I woke up and had a light breakfast in the Navi before meeting at 9:15 with two other visitors like me for a beautiful walk across the property to the campground area for volunteer work assignments.  I had the opportunity to spruce up the labyrinth created with stones in an open field with a handful of others including one of the founding members David (Dabo) Fischer and apprentices Patrick and Layla along with other volunteers.  We spent 3 hours on our hands and knees weeding.  I've never enjoyed weeding so much.  It was a great opportunity to hear from Dabo how the community got started and to hear how he got the name Dabo.  He said he was trying to teach a young child just learning how to talk how to say David so he repeated it three times slowly for her.  She looked at him and replied with great confidence "Dabo".  He decided to embrace the child in him and stuck with Dabo.  He's an affable, fun loving person who seems to embrace life with both hands.  It was a joy working along beside him and the others in our group.

I also got the opportunity to visit with Layla who has a Master's degree from Naropa--a Zen University in Boulder in Contemplative Psychology.  I asked her if she had an opportunity to use the degree and she said she wrote a book about her experience living in Hawaii off the land with Patrick where they conceived and she gave birth to Iziah all on her own.  She said that it was through her book that she shared how she applied what she learned in school.

I told her that I would love to read her book and she agreed to include me in when it was ready to share.  Can't wait!