As a first work exchange, I couldn’t ask for a better place to end up. Tim and terry both share strong ethics and try to live as respectful to the lands and the people as they can. They are both very easygoing, open minded and down to the earth. They adopted 2 kids and fully embrace their family lifestyle. I quickly felt part of the family.

Let me introduce you its members:

• Tim is a shamanic practitioner but before all a dedicated father. Originally he graduated in art and consciousness. He now works from home building database.
• Terry used to live the gypsy life not so long ago.  Graduated in fine art, she has definitely inspiration and good energy to offer. She is an attentive and loving mother.
• Tagd is an energetic, smiling and playful 5 years old kid that lives the dream! Always hungry, you could feed him on yogurt and ice cream.
• True is the last one of the family. At 9 months old, she will cross the living room at lightning speed to get in the fridge as soon as you open the door, like a magnet.
• Bella is a lovely black dog that loves us as much as the neighbors’ garbage.
• Finally, 5 chikens that love hanging around the garden but can’t help laying their eggs across the property!

When I arrived, nothing was really set up as what kind of work exchange I would do. We talk it over dinnertime when tim and I came back from the shamanic workshop. It appears that the garden needed some good care as Terry didn’t have much time to look after it for the last few weeks. I would sleep in one of the cob house recently built right by the garden. Four balls of straw would do as a mattress!

  On my very first night, after a little tour of the property, tim pointed out that there were some black widow living around my quarters. As I was about to sleep, my headlamp flashed one of them. Then I started looking for them. They sit around the mud wall of the cob, always in a corner. I stopped looking for them after spotted 12 of them … you don’t want to be scared of spiders over there!

  The days went on very smoothly. They both stay at home during the day. The roosters started singing around 5am. And when the night comes, coyotes would howl to the moon.Tim works from home and Terrie looks after the kids and takes car of the garden or goes cobbing. At 6 o’clock, it’s dinner time. Tim is a chef and knows how to make us be on time! Only organic food is allowed in the house, when it doesn’t come from the neighbors. A glass of wine over some tasty talks and it’s already bet time for the little family… and me.

  The house is located a couple of miles off the road, around organic farms and a rooster farm next door. The neighbors are mainly Mexican. The latino culture is huge here and has a large impact on the everyday’s life, like the necessity to speak Spanish for some jobs.

  Tim and terry met on a shamanic workshop. Both have strong spiritual backgrounds and happily shared their experiences. Tim regularly does shamanic healing work with clients and earn a little of extra money that way. I really enjoyed sharing time, histories, ideas and experiences with them, when I wasn’t doing insane lego constructions with tagd

  The place had an amazing energy. There is a hippy feeling around and definitely a unique blend: True is eating earth, Tags is covered in mud, daddy is doing a shamanic ritual while mum is looking after the garden, chasing the hen from eating the tomatoes!

I’m thankful for the time I shared with them. I felt what a simple and balanced life can look like.

the house’s website:    

www.lavenderhillhomestead.com

Tim’s website, a blend of shamanic journeys and deep thoughts

www.alchemistsjournal.com

Terry’s art portfolio

www.terryallisart.com