Home at Belvedere

When Dreams Come True

2011-09-27T10:24:00.003-04:00

This Saturday, The Living Earth School is beginning the Red Arrow Boys Program in Belvedere. Nature awareness educators Hub Knott, Joshua Levine and Taylor, all the most awesome men ever, are bringing together boys from all over for a day of earth skills, followed by an overnight in November and more skills in December. It is a once a month program. Hub also wants to offer his homeschool program once a week in Belvedere.

We are also offering a Wild Food Talk and Walk in Belvedere on Sunday with the most awesome woman, Rain, from Shannon Farm. Getting folks outside connecting with nature and each other in Belvedere.

These nature awareness offerings are a dream come true. Really, all of Belvedere is a dream come true, a neighborhood of people really wanting to connect with each other and the more-than-human world. As with all dreams, I temper my expectations. I learned long ago that dreams can manifest and not be exactly what you expect. In some ways, Belvedere is more urban than I expected. I miss the forest being all around me, but that is just me. I can always go down into the forest around Belvedere and Dunlora and I do, quite often.

I am going to encourage these nature pieces to grow. I know Bob Hauser is encouraging them. It was his vision to get the kids off the couch to recreate the childhoods of decades ago when kids played outside. We're doing it in Belvedere!

Wild Food Talk and Walk in Belvedere

2011-09-27T10:22:00.001-04:00

Wild Food Talk & Walk

Learn what you can harvest and eat right in your own backyard!

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Belvedere Neighborhood

2 pm – 5 pm

$15 per adult, $5 per child if with adult

To Register and Directions:

Belvederearts.com

katercst@gmail.com 434-996-2002 preregistration required

Gathering from the wild is a traditional skills practiced by people all around the world. This is an abundance of nutritious edibles all around us. This three-hour class will take us on a wander to rediscover and collect these foods. Get to know your place! Have Fun with other families! Connect with self, others, nature! Come on out and meet and inspiring leader, Rain, class instructor.

For the past 14 years, Rain has been weaving traditional lifeways. She currently lives in the Blue Ridge on an intentional community with her man and their six children where she has been re-claiming her Wild-Wombyn Self while Re-Membering the Ancient Skills of Wombyn-hood. Her current threads are hunting, gathering, midwifery, plant medicine, wild foods and tribal culture.

Community Updates: Annual HOA meeting

2011-09-25T16:50:00.002-04:00

Belvedere is doing awesome! We now have 70 homes sold, with more under contract, several spec homes being built and only 15 spots left in Phase One! Our annual HOA meeting was just a few days ago and we are still thinking over all the information. The community voted a member onto the Board (a big deal, since we often have issues that need addressing and did not have any Board presence until now per the HOA agreement). The meeting was full of excellent and interesting news.

The big downer is the money situation. Banks are picky and strange about lending money as those out there in the development world know. Phase One still has unfinished business that Bob Hauser says he has a hard time finding money for, but the commercial part of Belvedere, the Station as it is being called, is a positive for lending meaning that ground is going to be broken there starting this fall. However, the county is finishing parts of Phase One because of bank note issues between the developer and the county. I can't quote everything because it seems quite technical but it seems that this is rare in the development world. Hauser said he wished he could finish it. It does sound like a strange world for developers these days. But Belvedere remains one of the most successful new developments in the county. Hard to believe we have sold so many houses since November 2010; we have nearly doubled in size and Hauser hopes to close on up to 44 more houses this year.

A wonderful new addition to the project is the Senior Center now slotted for the first commercial land lot as you enter the development. This multi-generational space looks awesome. A representative from the Senior Center came and gave us a slide show about the new facility. They are busting at the seems over in their current facility on Pepsi Place. It looks fantastic and open to the public. I couldn't imagine a better place to hang out if I was over 50! Exercise, social events, clubs, cafes, cookouts, classes of all kinds. It is a great addition to the project.

Now that we have so many people, we know that the HOA has lots of money and we want to know where it is going and what we are doing with it. Community members picked apart the budget. Much of the money is spent on Connexion and landscaping. Community members want the vacant lots better taken care of and more accountability and transparency from a busy skeleton Stonehaus crew. And rightly so!

Excited to be a member still and trying to breath life into the "get the kids off the couch" idea, Hub Knott from the Living Earth School is going to run a boys program here, and a homeschool nature based program. I invited the most awesome Rain from Shannon Farm to do a Wild Foods Talk and Walk October 2 here in Belvedere from 2 - 5 pm. You can see more on my website, belvederearts.com. Hauser is also supporting the community garden idea.

With the county soon finishing the paving, tree planting and other promised list items and the fuller complement of houses it feels like are beyond the tipping point into success. And more, Hauser reports our homes are increasing in value! All this is such good news during these times, as well as the mini baby boom here in Belvedere. I think we have at least 5 babies born or due this fall and winter. That means lots of meals made and taken over to families. I volunteer to hold the babies!

I often meet new people who say this blog really helped them learn more about Belvedere, so Bret and I will continue to write and post. Thanks for reading!

Dominion Power Energy Use Report

2011-06-09T21:35:00.002-04:00

Always nice to see this:

Got mud? Got tracks!

2011-04-16T16:58:00.006-04:00

Had a great time in the back of the neighborhood Saturday - joined a class in animal tracks taught by Hub Knott of the Living Earth School. He was appreciative of the great tracking places we have here.

So inspired, I have been going out more often and here are some things I have seen:

This one was actually found by Kate as we went for an evening walk. It's a first for us:

We guessed turtle, and are pretty sure after we consulted our tracking resources. I can reallypicture a turtle's feet in these tracks, especially the back ones as they claw in semi-sideways.

Out back is a place where the dirt from excavations is put - this has many smooth sections that make for perfect tracks, especially after a rain. Here's what I saw there recently:

This was great because it so clearly shows the distinctive "chevron" found in Red Fox tracks. Hair is also clearly visible.

And nearby:

Sure looks like opossum to me - because of the way the thumb points almost behind.

Kate and I hope top start an informal tracking walk once or twice a month because it's always fun with other people.

Sesame Street

2011-04-16T16:11:00.002-04:00

The other day the weather was nice and children and their parents were on the playground, on the sidewalks, and in the alleys, laughing, chatting and generally having fun.

I felt a familiar feeling and searched for what it was and realized that this neighborhood, on these days, reminds me of Sesame Street. And for me, that's a good feeling.

Stalked by a Deer

2011-03-21T19:42:00.002-04:00

Okay. As long as I have been walking about in nature, sitting in secret spots, spying on animals, sneaking up on them, never, to my knowledge, have I been stalked by a white tail deer. Once I came across a young family and the male deer challenged me to fight. I just stamped my feet the way he did and the family fled. This time, I just stood still and waited. I pretended to be a tree.

But the deer knew I was not a tree. That I was a threat. At first, he stomped, then he shook his tail, then he reared and bucked and snorted. I did nothing. I had gone over to the containment ponds where I sit with the geese who are nesting. They come every year. This year I hope to protect their nest from fox. I stood watching the two geese couples, one in each pond. Then I noticed this young buck. Near him were three other smaller deer. I stood and went into an energetic stance we called "primary respiration" in the field of craniosacral therapy. It is a connection to power of the natural world of which we are a part. I just stood. The deer stomped and stomped and got closer and stomped some more. It was all I could do to not laugh out loud. Eventually, all the deer ran away (but we found them later, sitting and resting though).

I loved this experience. As I was standing in primary respiration, feeling the bravery of this young deer, I heard tree frogs calling, birds singing, woodpeckers doing their mating call, and the geese? They woke up and went into the smaller pond for a dip. All this just yards from my house! Pretty fantastic.

Kick Ball on the Village Green

2011-03-21T19:38:00.003-04:00

We chanced an evening walk before the sun went down. All four of us headed up the streets of Belvedere, counting the new houses, listening to the peepers. My daughter scooted around on her scooter. My son collected sticks and pretended to spear any possible enemies. Then it happened. We came across some Dunlorans playing kickball on the Village Green! Our pour Village Green, lumpy and rough, and there they were! Can we play?!?! We asked. Sure was the answer. Ahhhh. Childhood. This was perfect. Come back, we pleaded, come back and play! Belvedere is committed to "geting kids off the couch" and reliving the childhoods we had. Thank you Dunlorans. Come on up any time!

Belvedere and Nature Connection

2011-03-13T09:00:00.002-04:00

Okay, I am gearing up now. I think I had given up for a while, trying to live into, lean into, love into Belvedere's potential. Belvedere has the potential for being a shining beacon here in the US for sustainable community development. What attracted me to it was the message that it will be designed to "get kids of the couch" and out into the natural world, and that it is designed with the more-than-human world in mind.

In my talks with developer Bob Hauser, he has asked, what exactly is my responsibility as a developer to fulfill this potential?, and he has a good point. As a builder, how can he "get kids of the couch?" At best, it is building the trails, cleaning up the land, making the play space. We invited landscape designer Robin Moore in to have a look, make some suggestions. It was awesome . . . only I could not get Bob to follow up. Call the landscape architect Robin suggested, I said. No response. I believe shining star Chris Counts has moved on. Frank Stoner of Stonehaus has moved on, too. Sniff. Anyway . . . .

I do intend to help Bob Hauser, if he will let me. There are other residents of of Belvedere who want to live the idea of it, of people and nature connection. Perhaps I should create a checklist for us to look at. My first intervention has been around the idea of Festivals. We had our first Fall Festival on the village green in October. Now we are planning a Spring Fling, or spring festival. I would like to create a way to welcome folks, all these new families, wow! Peter Primiani of the HOA (home owner's association) has told me we a now 50 families! And those houses keep going up.

I believe we are also building bird houses this spring. Right Bob? Maybe we can do that at the Spring Festival. And we are working with Bob on the landscaping.

I would like to create a nature study group in Belvedere using a journaling and sit in nature method called Kamana. Also, I would like to create an afterschool club that is all about play in nature. Please do this with me Belvedere! Let's fill in the blanks around what is possible for people in this modern age!

