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Day 24: Last day!

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Our most fun photo. Everyone's personality really shines here.  Today was our last day together. We gathered for the last morning's singing. It was clear that everyone was feeling a lot of big feelings on the last day. On the one hand, we were celebrating a successful town, a fun Mini-Fair and all the times we shared this summer. For the same reasons, we were also sad to leave. We sang our favorites with a lot of emotion. Several homesteaders danced around the circle as we sang, arms waving emphatically as they acted out the action of each song. A homesteader dives into clean-up.  From singing we dove head-first into cleaning up camp. We took down our mini-acres and disappeared the perimeter markers of the town. Homesteaders removed fences and filled in pools. Homes were removed and set aside to take home. There was much discussion of importing buildings for next year, so that they could "move on to other stuff quicker, like government and businesses and
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Day 23: Mini-Fair

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Ready and waiting for guests at the Mini-Fair! Making mini-books and testing the candy machine.  Thursday was Mini-Fair day. It dawned ominously grey, with a forecast for rain. No matter, as that's ALWAYS what happens at Mini-Fair. We sang our hearts out in the morning and then spent the day getting ready for our big party. Everyone was busy, and there was much laughing and joking as we made our final preparations. Creation of mini-foods, books, mathematical marvels and other Peep-sized commodities dominated the main space of the barn, rides were tweaked and tested in the workshop and signs were painted outside. Everyone was in good spirits. We used a lot of paint, nails and hot glue! Alex ??????'s Homesteader creates her signs.  Takin' a break together. Team Village Activate! Testing LED lights in a Homesteader's ride.  The weather grew even more ominous as we set up for our party--the sky looked as if it might open up on us any m
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Day 22

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It is day 22, Mini-Fair Eve, and also appraisal day. Homesteaders crafted up a storm preparing for these two events! Side one of last week's newspaper: a must read! Side two After singing and groupies, there was ONE LAST werk berzerk block to work on houses before appraisal time! The barn was real' busy with painters, sculptors, and hot-gluers. Some homesteaders also went to their lands to reinforce fencing and do other landscaping. Final touches Alex ??????'s finished land! Appraisals happened after snack! Groupies and their leading commissioners toured the town and stopped at each property to read its blurb and evaluate pricing. To achieve their appraisal amounts, homesteaders took the median of all of the price-tickets their homes received. We think this method is fair because tickets with R0 or R100,000 will just add more place markers to count the median off from, rather than skewing an average. The most va
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Day 21: Tomorrow is appraisal day!

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A new comfy chair for Tiffny's home. Today at Village was all about getting ready for Appraisal Day. The weather seemed to understand our sense of urgency and let up on the rain as Homesteaders worked steadily throughout the day to put final touches on houses, fix up fences and made ready to show of their Peep's miniature Homestead. We started out with some Swangan' Sangan' in the circle outside. We hardly needed the lyrics as we belted out our favorites. By now we've developed a common repertoire and Homesteaders needed little prompting as they suggested song after song. People didn't discuss, they just started up singing the first lines and everyone joined in. There was barely leaving time to breathe after finishing one song before we began another! We sang about Llamas, the Dones, the Candy Land, a family of sharks, poor Eddie Cootcha-Ketcha-Cama, Black Socks and Meatballs. Gus shows off Soma arrangements in the circle. After sangin
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