Traipsing Toward the Triangle

I enjoyed a wonderful second Saxapahaw experience last night at the home of Julia Marina & Dakota– and Katja, 11 months old and a fireball of energy!! Aside from being great hosts and conversationalists, sharing their interesting life stories, they also inspired me by making their own kombucha, pasta by hand, laundry and dish soap, finger foods, and much more!
I plan to follow their DIY lead in these areas + more, when I next plant myself somewhere for months or years…
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I spent some good time playing with Katja last night and this morning. It about broke my heart earlier today when she was outside, saw me walking away with all my gear, and started loudly whining.
Luckily, tonight’s hosts also have a very lovable furry fella: Banjo, a five-year-old lab mix, very predictably playful!!

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To avoid the morning precipitation, I left early this afternoon for 14 wet, gray miles today into Carrboro. I’m now on the western edge of North Carolina’s “Triangle” (Chapel Hill, Durham, Raleigh), where I’ll soon be entering another holding pattern…

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There’s no serve-yourself food bar quite like a grocery co-op serve-yourself food bar. As Steve & Phil invite me into their cozy Carrboro apartment for a night’s rest, we detour to dine together at the local grocery co-op. Interestingly, once again I’m seeing far more grocery co-ops as I proceed north (a great thing!!). For sake of comparison, the entire state of Texas has one grocery co-op. (Yes, in Austin.) Many states still don’t even have one. Luckily, however, the co-op and farmers’ markets trends have been steadily growing over the years, as more people demand better quality food choices…