15 SOLD Signs, Go Belvedere!

2011-02-06T13:38:00.002-05:00

Wow! Driving around today Eleanor and I counted 15 SOLD signs, three lots staked out for beginning construction, 3 houses in the middle of construction. Go Belvedere! What a big difference from last and most especially the year before that. Three years ago almost to the day we moved to Charlottesville and Belvedere was a road to flat red dirt. Amazing. Catch the Belvedere excitement and come to the Love Belvedere party on February 17. All the models will be offering drinks and food in the evening. See http://www.belvedereneighborhood.com.

Realtor Update

2011-01-19T17:49:00.002-05:00

Enjoy this Blog Post by Piedmont Realtor Greg Slater:

I have been involved with Belvedere since working from a tent on Rio Road prior to the roads being paved or any homes being started. I’ve been a huge fan of the overall concept from the beginning. New urbanist concepts and a commitment to green building practices are very interesting to me and relevant to the market. I was impressed immediately in 2008 by the number of people I met who thought the concept was great, but weren’t in a position to move. I knew all along and have shared many times that I think Belvedere’s success is only matter of time. Here’s why:

Location. Its in the urban ring. Right now, there are really no new home communities as centrally located to all things Albemarle and Charlottesville as Belvedere. The people I am meeting interested in Belvedere now are making a lifestyle decision to give up the larger, rural lot in favor of a location that saves them time and fits their current lifestyle and the quicker pace we all seem to be living these days.
Smaller lots and higher density. Its true, many visit Belvedere and are immediately discouraged by the size of the lots. Its definitely not for everyone. However, many are looking for less maintenance in their lives and maybe, more importantly, community. I’ve learned that the deisgn of a community has a direct impact on the relationships that are formed among the residents. People are choosing Belvedere because they want to know their neighbors and want to interact with them. I’ve never seen a community of new homeowners come together faster than what I have seen at Belvedere.
Energy Efficiency. The green building trends we hear so much about are more than just trends. Its a shift in building science that is here to stay. Better practices in home building are leading to better indoor air quality, lower utility expenses, and more comfortable homes. Every home at Belvedere is Earthcraft certified. Stonehaus Development should be commended for this.
Home Design. Another side effect of the economic downtown is a shift in consumer demand. Huge houses are out, and smaller, better designed homes are in. Add in zoning that allows homeowners to earn income with legal residences or businesses over their garage, and you have a recipe for success.
Walking Trails. People still want to get outside and exercise. This is an exceptional component, not to mention the future with SOCA and more recreational space.

Watching what has occurred in 2010 at Belvedere, I’m starting to get the feeling the time for Belvedere has arrived. With 31 homes put under contract in 2010, the answer may be obvious. The last 60 days of 2010 saw 12 contracts and the activity hasn’t slowed since. There are now just 33 available detached home sites in Phase 1 remaining. The new apartment complex (The Reserve at Belvedere) is set to break ground next month. The conversation regarding the town center makes it seem like its time may really be here as well, with unofficial estimates for a late 2011 ground breaking.

There are now 5 builders actively marketing and selling homes in Belvedere:

Piedmont Realty and Construction
Stonehaus Residential
Gibson Homes
Southern Development Homes
Eagle Construction of Virginia

Home prices start in the $200′s and there is a variety of home styles and types available. There are currently 7 detached “spec” homes for sale. Later this spring, Piedmont will be offering 11 newly developed townhome sites on the Village Green. If you are in the market for a towhome in 2011 and appreciate the concept of Belvedere, these may be the best opportunity of the year.

If you are interested in Belvedere and the prospect of building a new home, I would welcome the opportunity to share my experience and insight to your process to determine if Belvedere is right for you, and if so, how to choose the right builder fit for your budget, timeline, and needs.

See more about Greg here:

Another Belvedere Blogger: Enjoy!

2010-09-21T12:44:00.001-04:00

Read Another Belvederean's Blog about her life and love in Belvedere.

Cranio Sacral Therapy with Kate White

Here is Jacob getting cranio sacral therapy from Kate White of Belvedere Integrated Healing Arts.

Jacob started having a strange clicking when nursing at 7 weeks. At about the same time he changed from being our amazingly calm baby to crying for about 2 hours every night. As with may things about Jacob you could almost set a clock to these crying spells. I assumed he would outgrow the crying and didn't really worry about it. I was, however, worried about the clicking, pulling away, frustration and discomfort Jacob was displaying during nursing. I had already consulted with numerous lactation consultants in his first weeks who helped us successfully address a variety of problems. When the clicking started I worked and worked on correcting the latch, but to no avail. I was actually considering quitting breastfeeding when I mentioned my troubles to Kate, our next door neighbor.

Kate kindly offered to observe us and see if she could make any recommendations. It took only a few minutes before Kate noticed that Jacob's head was slightly deformed. I had noticed that he always slept with his head cocked to one side, but didn't realize that he was getting a flat spot there. Kate worked with Jacob a few times. The evening after the first cranio sacral session Jacob id not go on his usual crying jag. For us, that was like a miracle. I now believe that the same discomfort that was causing the nursing issues was also causing him to cry so much.

Next, Kate recommended that we consult with Dr. Karen Steele, an osteopath in Lewisburg, WV. It was a 2 hour drive each way, but we made the trip. Since then we have continued to work the Kate and Dr. Steele together and after just 2 visits with Dr. Steele Jacob's plagiocephaly is noticeably diminishing.

I feel so lucky to have been neighbors with Kate. Jacob and I are cruising ahead with the nursing, clicking eliminated! Since not every new mother will be moving next door to her I want to spread the word far and wide about her gift working with babies. For more information on her work go to http://belvederearts.com/. Please share this with new parents you know!

Coming Up on the 2 Year Mark

2010-08-01T08:06:00.003-04:00

This August will make two years since we moved into Belvedere. It is hard to believe. Two years ago, we were sitting in the lawyer's office with eyes as big as the proverbial deer-in-the-headlight with the lawyer telling us we had 19 liens on the property, the most ever he had every seen in Cville or Albemarle County. I remember feeling scared and staring at Jim Duncan, who tried his best to calm the nerves of this intense real estate deal. I remember when we first heard about Belvedere, the "green" community, with sidewalks and people and health at its root. That latter bit is what drew me. Health. Connection, especially the connection between nature and people and people and people. Then, the economy tanked and everything slowed down. Now, we have 47 homes inhabited, sold or underconstruction, and spec homes going up everywhere. There are 5 builders in Belvedere, and Bob Hauser's "street of dreams" for the parade of homes is going up quickly. Still, Belvedere feels a little amorphous. Several pioneers are moving on. Yes, we are still here!

Sometimes, I get nostalgic for that first year when it was just three inhabited homes, including us. It was quiet. I would often just sit in the center of the neighborhood and gaze at the mountains. It was fun being at the beginning of something and watching it grow. I focused on learning permaculture for my yard and building my business. Belvedere Integrated Healing Arts has been open a year and half now, and I am slowing building partnerships and seeking ways to connect with Charlottesville. Folks have a hard time finding me though. We still aren't on google maps.

And yes, I am still tracking and still having adventures out on the land. Why just the other day I snuck up on a groundhog thinking I would slap it on the butt (they just look so oblivious), but once I got right next to it, I was afraid it would bite me, so I just whispered to it! I still see magnificent wonderful things: fox dens, mating turtles, lunar moths, bald eagles, bobcat tracks. And Stonehaus cleaned up parts of the land! It has just been hard to get to the blog, running a business and supporting my family. Here is the 2nd year update from my perspective:

Homes: There is now an amazing array of homes here in Belvedere. I want to have one of each. We are all in love with the new red house next to the Village Green. In fact, we all want more colorful houses in general. Too many green houses in the green neighborhood! I have enjoyed watching every one of the homes go up. The builders are Gibson, Southern Development, Stonehaus, Piedmont and Eagle. The downside is that buyers now have so many choices, it gets confusing. I suggest buyers come around to some of our gatherings and ask questions. That might help you sort out what you want. I am getting ideas all the time for what might be the start of dream house design in my head. Gone are the days when we had to pick from a production development line. Hear ye! Hear ye! You can get anything you want here at Belvedere (so it seems). The ARB has gotten more relaxed than those strict early days. I can't wait to see the three story carriage house (and to have that family move in! Hurry Up!)

Parks and Design: I am all about the nature connection piece but this is part of the amorphous milieu I alluded to before. Progress was made on the Bowling Cemetery, but only because the County required it before construction around it could begin. The Village Green needs redesign, and we want to have an unusual and attractive playground. We have started with just a playset and play at your own risk, and residents want to work with the nature connection piece. It has been super to have a community supportive of children's play. We invited and supported landscape architect and educator Robin Moore and the Natural Learning Initiative who toured Belvedere, the trails, and the proposed greenway. His excitement about our design is reflected in his desire to offer to help with design pro bono. I contacted his recommendation Chris Counts, award winning landscape architect here in Cville for help, too. Belvedere's potential to support the nature connection piece is exciting, and how wonderful it would be to start a pattern of New Urban design with Nature Connection and Play with Mentoring for Nature Connection. My teacher, Jon Young, used to say his goal was a nature mentor in every neighborhood.

STILL, Stonehaus remains slippery regarding the redesign of the Village Green. Once upon a time, it was supposed to be done this past spring, now it is this fall. At first, Albemarle County needed the redesign done as soon as possible, now not so much. Again, that amorphous theme emerges: things change all time and this resident wonders, what is the truth? The bottom line is all about how much money the development company has. Still, the median was planted with trees and native grasses. My current understanding is that the initial landscaping for the Village Green redesign and the Town Center will take place this Fall, but of course, that might change. Sigh. This is not to mention the need for work on the Pocket Parks, the Storm Water Park, the Dog Park. I wish things were further along.

Living in a Construction Zone: Yes, we are living in a construction zone. Yes, it is fatiguing. Yes, it is also exciting. New things are happening all the time. There are corners of the neighborhood more affected by others, and it is troubling to hear how yards are churned up, sometimes damage is done. It is hard when the cement truck washes out its cement in plain view.

