My next stop was with Permatours in Westport Island, Maine. The property we were on was land owned by a couple right on the ocean. We were going there to help finish building a 14 foot aircrete dome that others had already started. The plan for the dome was to eventually be used as a healing temple for sound healing and massages.
When I first arrived I jumped in to help. We were using Aircrete to build the dome. Aircrete is concrete that you add soap or foam to, which adds bubbles of airspace, making it lighter and with good insulation. I helped make some of the Aircrete blocks. Once we had filled all the molds we had, we went back to work on the dome while they dried.
Most of the dome's structure had already been built at this point. Our jobs were to finish the remaining top blocks, along with rasping and applying stucco and mortar to the outside. I got started with rasping the outside, which is using a flat metal file in order to shave down the bricks to make them smooth and even with each other. In one part around the arch, the bricks came out too far and I used a saw to shave along the edge of the arched entrance.
Once we got the outside of the dome all smooth, we would hose the dome off, cover it in a layer of stucco, then lay a mesh cloth over it. We would then cover that with mortar and leave it to dry. We worked until the rain started coming down, which was luckily the same time the sun set. When the rain drops started, I ran with three others, Markie, John, and Nolan, to Markie’s bus.
Markie had arrived in her bus. She had converted it into a home to live in. When I entered the bus I was in awe. She had little kitchen area, book shelves and places to sit, along with a little wood stove to heat it, and a little space for an apothecary. The front was all living space, and in the back half she had a sleeping space area with a bed. I hung out with the three of them for a bit in the bus while the rain poured down outside.
At the house of the property we were staying on, the home owners were putting on an Ecstatic Dance. I was hoping the rain would stop before I made my way there, but it was clear it wasn’t going to. I eventually ran to my car to change out of my work clothes before going into the home. There were all different kinds of foods laid out on an island that was surrounded by multiple people who were eating and enjoying each other’s company. I didn’t know anybody there yet, so I grabbed a plate of food and spent time getting to know a few people. Eventually my friend Joy came in and we found a spot to sit and eat together. I ate some chilli and rice along with a delicious crab dip.
The Ecstatic Dance was supposed to be outside on the deck, but we weren’t sure the rain would stop. Finally it did. We set up speakers outside on the deck, which had big bulb lights strung along the outside. The combination of the dim lights and the huge, bright moon lit up the dance floor perfectly. The dancing began and I joined in with everyone and had a blast. The wet deck added to the excitement; it made it so we were able to slide around with ease.
The ocean at the end of the land was still and calm, and helped reflect the lights up to us. We danced into the night. When we all grew tired, a few of us gathered around a table on the deck. Someone brought out their guitar, a drum and then a few other little instruments, and we sat on the deck making music together. We sang different songs that people knew, and all of it was absolutely beautiful. The next morning we all gathered in the house for breakfast. There were eggs, veggies with mushrooms, and French toast. I ate while talking with a girl named Jessie. After eating, she and I walked down to the water. We took two of the paddle boards they had and went out. These paddle boards were a little harder to use than others I had tried, and the water was a little choppy. We started out standing up but found it was so much easier if we paddled around on our knees. We paddled out and around a little island. The waves were a little strong and kept trying to push our paddle boards in various directions. We kept having to turn the boards and paddle out farther to keep from crashing into the island. When we turned around to go back, we were worried it would be hard to get there against the waves, but we made it back easily.
Back on land we went back to work on the dome build. I climbed up onto one of the arches for the dome and started rasping. After that was done I used mortar on the back. It was my first time using it, and I discovered experienced people make it look a lot easier than it is. It seemed like every time I applied it to the dome, it would fall off into a clump. I figured it out eventually though, and mortared the lower part of the dome before handing the job off to Markie, who is a lot taller, to get the top done.
We spent the day working until the sun started to go down. The home owners said we could spend another night on the land even though we weren’t working the next day. There was just a small group of six of us left. We got a table and some propane grills and made veggies and rice outside for dinner. We ate and chatted while sitting on some rocks until it was time for bed. The next morning I woke up early and hit the road.
Opmerkingen