Disclaimer: MightyMicroBuilt can neither confirm nor deny the author’s belief in a jolly man in a red, flocked suit or flying sleighs and reindeer. Even so, notwithstanding literary liberties taken for the sake of holiday ornament, the tale of animal encounter, herein, is a true and correct recounting of events as they occurred.
It was sometime after 6:00 p.m. one evening in the tiny house. I had set aside my guitar and holiday tunes and shuffled to the kitchen to scavenge for food when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter—something large hurling its body, and again, against the fence amid frantic stomping of hooves. I sprang to the door to see what was the matter. And what to my wondering eye did appear, not a thing, though I heard from the blackness the hot snort of a deer. I felt the impact of hoof striking earth as the beast rounded my tiny abode so close I might have touched it had I extended my hand. Concerned that my sudden appearance would heighten its panic, I retreated inside to listen. More hoof and fence racket, then silence. It had passed, not to return that evening. The next morning, on assessment of trauma to the rabbit fencing, I concluded the perpetrator had, thankfully, not been pulling a sleigh. I resolved to rustle up some milk and cookies in case of another visitation and hoped that any jolly entourage, should it return, would step lightly on my tiny rooftop.
Follow-up visitations did come, again sans sleigh, this time, in the early morning, with lighter hooves and a soft brushing accompanied by an almost imperceptible structural vibration. I scrambled to extinguish my loft lamp and peered into the twilight from my perch in an attempt to steal a glimpse, to no avail, though proximity of cloven tracks to my exterior wall in broad daylight confirmed the subtle vibration had been more than imagination. The animal had made contact.
Aside from hoof prints, however, no festive parcels were left behind (not that I had any room for them in my wee house). The milk and cookies remained unmolested. Perhaps I made the naughty list… I dismissed the thought. It was, after all, still days before the holiday. In search of deeper meaning, I extracted my Animal Spirits Knowledge Cards from the bookshelf and thumbed through the deck. Turns out deer symbolize instinct, independence, regeneration and often appear in myth and legend to summon individuals to a journey or calling (Nagiecki). I studied the tracks under my loft window, then the image on the card, before tucking it inside my luggage. It was 3:15 p.m. on a Monday, and I was bound for reconnaissance in Portland, Oregon.
Follow-up visitations did come, again sans sleigh, this time, in the early morning, with lighter hooves and a soft brushing accompanied by an almost imperceptible structural vibration. I scrambled to extinguish my loft lamp and peered into the twilight from my perch in an attempt to steal a glimpse, to no avail, though proximity of cloven tracks to my exterior wall in broad daylight confirmed the subtle vibration had been more than imagination. The animal had made contact.
Aside from hoof prints, however, no festive parcels were left behind (not that I had any room for them in my wee house). The milk and cookies remained unmolested. Perhaps I made the naughty list… I dismissed the thought. It was, after all, still days before the holiday. In search of deeper meaning, I extracted my Animal Spirits Knowledge Cards from the bookshelf and thumbed through the deck. Turns out deer symbolize instinct, independence, regeneration and often appear in myth and legend to summon individuals to a journey or calling (Nagiecki). I studied the tracks under my loft window, then the image on the card, before tucking it inside my luggage. It was 3:15 p.m. on a Monday, and I was bound for reconnaissance in Portland, Oregon.
| Kenny Bavoso and Lina Menard have been working on the new TinyHomes.com website for which I had been invited to write on occasion, and their vision for a new e-hub of Tiny is under construction (check it here). Kenny had offered his treehouse, should I feel inclined to venture south for a night or two. Ironically, perhaps, other than attending a couple of awesome workshops through PAD and naming the destination, I had done little investigation into the Portland end of my plan to relocate. It was time for some legwork. Here’s a summary of my mini-adventure: | Kenny and Aimee's Treehouse |
1) A peek inside a TinyHomes.com development meeting covering topics such as the amazing speed at which the site is growing, vision for the site and affiliate endeavors, growing list of contributing writers and a wish-list of future recruits, advertising, etc.
2) Shadowed Lina into the City, Space-Efficient Housing Workgroup meeting on accessory dwelling units of every stripe. Attendees included city officials, green builders, urban planners, Caravan Hotel Proprietor, Kol Peterson, Portland Alternative Dwellings, Joan Grimm, and some natural builders. (Note: tiny housers and natural builders may still be fringe, but they have, indeed, made it to the table—hooray!)
3) The day wrapped with a happy hour confluence of women working in and empowering others in the trades (Oregon Tradeswomen, Habitat for Humanity, PAD and Niche Consulting, and self-employed contractor in attendance)
4) Finally, I headed back to Kenny and Aimee’s place in Washougal, WA to sing and play guitars into the evening before crashing in their guest bedroom (alas, the treehouse was a bit too cold—next time, perhaps).
2) Shadowed Lina into the City, Space-Efficient Housing Workgroup meeting on accessory dwelling units of every stripe. Attendees included city officials, green builders, urban planners, Caravan Hotel Proprietor, Kol Peterson, Portland Alternative Dwellings, Joan Grimm, and some natural builders. (Note: tiny housers and natural builders may still be fringe, but they have, indeed, made it to the table—hooray!)
3) The day wrapped with a happy hour confluence of women working in and empowering others in the trades (Oregon Tradeswomen, Habitat for Humanity, PAD and Niche Consulting, and self-employed contractor in attendance)
4) Finally, I headed back to Kenny and Aimee’s place in Washougal, WA to sing and play guitars into the evening before crashing in their guest bedroom (alas, the treehouse was a bit too cold—next time, perhaps).
All-in-all, it was as rollicking grand time. My heartfelt thanks goes out to Kenny, Aimee and Lina for such a diverse exposure to the Portland network. Now, I’m back in my tiny house on Whidbey contemplating the whole of it alongside the symbolism of furry portents, who have yet to reveal themselves in the light of day. Do I know what to do with any of it, yet? I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, if you happen to have a spot or know of someone who does, I know of a sweet little dream for sale. It may even fit under your tree.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays!
Nagiecki, John. Animal Spirits Knowledge Cards. Illustrations by Susan Seddon Boulet. Pomegranate Communications, Inc. Petaluma, CA
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