We used to host Woofers.  (Didn’t get any this year, tho…) Willing Workers on Organic Farms…………..basically, people traveling and wanting to ‘help out’ in exchange for room and board.  We did it because we like to see young people traveling the world and we wanted to share our own off-the-grid experience with them.  It was fun.

A week was enough for most of them.  They were very nice.  Can’t think of any that were not.  But, after a week, maybe two, they wanted to keep on with their journey and we were all happy to ‘move on’.  It was good.  But it was usually short.

Christian, however, stayed for about 6 weeks!  He was so keen and fun to have around that he was a notable exception to the usual…………plus he wouldn’t leave!  And we’ve been friends ever since.  I still enjoy hearing from him. 

Typically, we would get Wfers in early summer as the season became ‘flush’ with backpackers and we would then use them to help us bring in the firewood.  We’d only work ’em (and us) for about four hours a day, often less.  And their job would be to ‘wheelbarrow’ chopped wood from the chopping block to the wood shed and then stack it.  We’d usually pull in two cords and that would be enough.  Maybe three cords if they were keen and good at it.  And then they went kayaking and oyster-catching.  The days went by quickly and pleasantly as a rule.

Some were good.  Some were not so good.  Some were brilliant.  Lindsay was some kind of wood-stacking genius.  That woman stacked piles so tight that it was hard to get a finger between the wood!  Seriously!  She had some kind of spatial aptitude-thing going on.  Must have been a puzzle champ or something.  Martha Stewart does wood-stacking.

Rob and Judy were a lovely couple from England.  We really enjoyed them.  They were and probably still are, traveling around the world and taking each day as it comes.  We liked them.  They liked us.  And we were all the better for having met up.

But that was last year.

April, 2012, to be exact.

And that brings me to the point of today’s blog.  I was out at the wood shed this afternoon piling a load into the wheelbarrow for bringin’ in the house (we keep a few days pile stacked in the house) and, as I was reaching for some pieces, a note in a plastic bag wafted down.

It was from Rob and Judy:  “It’s been awhile since we were here helping you with these logs!  Just thought we’d say how much we enjoyed…..hope all is well…….much love and best wishes!” 

OK….admittedly NOT a really big deal…..but both Sal and I wore a grin for a while.  It was a really nice touch.  Brought back memories.  Made us feel good.

Hey!  This blog is about how I spend my day and…well,….I just spent a few extra minutes this afternoon grinning over a pleasant meeting a year and a half ago…………

Just sharin’