NHVSP 2010 Update 1

To our dearest friends and family,

I write to you to tell you our journey has begun. With an assured stride, we’ve taken the first steps to embark on our expedition. With six hundred miles of land and water ahead of us, there is much to be done. Over the woodstove are screens upon screens tiled with thinly sliced vegetables. Hands are always busy stitching our mitten shells, sanding the handles of our crafted knives - there’s never time to spare. Over the past days we have busily learned many crafts.



Laurel has taught us the art of making a wooden handled knife. Each of us chose a simple block of cherry burl, and with careful steps we uncovered the knife that awaited us.



Lisl has taught us to stitch a pair of mitten shells that will keep our mittens dry. We took patterns and cut out the fabric, and then step-by-step stitched it together.

Our days are filled with the bustle of preparation. We awake at the crack of dawn, before the sun has reached its fingertips over the tops of the trees, and we start in on our chores. There are animals to be fed, wood to be chopped, water to be hauled up from the stream, and much more. We also have to squeeze in time to practice skiing. We strap in our boots and away we go. We must learn the art of going up and down hills, around sharp corners, all with speed and control. We have much to do before we embark and everyone is staying busy. It seems to be getting colder here all the while. The cold creeps into your bones and sucks at the marrow with a suffering sweet tooth. Only as the day succumbs to night do we pile up the fire and crawl, dizzy-headed, into our sleeping bags, with the hope tomorrow will be just as good.

Yours Truly,
Iyla MacArthur, Semester Scribe