj’s Brandon and James spun their wares in the common room. We wait for rain and for the weekend approaching which will bring Yogi’s from far and near for our Yoga Retreat Weekend for which a couple more spots are open. Until then

May the Forest Be With You

The Hostel Staff

May rolled in after a week of much cycling of birth and renewal at the Hostel in the Forest. The full moon brought the monthly sweat lodge ceremony which was wonderfully purifying and renewing. The Barefoot Natives, a threesome of spunky British musicians strummed through and gave a folky fireside performance. Guitars were passed around and guests and staff were soon harmonizing. Jon-Dear has been baking incredible breads with a gluten-free sourdough starter made with flour ground by our, mostly his, very hands in our very own Soul Kitchen.

As the magnificence of the fireflies arrived to grace our nights we said goodbye to Chicken Shamama Amanda, Scatologist K-lyn and Winter’s Kitchen Manager Chuckles as they embarked on a Truth Love and Free Food Tour: “traveling up the east coast via sweet Chariot Bethany the RV; visiting rad communities, communes, farms, ashrams, friends and families.” On the horizon is our Yoga Retreat Weekend May 21-23 as well as a spontaneously-planned bread making workshop the weekend of May 14. Former manager and current artisan bread baker in Tuscany, Italy, Zak H Stern, will be demonstrating how to bake sourdough hearth bread in a conventional home oven. Learn how to create, maintain, and use a wild yeast starter to rise your home baked bread. May the breath always flow, may the bread always rise and . . .

May the Forest Be With You

The Hostel Staff