Fiber Optic: This is the biggest source of unseen contention ever. I don't have the latest on the matter since I don't watch television, but the neighbors seem better with the service offered by Connexion. Telephone goes up and down. Internet, too. I don't understand all the hardware involved. Maybe another resident can write up something here.

Amenities: The trail system still rocks, and while we don't have the Organic Farm (that is still slated only very expensive) or other programed pieces, we do have a ton of community spirit. We often have gatherings, happy hours, and alley parties. We are enjoying belonging to Fairview Swim Club. The Swim Team is the best in the area, and the tennis clinics are awesome and free with your membership. The other day, the club ran a race through the neighborhood and I loved watching the folks run around our houses and parks. It is a good healthy vibe. The Town Center is still slated to go in, only different now that Stonehaus wants businesses to buy the land and build. Since there is a lot of retail already in Cville, this is a hard selling point. I look forward to seeing how it unfolds.

That is my update for now. Belvedere is better than ever, just slower to develop than originally thought. So, stay tuned for more. I hope to get back to writing about my adventures in the forest, and to detail the beginning of Belvedere Nature Awareness program. I think about it all the time.

The Promise of Belvedere

2010-06-14T03:25:00.002-04:00

We are hitting bumps in the road. Our community is fed by a fiber-optic system for the internet and television. It apparently is an optimal way to receive digital information. I am not really sure how to describe it since I don't watch television regularly. I do, however, use the internet and have left the hardware parts up to my savvy husband (that guy is amazing.). Anyway, the television system has been inconsistent. It keeps going down. The residents are frustrated and everyone is meeting this week to work it out. There are several pieces of it that aren't communicating well with other pieces of it. We hope to work it out this week.

One of the letters that was posted on our community internet board really touched me. The resident said that the promise of Belvedere was (maybe is!) is that it offered a high tech community with connection to people and nature. That comment kind of stunned me for awhile. I am trained to connect children to nature. I have offered programs for years and most people who have participated or who are drawn to nature have opinions about technology. Some of them are downright negative, on how technology, especially television and computers are evil, but most folks have tried hard to put firm boundaries on this kind of media so that it doesn't dominate the lives of the children. Here is a development company trying to offer a package with both nature and technology.

Regardless of the snafu with the television, which I am sure will get worked out because the residents won't put up with anything less, I do think it is hard to offer both at the same time. In the past, in the communities I have circled around in (nature-based, alternative education), these two are like pushing magnets together that naturally repel. So I sit back on my heels a second and wonder, is the company who designed this aware that these can be opposites? And, we are going to do this, this combination of technology and nature-connection, and isn't that cool?

And it's hard.

For a long time, we have lived very separate from nature as a culture. In fact, nature was something the dominate and subdue. So, our adventure continues. We now have 30 homes and are about to redesign the parks. I hope I can stay with this process.

Tomahawks!

2010-05-17T19:33:00.005-04:00

Inspired by crafts seen at the annual Monocan Powwow I was asked by my son to help make him a tomahawk. So on Sunday Kate and I took him, his best friend and his brother, and Eleanor down to the river to find materials. We found suitable sticks along the way (with frogs, toads, ticks and a cool Gar in the river) and rocks by the river's edge. One of the boys decided on a spear so we looked for spear fixin's also.

Then we trooped back to see what we could do about turning these raw materials into tomahawks. A little sawing, fitting, artificial sinew and decorations and the kids had something to really show off!

Designing for Health: Creativity and Tension

2010-04-27T22:42:00.010-04:00

In the workshop on Designing Natural Play Spaces for Healthy Children and Planet, a few Belvedere folks and I redesigned the village green. It is the oval green-filled shape in the middle of the Belvedere base plan seen below.

We saw several presentations about play spaces and what they mean. Robin Moore gave a complete overview with lists of what is possible. You can see a presentation about designing for health planet, healthy children at NLI's website, a powerpoint Robin gave at the 2007 Design Institute.

Then we had to identify the users for our parks. For Belvedere, they are not just families, but all kinds of people: families with small children, what Robin called "middle age children" from 6 years old to 9 or 10. Then Tweens and Teens. We also have an active adult population, single folks, dog walkers, and then older people who are empty nesters, retired people. So you can see, we have a lot of different populations. The list is on the purple stickies.

Then we identified the kinds of activities we wanted in the parks: sitting, picnicking, walking, jogging, playing, exploring, etc. Those were the yellow stickies in this picture.

Then, we had to identify settings for these activities: sitting settings, hide-n-seek settings, watching and picnicking settings, play settings, etc. That list is in the pink. From there, we launched into a design that started with a water setting (fountain) in blue on the map below, then a fire ring for gatherings. We thought this design might be more formal to fit with the neighborhood construction, then a ball playing field. After that, a gazebo in the middle of the village green (in orange), then an area of play and chase, with bushes, hillocks, trees, and a sand/dirt pit. One of our group, a maverick named William who is a new naturopath to our area (Quadranthealth.com) added a great rope climbing structure here. On the far end of the Village Green, we are trying to keep the rocks and pipe in the hill, leveling out the rest of the current spiral a bit (not all) and putting a smallish play structure there. There are paths that connect each section. It was harder than I thought it would be. You can see about the process in this video made by NLI and posted on their website: Design Practice

Frank Stoner says this design is about $500,000.

Buzz kill.

Robin Moore cautioned not to get too caught up in how much things cost. But that really kills creativity and ideas.

I hope that our community can continue to work on the design of our parks together now that some of us know the process. Robin says it is critical that the landscape architect work with the residents and not just think they know what is best. Involve the residents. Ask the residents. We have such a great opportunity to design these parks together.

More later.

2010-03-28T15:05:00.002-04:00

Belvedere to Help Co-sponsor Workshop and Public Talk: “Design for Health” With Nature and Play

Is it important for children to play unsupervised in nature?

Can we design play spaces that encourage freedom to roam in residential neighborhoods, community parks, schools, and childcare centers?

What are the child health and developmental costs of not doing this?

How can nature play contribute to learning, community identity, and growth of social capital?

Come find out at a public talk and workshop by landscape architect and nature-based educator Robin Moore and other staff of the Natural Learning Initiative.

Designing Natural Play Spaces for Healthy Children and Planet, Saturday, April 24, 2010 will teach about approaches to better children’s health through designing natural play spaces.

Moore’s public talk, Free Range Nature Play: Designing for Healthy Development of Children and Planet is scheduled for Friday, April 23, 2010. Both events are being held at the Mountaintop Montessori School, 305 Rolkin Rd., Charlottesville, VA 29911.

Play and learning in natural settings stimulates all aspects and stages of child development. Moore’s research shows that play in nature:

· encourages imagination and creativity,

· fosters language and collaborative skills,

· reduces or eliminates bullying,

· stimulates social interaction between children, and

· children who play in nature have more positive feelings about each other.

Study after study about the impact of play in nature show significant increases in:

· problem-solving, science and math skills,

· standardized test scores and ecological awareness,

· self-esteem and motivation,

· concentration, delay in gratification and more.

Moore’s approach is interdisciplinary and multi-dimensional, inviting people of all ages to be in nature, especially children. His 40 years of experience has benefited childcare centers, schools, residential neighborhoods, and community facilities such as parks, museums, zoos and botanical gardens.

Families, community members, teachers, landscape and garden designers, developers and administrators of health and educational programs of all kinds should attend these events. Inspiring presentations in the morning will show activities and designs for children of different ages in different settings. Afternoon activities will teach design principles and their application in a hands-on activity. Several participants are bringing actual park plans to improve their community and schoolyards.

Fees are $10 for the public talk, and $25 for the workshop if you preregister (includes lunch). Call Ryan DeRose for more information, 434-960-4082, or go to http://www.mountaintopseedproject.org. You can also become a sponsor and have a display about your school, business or program. Rates are reasonable!

Belvedere Developer's Report

2010-03-20T08:27:00.005-04:00

We recently had a gathering at the Hauser model home where the developers gave residents a round-up of where things stand, and upcoming activities. Here are the highlights:

1) Multi-family Development

The land slated for apartments (the second patch of bare ground as you come into Belvedere on the main drive) will be developed starting later this year. There will be an apartment community built by the Cathcart Group consisting of 294 1-2 bedroom (with some 3-bedroom units) nicely arranged around a central parking area with strip parks. The design looked very nice, with the apartments built to look somewhat like the townhomes in Belvedere - with varying elevations even within the same main building. The apartments will have their own clubhouse and pool, with trails around the development open to the public.

This is big news on its own, but it also makes possible the development of...

2) The Belvedere Town Center

This will occupy the top slice of the land next to the apartments, generally directly in front of you if you come across the Free State Bridge. The developers plan on having the infrastructure ready by the end of the year, and are taking a flexible approach to exactly what will go there. The idea is that there will be individual pads which can be built up (within the architectural guidelines, of course) by the individual builders into 1-2 story retail units, at an affordable price per square foot. Stonehaus is also hoping to attract a "destination restaurant" for somewhere in the Town Center.

What this means is we will have shops (mmmm - coffeeshop anyone?) and hopefully a restaurant within walking distance, supported by the residents of Belvedere proper and the apartment center, as well as the communities near by, like Dunlora.

The Town Center design also includes some townhouse units, and a park. The new location I think is better all around, and I can see it being a meeting place for our community, as well as an opportunity for residents who have small businesses to locate them there.

3) Signage

There will be signs posted in Belvedere soon - "Children at play", etc. These, as well as the general growing density will help keep traffic problems to a minimum. There will also be clearer indicators at the traffic circle to help direct traffic the right way around the circle.

4) Village Green

The Village Green is going to be re-done, with the large berms at either end graded down. These were a nice idea, but the effect was to visually isolate the Green from the rest of the community. The final design of the Green is open and residents were encouraged to provide ideas as to what they would like it to look like.

5) Organic Farm

This has been set back by the economic situation, as grants the farm needed to prepare the land are not available at this time. The location of the Farm on the floodplain, although very good from a soil perspective also presents challenges with access, which translates into somewhat higher startup costs.

