For the first time since my release from prison in June of 2006, I have a home.

I've been given a temporary work-trade space in an eco-village. Despite the fact that many people here have their doubts and suspicions about me, there are several who welcome me. Especially the dome-dwellers.

We have about half a dozen small dome structures here, and there's a kitchen, bathroom and computer room that we share in a house. It's an odd assembly of people here in the dome village - an autonomous unit within the larger community. There are four men and three women and we seem to get along really well. 

My presence has created a stir here (of course). I sorta got snuck in before the larger community had a chance to meet me. I had a decent reference, since I first came here for a going-away party for a really cool comrade who moved to Portland. The night of the party, I found a guitar laying around the dome house. It had been abandoned by a previous resident. I took it to the party and wound up playing silly songs and jamming a little with a real musician. I've been playing everyday (almost) since then. It's been fun, and I'm getting closer to realizing my fantasy of busking. I need to know a few more songs. Well, more than a few.

So, some of the older members of the community aren't sure about me. As I said - I sorta moved in before anyone had a chance to discuss things, and that ruffled a few feathers. It's possible that I'll be asked to leave sometime soon. It's more possible that I'll stay, though. My friends in the dome village really like me, and one of them wants to busk with me. Or start up a band, if we get some electric instruments.

My life changed so much, so quickly, I haven't had a chance to sort things out for myself. I'm going to be doing some prisoner support work soon, and hope to start up an anarchist coffee cart, too. Meanwhile, I have a new zine out, and am working on the next one in the series. They'll be about my prison experiences, though the first two will be mostly background.

This place has been really good to me. I've got a guitar to play while my acoustic-electric is repaired. I also have a bike, which was also left behind by a previous resident. A home, a guitar to play, a bike to ride, friends to hang out with, projects to work on - life feels really good right now. And I'm not even slightly concerned that I'll fuck it all off. I'm on a roll, and I'm gonna take full advantage of the opportunities life is presenting me.

Yea!