6) Community Garden

Stonehaus is supportive of creating a community garden if there is enough interest among the residents. This would be located down near the erosion control ponds so that if it were to get a bit messy (as gardens can be) it would not be something everyone had to see up front and center.

In the meantime we talked about getting an organic farmer to come into the neighborhood on a weekly basis.

7) SOCA (Soccer Association of Charlottesville Albemarle)

SOCA has presented a design for their indoor facility just off the Village Green. Although large, it will present a fairly small elevation at street level, as the land slopes away downhill. The land has been transferred to SOCA, with the stipulation that they need to build within 5 years or it reverts to Belvedere.

The entire final SOCA plan consists of the indoor fields and SOCA offices (to be developed first), a lighted outdoor turf field, which will be open to residents, and a set of fields on the floodplain.

8) Community Building

This will be located next to the SOCA indoor facility. This would house the HOA office and Stonehaus is also hoping to attract a preschool (Montessori?) to anchor the building, and they are committed to building a general-purpose community room that could be used for events like Cub Scout meetings, parties, etc.

9) Landscaping

Stonehaus reiterated its commitment to fulfilling the landscaping outlined in the initial plans. As the community develops and cash flow improves (the banks are still very reserved about lending to developers) the various elements will be done as money and the surrounding areas permit - for instance they cannot finalize the water drainage area near the railroad tracks until the erosion control ponds are filled, and that cannot happen until the plots around them are developed to the point of not needing erosion control...

There were various other issues discussed, and a sales report which I was unable to stay for. But overall, Kate and I are encouraged by the progress and plans - we always know that Belvedere was too good an idea and location to not be finished to some extent, but it was heartening to have these plans presented, and hear the commitment on the part of the developers.

It must be spring...

2010-03-20T08:26:00.000-04:00

The hot-air balloons are back!

Community Feeling, from a commenter

2009-12-30T08:12:00.001-05:00

From a supportive commenter! This is too good not to share!

I live in the city, but the time is maybe, possibly near for a move to a more residential location. When I think about moving, I worry about finding the amazing neighbors I have here and I have to admit that reading your blog has me thinking the community feeling I have in my little neighborhood can be found elsewhere.

I've been following your story from the start and will continue to do so. Thanks for sharing so much of your experience at Belvedere.

Belvedere Tracking Club

2009-12-28T07:23:00.002-05:00

I am looking for a group of people interested in learning animal track and sign and applying their skills to Belvedere and Dunlora. Our areas of interest include the forest, Rivanna Trail, the flood plain and the riverside. I would love a committed group of 5 people ideally between the ages of 9 and 99. The work is very detail oriented and we hike although the physical activity is not rigorous with regard to difficulty or distance. You may have to spend time on the ground however, so knees are important.

I am currently interested in the red fox activity on our land here. Please email me of you are interested, katercst@gmail.com.

The Big Snow

2009-12-19T12:54:00.003-05:00

Belvedere (and all Charlottesville) got hit with a huge snowstorm just the weekend before Christmas. We were out last night cheering on the show and having a block-long snowball battle. This morning we all shoveled, and decided it was actually too deep for sledding. So it's inside to bake cookies and watch a few movies, then hopefully later we can try to build a huge snow fort.

Snow is nice when you feel like you're the only living human for miles, but it's also hugely fun with neighbors!

Here are some more photos on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39558772@N00/sets/72157623031017002/

Making The Jewel Called Belvedere

2009-12-19T10:20:00.006-05:00

I am sitting at my desk remembering the feelings of the early days of Belvedere. The design phase was extremely exciting and I became very committed to the project, every corner, every brick, every facet. Then came the execution phase, or rather the "doing," and the recession hit the new building sector as hard as it had been hit since the Great Depression. As we turned into that part of the story, I began to called the developer Jumping Mouse.

Do you all know that story? A small mouse hears a noise. It is the sound of the river that he has never seen and gathers courage to go and see it. While he is there he meets a magical frog who encourages him to have a vision and follow it. Against all pressures to stay the same and in the same place, the small mouse, now renamed Jumping Mouse, follows his vision. As he jumped, he saw the mountains in the distance and vowed to go there. But first he must cross the plain where he is vulnerable to predators. Along the way, he meets creatures that protect him only after he has made a sacrifice. In the end, he reaps the benefits of his sacrifice and gains new heights of experience and life goals.

I love this story and joked with Frank Stoner that Stonehaus was a Jumping Mouse. The developer and the builders had a vision, one that is different from the surrounding developments. Pelted by reporters, critics, naysayers, and holier-than-thous, Belvedere got started and then work stopped as the elegant builder Church Hill was folded into Eagle, and the banks halted work by Hauser Homes. Jumping Mouse, I said, you are in the plains, vulnerable to predators. Surely, there is a lot I don't know about the allies the developer found along the way. I am aware of the sacrifices as I watched Stonehaus let go employees and whittle itself down to a skeleton crew. I know that Church Hill and Hauser subcontractors also suffered. I listened to Bob Hauser passionately talk about his life as a builder at a meeting of Belvedere residents. I got tired of listening to and reading the critics of everything Belvedere, and am still hoping that one reporter will have the courage to write about the project for its innovation and its commitment to sustainability and community.

Yes, I am still here. Yes, I still think the project is going to pan out. Yes, I still believe in it. I think the project changed and is changing, adapting to the sacrifices that had to happen for the development to survive.

I have a new metaphor for you Frank Stoner and Bob Hauser, and everyone who is still here, still working, still believing, and emodying the vision. I have heard people say that Belvedere is a jewel among development projects. Yes, I agree. It is a beauty. I love the small city homes, elegant and small. They are like the old homes of the cities I travel in when I work. I see the same patterns. I love the bigger homes as well and look forward to really seeing the empty spaces fill in. Belvedere is truly not like any neighborhood I have been in anywhere. It is a beauty, at least to my eyes. It doesn't have lots of big yards that Americans are used to. But it does have sweet homes, community, green space, nature, and other amenities that really make it a home. A home is more than a house. A home is an experience.

Real jewels are a long time in the making, especially diamonds. It takes a lot of pressure to make a precious stone. And different ingredients. In the jewel metaphor, I would say that this phase of Belvedere is the pressure phase. The making of a diamond involved melting, chemistry and pressure. I think all that is here for Belvedere. The chemistry is the combination of the design and those of us that inhabit it. Committed Belvedereans put up their own playground while waiting for the design and building of the new playground. We are working on being a community with and for each other. Stonehaus and the various builders are working on new home designs that are affordable and beautiful. The original design still stands.

So, Stonehaus, keep going. I can see the outline of the jewel as it is being formed. Soon, there will be the mining phase, and critics, I know what you are going to say, and this is what I say to you: Any business owner is in business to make a living. That is, in part, what is happening here for those who are designing, building and selling. But Belvedere is more than houses, more than builders. It is a gutsy design with human development in mind, and includes a more-than-human world. I will hold Stonehaus to that if I can. I urge critics to think Big Picture. I would love to see what your creative minds can see and comment on, if you move beyond the tendancy to take apart and complain.

I pledge to write more and record more about Belvedere in 2010. AND, I need to get back to tracking!

Stay tuned!

The Only Place in Town

2009-11-09T12:03:00.001-05:00

I have had many visitors lately, and they all say, "This is the only place in town that seems prosperous!" or "This is the only place in town I see new houses being built!" Yup. That's us. Belvedere. There only place in town!

How Sweet It Is

2009-10-27T09:53:00.003-04:00

I have the sweetest little massage studio in Belvedere. This morning, another resident and I climbed up the steps of my carriage unit where my studio is for an early massage. With the chilly wet outside, the inside seemed warm, cozy, welcoming, and unique. I am certainly hoping that I can get my small massage and craniosacral practice going in that special place. I offer high quality massage garnered over years of experience and training. I still need to finish the blue stone walkway out to the gate, but I hope to make that studio my professional home for the years to come.

After the massage, my client went off to work and I walked across the yard to my home. How sweet it is!

We All Want To Be Here!

2009-10-09T06:07:00.002-04:00

Do you want to know what it is like to live in a place where Everyone Wants To Be Here! It's AWESOME! We are all so happy, even if the newspapers and blog and real estate agents want to think of this development as stalled. AND it is NOT stalled. Man, we are selling houses. New houses. And there are great families that live here. It is multi-cultural, multi-generational, and integrated with both cats AND dogs. There are all kinds of people who live here, and we don't all own those fancy hybrid cars either.

Not everyone on the planet wants to be here. Some are really adamant they hate being alive. Others are quite ambivalent about it. And then there are those who want to be here. Belvedere is attracting that group. Come and enjoy being ALIVE . . . . at Belvedere.

Children and Nature on the Wake-up Call

2009-08-31T15:34:00.002-04:00

Howdy!

My good friend Jim Duncan got me on the Wake-up Call talking about Children and Nature. Give it a listen.

Photos of Belvedere

2009-08-17T04:21:00.005-04:00

Spent some time in the nice early morning light trying to catch images that show off the neighborhood. The link below is to a Flickr photo set I made.
Photos of Belvedere August 2009

One Year

2009-08-03T07:39:00.006-04:00

Sitting down to write this blog entry has been hard. I dragged my feet to this spot. I have been thinking about it for at least a month. I kept telling myself, it will be easy. But it hasn't been. I could easily cite a lot of excuses but I think it has to do with competing ideas. Belvedere has been, is and will be great for us, but there have been some losses, too. Here is my one year report.

I went in a few of the new houses the other day. The smells, the dust, the mostly finished state reminds me so much of when we were moving in a year ago. I remember the excitement of building the new house and see much of the same in the new families moving in. Ahh, nostalgia. How I wish sometimes I could go back to those heady days when Belvedere was just beginning. There were only a few houses up and it was a fresh idea and an innovative project. I was all over it (still am), seeing how nature, people, and development could come together in a new way. As promised, I made my permaculture garden. I also run small nature programs for my kids and their friends here and hope to run more if I ever get some infrastructure.

When Bret and I signed on to live in Belvedere, we went over worst case scenarios, so we were not fazed by the builder going out of business, the freeze in building in general, the struggles of the economy. We both knew and know that Belvedere will succeed. When you crest the hill next to the Fairview swim club and see all the pretty houses and the beauty of the land, it is so wonderful. The mornings are great, the breeze in the day makes you feel like you are at the beach, the natural world is right there at my fingertips, and the evening sky makes my walks after dinner a joy and a treat. I love everything about Belvedere, still. The front porches, the "cool space" as I remember the team telling me during our first interviews at Stonehaus, are really wonderful hallmarks of the community that is starting to grow here. We are friendly. We are given to nightly walks together with the dogs and children, playing in the alley, and spontaneous porch and sidewalk parties. I have pinch myself as I walk to the pool to swim, ride my bike or run along Belvedere's trails.

We have more than survived the nuclear winter of new building. We were the first family in August 2008. Now we have 12 families, and some new houses started, and more prospects on the horizon. There are a few families building that I have not met yet, so the numbers may even be higher. Despite efforts from the Hook and The Daily Progress to somehow paint Belvedere as a failing project, the project has not tanked. In fact, it is one of the few new projects in Albemarle county that is doing well.

So, what are the losses, you might ask? Here are my disappointments:

It was hard for me when members of the design team left the project. I notice I still struggle with that. Watching Stonehaus dwindle to almost nothing in staff was surprising.
The village green. The design really doesn't work. The amphitheatre makes it standoff-ish. We need play structures, too, either there or somewhere. Bret and I offered to buy a small one for the community but we haven't had much support from Stonehaus. I am guessing they are just too busy to help implement something, so it is really up to us to make that happen. We are working on it.
The landscaping. I know it is expensive, but one of the things that really sold me on Belvedere was this idea of all the native trees being planted. The development team just can't do that now with no money, so that is a big disappointment for me. I am guessing that at some point there will be more money for the trees, but right now, there is not. The infrastructure may or may not be there for the future.
The Civic Core. I don't know when that is going to be built but it would be nice to have the Town Hall for community events. One of the articles trying to paint Belvedere as a failed project did touch upon a sore point for me: we were promised a lot and now we don't know when all those promises are going to be fulfilled. Yet, we are consistently told they will be. That means Civic Core and Town Center. It is totally understandable that some of these things are not built, but I wonder, will Belvedere be finished after my children are grown?
The dumping and the trespassing. People come back here, dump their trash, neck, and get rowdy. We catch them periodically and suggest they might not want to do that. I guess this place was a habitual marginal land where these activities happened regularly.

That's my short brutal list of disappointments. Otherwise, I think that the future holds bright for Belvedere! We have plans to continue to grow and develop. Everyone seems satisfied. I have no doubt this project will adapt and go on to succeed. We are also clear that it will take the residents' energy to make Belvedere special, and there are some very special people here, people committed to the vision of the place. Here are some of the best parts of Belvedere:

If you live here, you gotta like people (and maybe dogs, too). We are here because we want to be in relationship. If you have read my blog for this last year, you will read how being in community increases your health. It is real.
Belvedere's design is supported by neuroscience. Perhaps known or not known by the designers, the New Urbanist design that includes green, sidewalks, and alley's are shown to be what humans need for optimal growth and health.
The houses are AWESOME. Now, I am not really a house person. I am an outdoor person. But living in this house has spoiled me. I go in a lot of houses with my job. I am a sensitive creature to my surround. I can go in houses now and feel the quality of craftsmanship. This house that Church Hill built for us is magnificent. The first night in it, I cried and said, "This house is too fancy for me!" I have gotten used to it, a liiitttllle bit. It still blows me away.
The trails. I am out there on the trails all the time. I LOVE them. Thank you Rivanna Trail people!
Another big and wonderful thing has been the passion, commitment and presence of Bob Hauser. I know that many people have opinions about Hauser Homes, and I was subject to many of those opinions and the realities associated with them. I will say that he has very much impressed me and I believe that this project will be different than things he has done in the past.

I know my neighbors have some disappointments, too, like the television and the telephone service (having the company for North Carolina manage all that probably was not the wisest choice), and the traffic from Dunlora whipping around our neighborhood, but overall, my expectations have been met and even exceeded.

Cheers!

Kate

Coming soon

2009-07-12T21:34:00.002-04:00

July 31 marks our year anniversary. One heck of a blog coming up. Stay tuned!

. . .It's Like Watching Your Dream Come True

2009-05-17T08:18:00.005-04:00

It is after dinner on a Saturday. We are about to go upstairs to give the kids their bath when we look outside and see the new families who have just moved in outside in the alley. The kids are playing and people are talking, drinking beer, eating ice cream, and considering their new place with thoughtful eyes. We all enthusiastically head outside. The alley has become the central meeting place. Hooray for Caty Lane! I meet the new neighbors behind us for the first time and then engage in play with the children. Hoola-hooping yeah! I am gonna get good at that, I say to the children. They laugh and hoop around every part of their body! I can barely do it.

The four-year olds wander about doing things together, the little dog runs about seeking affection from everyone, the beautiful mother next door chats with me and laughs when my husband can hoop better than I can, and I help my neighbor with his aching back as we sit on the stoop of his carriage unit. My son goes as fast as he can on his scooter. My husband shows his juggling skills with the lacrosse balls the girls have been playing with. I can see we are going to need bounce-back in the alley. When I pick up the stick and ball it is almost irresistible to want to throw it. All over is just this vibe of health, connection, vitality, fun, tired-at-the-end of the day feeling. We are all sharing in it.

The storm that has been threatening all day starts to break. As we head up the stairs my husband joyfully narrates the alley's activities, and ends by saying ". . . it's like watching your dream come true."

Go Belvedere!

We're Certified!

2009-05-04T10:05:00.004-04:00

We knew our house is well-built, but it is still nice to have these:

A special thanks to Eagle Homes for following through on getting these certifications.

Belvedere Adventures

2009-05-03T07:34:00.003-04:00

As I go around here in Cville, people find out I live in Belvedere and then ask, Are you the blogger? So, Yes, I say. Well, you haven't written much lately. No, I don't get to the blog as much as I would like for sure. I run a business and have two small children. I travel with my work. It definitely is a juggling act. But that doesn't mean I don't have loads of blogs swimming around in my head waiting to appear. Here are a few of my adventures:

Everything is Working Out
With four new homes about to be built or in the process of being built, I have this feeling that Belvedere is on the upswing after surviving through the nuclear winter of the new housing market. Workers are everywhere again, buzzing all over the townhomes, finishing them! Yay! Trucks and supplies are running back and forth to the two homes in progress. One of the City Homes has broken ground. And then joy of joys, we learn a family with kids is moving in next door, one is a boy my son's age! I mention this to my son and he says, Don't obsess about it mom.

The other day, the four of us (Bret, myself and our two kids) hopped on our bicycles after dinner and cycled all around Belvedere and Dunlora. As we arrived back in our garage, I lifted up a tennis racket and said, Tennis Anyone? My son yelped with delight. Well, it was late so we didn't end up going down to the tennis court, but the point was we could have. As I lay in bed that night I thought, this is exactly what I wanted: A neighborhood and an active lifestyle. It was just what Belvedere promised, too, and it delivered. I have never in my life lived in a place where I could ride around safely on a bike with my kids the way we do here. I can't believe that I got exactly what I wanted, even if it was just in that moment there.

Nature Adventures Belvedere's forests never fail to offer me nature encounters worth remembering. I savor them.

It is a Saturday. I am just back from a business trip, tired but really wanting to run through the forest even if it is just a little. Bret is working in the yard, and I sit on the steps and watch. Well, I say, I am heading out. It is 6 pm. I had put dinner on the table for the kids. Bret and I would eat later.

On this evening, I head down the sewer line at the far end of the property to the flood plain and turn right along one of the Rivanna Trail lines. As I run a long, I feel better. Then suddenly up ahead I see a huge set of wings lift off the ground and into a tree. It is the biggest Bard owl I have ever seen. It sits in the tree looking down at me with huge dark eyes like a ghost on the limb. I call to him but he does not respond. Instead, he heads over to another tree higher up and stares down at me again. I pause. All around me the toads start up. What is it about 6 pm in the forest in spring? Toad happy hour? The trills are everywhere and deafening, vibrating this corner of the woods. I smile. I live for this.

. . . . .
On this morning, I can't wait to get out for another run through the forest. I want to go down the new trail and out through the Zone to the railroad bridge. I love that trail. It is amazingly hot for early in the morning. As I head down the road/trail to the tall three oaks, a large bird lifts off and into a tree. It is a vulture. It stands on the limb and stretches his wings out. I stand and stretch my arms out, mimicking him. He must have been in the water there, a small stagnant pool in a rut that is now home to many small frogs. I run on. Further down, I scare up a big red fox that had been resting in the woods next to the trail. He is muddy so I figure, he, too, was in the water, this time the creek that runs next to the trail. He runs up the hill a little then stops and watches me. I stop and watch him back. He runs on. I have seen him before, chance encounters on the trail. There are two large foxes here. I have been looking for their den.

As I run, I hear the birds. The wood thrush's flute-like call is a balm and lifts my spirits. I follow the trail along the flood plain and out the brown Rivanna Trail. This small lovely trail takes me through the woods. The forest floor is alive with scurrying beasts, a small flock of sparrows, a few blue-lined skinks. Farther along the trail, the mayapples sprout up and I see that dutchman's breeches are also here like along the trail next the river in River Run. I turn and run back along the railroad and back up the sewer line to the house, very grateful that such a resource is available to me just out my door.

. . . .

It is evening around 6 pm, and raining lightly. I head out the door in my raincoat and stop at the neighbors to see if one of their dogs wants to go with me into the forest. I don't feel like running and I want to go slow. I figure it will give the dog a chance to really sniff and look around. This night, Louie comes with me, a tall dark dog. His companion is left behind whining but my neighbors counsel me to just take one at a time. I head down the Dunlora trail. The light green new leaves against the gray sky and brown earth are lovely, and the forest smells wonderful. Once again, the thrush sings softly in the twilight. I feel grounded and present, lightly happy to be alive in that forest. We walk down the trail, and then back up. As I look at the old trees and the creek bed, I think, this forest begs timelessness. Then, I realize, it is not the forest that begs that. It is within me, this human.

For the forest, I am sure, timelessness is its baseline. The forest doesn't say, let's hurry up and grow. There is no rush. There just . . . . Is. Within me, I yearn for the same timelessness, but I know I have to get home and help Bret give the kids their bath and put them to bed, then there is my own bedtime and tomorrow, the relentless schedule starts again. We don't live in a timeless way. In the nature classes I teach, I weave in wandering on the landscape with the hopes of imprinting some of the timeless forest on the children. For myself, I am thirsty for the timelessness. I also know myself well enough to say I like having stuff to do, too. Here in Belvedere, I can strike a balance.

. . . .

There you go readers! Stay tuned for more adventures!

Recent Sales Report

2009-04-27T14:56:00.002-04:00

I've asked Greg Slater of Real Estate III to comment on recent sales activity and to share his thoughts on Belvedere. Greg has been an agent in this area representing builders in several communities for over a decade now. He was a builder representative at Belvedere up until March 31, 2009. He no longer represents either builder at Belvedere. He does represent Union Bank for the one listing leftover from Church Hill Homes.

Currently, there are 5 property owners living on site at Belvedere. There are 10 homes under contract , pending completion. 8 sales have occurred this year. They are as follows:

The sale of the former Church Hill Homes model.

1 detached presale by Eagle Construction.

2 townhome sales by Hauser.

4 detached homes sales by Hauser. (2 of which are the new "city listing" offering)

For some perspective on this, I pulled 2009 sales information on comparable neighborhoods:

Dunlora 5

Still Meadow 1

Forest Lakes 14

Redfields 4

Fontana 3

So on this list, Belvedere is second only to Forest Lakes (1400 homes) which offers a much broader product mix and price range. There are currently 42 homes on the market in Forest Lakes starting at $199,900.

In general, sales are slow but that is to be expected based on the current economic conditions. I've met many, many people who feel Belvedere is a good fit for them if their personal financial situation was different. In my opinion, its only a matter of time.

Both builders are working hard to adjust their offerings to fit the current market conditions and offer value in this market. For buyers, I fully appreciate how hard it is to identify value in these uncertain conditions. However, I find myself looking to the few places where new homes sales are occurring to understand value.

Having worked and sold homes in many new developments over the years, I have been close to how community design and development has evolved. I have been fortunate to work with many buyers and to learn how demand is changing. There is definitely a trend towards buyers wanting more quality of square foot vs quantity. They crave a more energy efficient home with more thoughtful, functional design. There is also a trend towards community. A connection. I have had many conversations with prospective buyers who understand and want this. There is also a trend of buyers who want to live closer to the urban ring. People want shorter commutes.

Belvedere offers all of the above and ultimately, that is what will make it successful. Each time someone purchases a home and someone moves in, the vision of Belvedere is solidified a little more. There is a whole lot more to Belvedere and what it represents as a community, but it is these fundamentals I can't ignore.

Greg Slater can be reached at gregslater@realestateiii.com or www.realestateiii.com/gregslater .

--
Greg Slater
Associate Broker
Real Estate III
813 E Jefferson St
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434-981-6655 Primary
434-977-3033 Office
"licensed to sell real estate in va"

The Balloons are Back

2009-04-05T08:57:00.002-04:00

What a pleasant sight on a quiet spring morning.

Edible Garden at the White House. . . and this house.

2009-03-20T05:56:00.003-04:00

And maybe your house, too? There is a permaculture movement afoot. Even the President of the United States is doing it, with a good garden at the White House. Bret and I watched 60 Minutes the other night when Alice Waters, the First Lady of Slow Food said she had been pressuring presidents for decades to plant a garden for fresh food at the White House. And now Lady Obama is doing just that, and involving local elementary school students. Hzzah!

Our garden is starting up this weekend with lettuces and peas, and we are creating beds for tomotoes, herbs, and berries. There will be additional beds for more vegetables as the time gets right.

Rivanna Trail Hike in Belvedere

2009-03-15T15:47:00.001-04:00

Hello!

This link will take you to a short slide show about the new Rivanna trail in Belvedere. Thank you, Dan Mahon and Albemarle county for providing this fabulous resource for us!

Answers and Requests

2009-03-14T08:21:00.002-04:00

Hello Good People!

How nice to have so many questions about Belvedere. Here are few answers:

Bob's answer to the question What Do I Really Want? was that he wanted to work on Belvedere. He wants to complete his vision to the best of his ability. At least that is what I understood. He explained he was selling some of his 65 LLCs and merging others, and creating Stonehaus Residential that will build energy efficient high quality homes. That is what I understood and I could be wrong.
The Village Green is slated to be altered. We are still in discussion about how things will unroll on the green, with movies and music and events, but the ampitheatre needs to be lower or not at all in accordance with the plans submitted to the county. We are all waiting for more landscaping, and I saw Bob and his crew out there planning last week. Stay tuned.

And here is a request from me:

If you want to be included in meetings and updates, then send me your email address. Identify yourself, don't just post under Anonymous. My email is katercst@gmail.com. Or, if you want to be bold, become a member of the Belvedere Neighborhood Group on Facebook.

Thanks!

When The Going Gets Tough

2009-03-01T07:47:00.003-05:00

When the going gets tough, the tough get introspective, creative, committed, and constructive. Sometimes, I feel like people are waiting for Belvedere to fail, so people, read on.

With rumors swirling and the economy in a decline, Belvedere builders decided to become more transparent and also, reorganize. Yesterday, Bob Hauser gave a long and passionate talk to Belvedere residents about his state of affairs, and also, Stonehaus unveiled a new line of homes in Belvedere called City Homes. These homes are smaller single-family homes that are Earthcraft, with one model being single story living. All homes have a garage option. The lots are smaller since the homes orginally planned for these sites were duplexes. Square footage ranges from 1200-1800 square feet with 2 and 3 bedrooms. Prices range from $274,000 to $304,000. There is a new construction entity that is behind these homes called Stonehaus Residential that is committed to quality, efficient, small homes. They are only offering 16 of these City Homes. If you are interested in buying of these small homes, you had better contact Stonehaus quickly because they sold 2 homes before they unveiled the new line. Currently, there are 4 other lots that are being considered by buyers. I wish I had extra money. I want one of these homes, too. Contact Lindsay Comment at 434-981-4054 or Jay Kalagher at 434-962-4613.

I also want to mention that Hauser Homes just finished a beautiful new home on the Boulevard and sold three other homes in Phase 1. In addition, Eagle Construction just closed on a new home for which construction will begin soon. So March will be a busy month in Belvedere with 3 - 5 new home construction projects starting. How about that!

I learned a lot yesterday listening to Bob speak about his life and his decisions. Here are few things to say up front:

Hauser Homes is not bankrupt. Bob is very solvent, he says, just not very liquid.
The credit crunch and financial meltdown very much affected Bob's business. I was not aware of the $500 million run on Wachovia in one day. Bret later told me that it was an electronically triggered run that almost caused a collapse of some of the financial system. They had to close down something to prevent that. Shades of Its a Wonderful Life.
The housing sector is calling this past winter the Nuclear Winter. Bob has been in business since the 1970's. He made it clear these last 5 months have been the worst he has seen, and still, Belvedere got tons of traffic. One realtor reported that in the last 4 months, approximately 180 people took the time to register with Belvedere agents to be told about new developments. That does not include the hundreds that did not.
The Vision of Belvedere is not negotiable. This vision includes the Earthcraft homes, New Urban design, connection to nature, town center.
The City Homes will be built in that one section of Phase One only.
There is money in escrow to finish Phase One completely.

In his talk with us, Bob clearly wants to take responsibility and also, do something to help turn things around. He talked candidly about how his business started, grew and is now reorganizing. He would like to retire Hauser Homes and have Stonehaus Residential eventually take over building in Belvedere. Many of the timelines the developers talked about were 18 and 24 months down the road.

It is not often anyone opens up their life and tells you about their. Bob explained that the economic downturn allowed him to pause and ask the question, What do I really want? Quite often we don't ask ourselved this question enough. More often, we don't even question or look at our life in a deep way. We just keep going along until we are forced to make a change or a decision.

One of my teachers, Tony Ten Fingers, once told me a story like this one. He asked one of his friends who had stage IV ovarian cancer what she really wanted. She said she wanted to get married and find true love. The next day he proposed. She accepted. He said, okay, one down, and we are going to have work at true love. This question, what do I really want? has stayed with me since then. Mostly, I have always done what I really wanted and taken the risks that come with that. That is how I learned to follow my dreams but lower my expectations. I always did what I wanted, but things often didn't pan out the way I had dreamed or thought they would. Becoming a pioneer in Belvedere and working hard to make the vision a reality was certainly one of those moments that I have gone for what I really wanted. I say to myself, this is what I am doing for now. I will try my best to make my dreams come true, and because they have in the past, I probably will come close now. If I keep my expectations high, I just might get hurt so I keep my expectations in the middle range. Just now, my life is exceeding my expectations.

Two other things:

The Rivanna Trail proposed for this section of land along in river in Belvedere is nearly complete. I ran it the other day and it is really a treasure. I especially enjoyed the section near the railroad tracks.
The organic farm is scheduled to go in this spring, and their first crop might be available fall 2009.

These are the updates. Belvedere still keeps growing.

Belvedere News

2009-02-06T06:30:00.002-05:00

It is not an easy winter in Belvedere. The wind whips across the empty fields. Bret and I scheme about the lots across the street saying we are going to plant wildflowers over there this early spring. I think we are going to try to do that. Sometimes I think, I am going to plant a labyrinth, but that is too ambitious.

There is still activity here for sales of houses. Lots of interest, even in the downturn. The Dunlora trail is awesome, the Belvedere trail is almost complete down to the floodplain where the Organic Garden is going in this spring. That is still happening. There will be some changes to the Village Green. Hauser Homes is about to close on a house on the boulevard and so we will have new neighbors soon! There is a greenway slated for next to the river.

Our symposium on Free Range Neighborhoods has been postponed until the fall. There just weren't enough registrants. I have connected with the neighborhood closest to us over in Dunlora and am happy to discover lots of children. I can't wait until spring when we can go down and hang out with them.

Two beautiful red foxes have denned near our house on Tyree Lane. Our neighbors have seen them, too. They told me they watched them hunt and play from their balcony.

Connexion has put in the fiberoptic. I give that company a thumbs up for the field agents and a big thumbs down for communication with us and the neighbors. The neighbors also say they can't get the local stations. So Connexion, if you're reading this, you can improve your communications (which is interesting, since your business is communications).

We are planning some activities for the spring. I can't wait to work on my garden.

Neurological Underpinnings of Belvedere Part 2

2009-01-19T08:12:00.003-05:00

As I have written before, it was the idea that I could help build a community while staying connected to nature that attracted me to Belvedere. Actually, it was good marketing on the part of Stonehaus: Green views, getting children "off the couch" and outside. Very specifically, it was Bob Hauser who told me that he wanted to build a neighborhood where the children would have a childhood like he remembered his was. He explained to me that he had children and was deeply inspired by them. Led by this inspiration, and troubled by what he saw children doing these days, he decided to try and design a neighborhood where children could play outside in nature, unstructured and untroubled by adult concerns. "Yes," I said inside my heart, "I have been working these past seven years to create that with programs for children. Here is a place I could call home."

I have traveled and lectured to parents, communities, teachers, about the benefits of play on nature. Here is a short list. The list grows incredibly now, with advocates in the Child in Nature Network, and the No Child Left Inside Coalition whose chant is "Get 'Em Outside."

History:

200 years ago, most children grew up in areas surrounded by nature.
Late 20th century, children’s environments became more urbanized.
With the turn of the century, outdoor play boundaries have shrunk, and so has access to nature.
Many children live in urban areas where natural areas for play have shrunk; ½ live in urban centers of less than 500,000
Decline in recess continues, despite research showing that unstructured play outside promotes learning while releasing energy and stress and minimizing disruptive behaviors.
Rise in ADD/ADHD by tracking the amount of medications taken, up 700% since 1990.Approximately 4.7% of children 6–17 years of age have ADHD without LD, (14.5 million children, source CDC)

Research Summary:

Being in and surrounded by nature soothes and relieves tension in the nervous system allowing for increases in health and well being. This quote from the latest research on the Child in Nature Network website:
This research is also leading some scientists to dabble in urban design, as they look for ways to make the metropolis less damaging to the brain. The good news is that even slight alterations, such as planting more trees in the inner city or creating urban parks with a greater variety of plants, can significantly reduce the negative side effects of city life. The mind needs nature, and even a little bit can be a big help.

Some Specific Research:

Robin Moore of the Natural Learning Initiative at NC State University in Raleigh, NC has complete research showing that play in nature:

encourages imagination and creativity,
fosters language and collaborative skills,
reduces or eliminates bullying,
stimulates social interaction between children, and
children who play in nature have more positive feelings about each other

Play and learning in natural settings stimulates all aspects and stages of child development.

Andrea Faber Taylor and Francis of the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois completed several studies on the impact of nature on a child’s ability to be more disciplined, delay gratification, and control impulses. Results showed that contact with nature:

increases ability to focus and concentrate, and
that views of and contact with nature result in higher scores on tests of concentration and self-discipline.
The greener the setting surrounding the child, the better the scores.
A recent study completed in 2004 showed that simply taking a walk in nature decreased symptoms of ADHD.
Levels of aggression and violence were significantly lower among inner city residents who had some nearby nature outside their apartments.

A Swedish study completed in 2001 showed that play in nature increases motor fitness, including coordination, balance and agility; children who play in nature are sick less often even though they went outside in all weather, every day.

Robert Pyle studied children’s play in vacant lots in urban areas. Exposure to natural environments improves children’s cognitive development by improving their awareness, reasoning, and observational skills.

Social scientist Nancy Wells’ study on working with nature and inner city children found that nature buffers the impact of life’s stresses on children and helps them deal with adversity; the greater the amount of exposure to nature, the greater the benefits.

Early childhood educators Edith Cobb and Maria Montessori found that nature helps children develop powers of observation and creativity and instills a sense of peace and “being at one” with the world, and that early experiences with the natural world have been positively linked with the development of imagination and the sense of wonder.

Children’s loss of regular contact with the natural world can result in a future generation not interested in preserving nature and its diversity.

You can see the complete powerpoint of the research and program of children in nature on my wesbite, and also, the best list is on the Children and Nature Network site.

So what does this mean for Belvedere? I am going to work toward offering afterschool programs for area children to come and play. My first program will be a Playwork program from the UK called Playing with the Elements starting Fall 2009. I have lots of ideas of helping children and families connect with nature, and have fun, too. I am currently running a free program for families with very small children at the Ivy Creek Natural Area.

I am also helping to co-sponsor a symposium on designing neighborhoods for children in nature coming to the Charlottesville Center for Design on the downtown mall: Free Range Neighborhoods: Designing Everyday Natural Places to Motivate Children's Outdoor Play.

More on all this later. I have to get away from this screen and outside!

The Neurological Underpinnings of Belvedere Part 1

2008-12-23T09:46:00.009-05:00

Bret and I moved here February 2008 and immediately began building our home in Belvedere. We stood on the land where our house is now and Josh Goldschmidt said to me, "You gotta like people if you are going to live here." I knew I wanted to live in Belvedere from the moment our realtor, Jim Duncan told me about it. I immediately saw I could live connected to people and to nature, and the design had amazing child and nature potential. To me, it was The Answer. To what? . . . I am about to tell you.

Then began the interviews with the press. So interesting. Erika Howsare of Cvillian and the Abode called me New Urbanist. I had no idea what that was. It seems it is a design approach to living where houses are close together and in connection with shared green spaces. It was walkable. Its design allowed people to walk to area restaurants and shops in the Town Center. Street design was shifted to focus on pedestrian population as well as cars. I was something, I was New Urbanist. Then came the discussion about LEED and "green." So I researched labels and criteria for environmentally correct building. This EarthCraft focus seemed to be what everyone wanted to talk about. But that is not what attracted me to Belvedere.

I knew that humans are hardwired to connect, and that our culture does not do a good job supporting this notion. Just the statistics from the study Hardwired to Connect are daunting:

Scholars at the National Research Council in 2002 estimated that at least one of every four adolescents in the US is currently at serious risk of not achieving productive adulthood.
According to another recent study, about 21% of US children ages 9 - 17 have a diagnosable mental or addictive disorder associated with at least minimum impairment. These rates appear to reflect actual increases in these problems, not changes in methods or rates of treatment.
Despite increased ability to treat depression, the current generation of young people is more likely to be depressed and anxious than was its parent's generation. Source
High levels of anxiety, or neuroticism, are not only problems in themselves, but are also associated with major depression, suicide attempts, alcohol abuse, marital problems, and a wide variety of physical ailments, including asthma, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and ulcers.

The study details the rise in suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety and disease in children over the last several decades despite a rise in material wellbeing. It states:

. . .US young people not only appear to be experiencing sharp increases in mental illness and stress and emotional problems, but also continue to suffer from high -- we as a commission believe unacceptably high -- rates of related behavioral problems such as substance abuse, school dropout, interpersonal violence, premature sexual intercourse, and teenage pregnancy. p. 9

The study also says that while children are 50% less likely to die from unintentional injuries, cancer, and heart disease since 1950, they are 140% more likely to die from homicide or suicide (which is the third leading cause of death of youth in the country). Again, I quote:

More and more, what is harming and killing our children today is mental illness, emotional distress, and behavioral problems.

Our neurological systems are designed to need contact and social interactions with other human beings of multiple generations. I found this study through a seminar I attended by Allan Schore, one of the leading thinkers in the science of attachment. Part of my training is to help people understand their attachment styles that are divided up into secure, insecure, and disorganized attachment. More specifically, it is how our early connections affect our health and perception. It is a well researched scientific field starting with psychoanalyst John Bowlby.

In his latest book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell writes about how it was precisely this social connecting that supported the health and wellbeing of a whole town in Pennsylvania. The first chapter relates the story of a population of Italian immigrants that did not have much heart disease, the leading killer among adult populations in the United States.

In Roseto, virtually no one under 55 died of a heart attack, or showed any signs of heart disease. For men over 65, the death rate from heart disease in Roseto was roughly half that of the United States as a whole. The death rate from all causes in Roseto, in fact, was something like thirty or thirty-five percent lower than it should have been.

What was the secret of this populations health? Researcher found out it was not the diet, the physical exercise level, the soil, or anything else. The secret lay in the village culture of the town:

What Wolf slowly realized was that the secret of Roseto wasn't diet or exercise or genes or the region where Roseto was situated. It had to be the Roseto itself. As Bruhn and Wolf walked around the town, they began to realize why. They looked at how the Rosetans visited each other, stopping to chat with each other in Italian on the street, or cooking for each other in their backyards. They learned about the extended family clans that underlay the town's social structure. They saw how many homes had three generations living under one roof, and how much respect grandparents commanded. They went to Mass at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church and saw the unifying and calming effect of the church. They counted twenty-two separate civic organizations in a town of just under 2000 people. They picked up on the particular egalitarian ethos of the town, that discouraged the wealthy from flaunting their success and helped the unsuccessful obscure their failures.

What supported the health of the Rosetans was their connection to each other in relationship and proximity. To me, Belvedere's design supports human connection: the narrow streets, the grid-design with alleys and narrow lots, the wide sidewalks, the shared green and public spaces. It allows for what is natural and healthy for humans to flourish as opposed to rural living the way I had been in Vermont. I felt very isolated and disconnected up there. I craved connection and community.

When Jim said "neighborhood" and "nature," I said yes! That is what I want. Proximity to nature also has many benefits. Combining close knit community connections with nature is a one-two punch for health. Part 2 of the neurological underpinnings of my neighborhood will detail just how nature supports human development and how Belvedere does and will do just that.

A Kid's Map of Belvedere

2008-12-23T07:51:00.004-05:00

This map was drawn by a couple of kids who live in Belvedere. Mapping is one of the first things I do with children when connecting with nature. Kids see things differently than adults. Enjoy!
You can see what children like to focus on: the bodies of water, the woods, the high points, and the open spaces. Also, the kids have explored all the water tunnels in the neighborhood, naming each one.

Agnor-Hurt Elementary is Awesome

2008-12-10T09:04:00.004-05:00

When families come through Belvedere, many of them ask me about Agnor-Hurt Elementary, the Albemarle Public School district we send our children to. I have just got say, Agnor-Hurt is awesome.

I did what many parents do before they move their family to a new town; I checked out the public schools. I went to greatschools.net and tried hard to "figure it out" from a distance. I made several visits to Charlottesville before making the move to see what the schools were like. I visited the Waldorf School, Cale, Merriweather Lewis and Agnor Hurt. I was very worried about my son in particular. All he knew was a small very sheltered life in Vermont. His public school there was 100 kids k - 8th grad, and he had been with the same kids since kindergarten. We moved in the middle of his third grade year. I chose Belvedere and Agnor-Hurt became our school.

At first, it was a little daunting because of the size; about 475 students preschool through 5th grade. There were about 60-65 third graders alone (three classes of 20-24 each). We were all overwhelmed with the amount of people in Charlottesville and the kids in schools. But soon, we realized many positive things about Agnor Hurt:

The Diversity: Over 23 different languages spoken by students from 16 different countries. The children would never have had that exposure to the world if we had stayed in the Vermont. Nor would they have that kind of exposure if they attended private school or some other schools in the county.

The Prinicipal: Michele Del Gallo is amazing. I have attended many of the PTO meetings and witnessed to her organizational and leadership skills. She has really brought the team of 45 teachers, 23 assistants, and 16 support staff together. The teamwork sounds incredible. It takes a talented leader to bring so many people together and have them work efficiently and keep the moral up. She is there for most every afterschool and evening event (and there are plenty!). She makes herself available to students, parents, and all her staff. She is very inspiring to be able to work with to improve the lives of children. She also has tremendous vision for the school.

The Teachers: Almost half of the teachers in the school have advanced degrees. I have attended most every event I could and I have been impressed with the commitment of the teachers. The principal tells me the school is researching becoming an International Baccaluareate Schoo l because 28 of the staff members were interested in it. I come from a world that highly values homeschooling. I have listened to my friends say many bad things about organized schooling, especially public. While we all agree that the public school system does not work for everyone, I could not help but think that there is no way I could do as good a job as these teachers. They have played close attention to my son, nominated him for special programs, and helped him feel at home. There are many special supports in that school, from the Guidance Counselor Carol Fox who especially helped me make the transition mid-year with my son, to the in-school psychogist, to the Gifted and Technology teacher John Hunter. My son has already learned to make presentations in PowerPoint, something I only learned last year. I feel like this school is preparing my son for the bigger world.

The Parents: The PTO is really amazing, a group of parents many of whom have multiple children and a job. We do many things to support the school and their events. The list is long: Choral Programs, International Dinner, Special Assemblies, Skate Night, Chik-fil-A night, Book Fairs, Martin Luther King Play, School Dances, and more. The fundraising that we do also supports the teachers. It is an amazing circle of support for the students.

The Programs: Last year, the school put a lot of energy into math and the scores are there to show it. The following are quotes from a powerpoint presentation Ms. Del Gallo made at the beginning of the year:

"Agnor Hurt lead the division in math growth while maintaining our scores in reading on the 2008 SOL tests. We saw 15% gains in pass rates for each grade, bringing our overall pass rate in math up to 89.3%"

Here are some more quotes that are just amazing outstanding achievements for Adequate Yearly Progress reports:

100% pass rates for 3rd Grade Special Education Students, up from 42.9% the previous year.
100% pass rates for 4th Grade Special Education Studnets, up from 50% the previous year.
19% increase in reading for 3rd grade free and reduced lunch students, from 66.7% to 85.7%
52.5% increase in match for 3rd grade free and reduced lunch students, from 30.8% to 83.3% (check that out!!!)
49.3% increase in match for 3rd grade African American students, from 38.9% to 88.2% (another huge wow!!!!)
10.8% increase in math for 4th grae African American students, from 69.2% to 80%
40.4% increase in math for 4th grade free and reduced lunch students, from 33.3% to 73.7%
29.7% increase in math for 5th grade African American students, from 66.7% to 85.7%
10.9% increase in math for 5th grade free and reduced lunch students, from 68% to 78.9%

I would say some learning is happening in that school. All the local press has reported is that Agnor-Hurt did not make Adequate Yearly Progress. I say, What? This school has made more than adequate yearly progress, it has made outstanding yearly progress. In reality, they only missed that mark by 1% in the reading levels in free and reduced lunch students. Give me a break. There is definitely a story there should be told and Greatschools.net does not tell it.

Fourth grade for my son has been awesome. My son is a white. The scores for his population are extremely high (in the 95%). Gifted and Technology legendary teacher John Hunter joined the staff and he is a perfect match for my son. This incredible program will allow my son access to many special programs and the schoolwide programs are just as awesome. Here is the list from the beginning of the year:

Framework for Quality Learning: every team will create an share a new unit
Continue building strong home-school connections with families
Adopt a sister school in Africa
Continued emphasis on music and art
Continue highly effective math strategies
New Agnor-Hurt Literacy Plan
Writing Across the Curriculum (this is awesome, we just went to the Christmas concert and the music teacher had students write essays if they wanted to be a narrator introducing songs. So creative.)
75 minute blocks for both reading and math
Restorative/Responsive Classrooms
Schoolwide celebration of every student's successes

I hope to make a difference in that school somehow, too, with nature-based curriculum. Every time Bret and I come away from that school we are in awe. So, don't let an outside report influence you if you are interested in that school. And go and visit for yourself. The school saying is, We Are The Dream. It is a pretty amazing place.

Celebrations . . .

2008-12-03T19:22:00.005-05:00

Elizabeth, this post is for you. You have written to me that you love when I talk about the land, and you gave me more money than anyone at my fundraising event for my class for families and nature, and I watched you . . . you were rapt and attentive. Your attention never waivered as I talked about the years I have spent researching and teaching about nature. I celebrate you.

This day I am 46 years young and as a gift to myself I head out onto the land early. As usual, I am instantly rewarded for my effort. Unlike many people, I like winter. I like the cold, and the frost, and the snow, and seeing the trees without their leaves against the winter sky. On this day, before 9 am, I head down to the flood plain along one of the Belvedere loops. Almost instantly, my mood lifts as if someone had come beneath my anxiety and fear and gently shifted them into joy. The frost on the plants glistens in the sun like so many jewels. I remember in Vermont sitting in rapture at the glistening of jeweled snow in the sun. In my world, bad weather is rare; what is more common are bad gear and bad preparation. Oh for the glory of winter!

I run down along the trail jumping over icy puddles and streams. The flood plain opens before me and my heart flutters when I see the plants of the plain outlined in frost; it is an icy harvest. I frolic. I run down along the road to river and as I come around the corner I run into a huge pile of white feathers. White feathers? This is obviously a kill site and one whiff of the feathers tells me a red fox plucked his prey here. Not a swan; a chicken! A roasting chicken at that, but where from? I marvel at the pattern of red fox; I often find kill sites in the middle of the road from canines like the fox and coyote, and their scat as well. I run on with a handful of white smelly feathers. As I run, I smell the red fox here and there. Their scent is very musky, like a skunk. It is especially strong around the Zone.

The cold ground makes purchase on the steep hill up from the Zone easy. As I run home along the sewer line, they are there! Tracks! When I see the strong outline of raccoon tracks, every detail of their human-like front paw I whoop with joy, pitter pattering about looking at the patterns in the frosty mud. A broad wing hawk calls right beside me and I look up and marvel at the huge raptor just above my head. It flies off calling. I continue to explore the tracks, here raccoon, there deer, here some red fox. Whoop, whoop, whoop! My heart feels three times bigger.

I run on home to celebrate. Today is my birthday and I give myself a gift of going outside. I say I am 46 years young. Not many would say I look like I am approaching 50. It is nature, I say, nature and fun and kids, and following my passions. I recently came across a book by Byrd Baylor, one of my favorite children's authors called I'm In Charge of Celebrations. I quote:

Last year
I gave myself
One hundred and eight
celebrations --
Besides the ones they close school for

This remarkable small book details how we can celebrate our lives all the time in many small ways.

I celebrate the frost and sun
I celebrate the fox and his kill
I celebrate the raptor and her call
And the tracks in the mud
I celebrate the trees without their leaves
against the November sky
And I celebrate you Elizabeth, for believing in me

Mitakuye Oyasin

Kate

Community Development and New Urbanism

2008-11-28T11:38:00.003-05:00

"We are really about community development," Frank Stoner said to me when I began asking him more questions about his world. I do think that Stonehaus is not your typical "developer." I am very new to this idea of building infrastructure. Most of my training in community development is about supporting a culture that supports optimal development and therefore health for human beings, especially children. I almost cried when I listened to introduction of Malcolm Gladwell's new book Outliers when he described how the health of a community in Pennsylvania stumped researchers. This very close knit community with Italian ancestry did not have heart disease. After thorough and strenuous analysis, the researchers decided it was the community design that supported their health: houses close together, three generations under one roof, constant social interaction from the front porches and in the streets. This community design supported the health of that community. I wanted to telephone somebody at Stonehaus and say, Read That Introduction! I have been telling Stonehaus from the beginning they have something special. Yet, New Urbanism is not exactly a real estate success story, at least not yet. Why Not?

I am in North Carolina as I write this. This morning I ran around a New Urbanist project called Southern Village. It is remarkably like Belvedere except for the landscape; it is too hilly for people I think to really interact on the street. Not as comfortable to preamble about. Its town center seems to be thriving with a natural food store, cinema, and many little restaurants, shops and services. There is a public school there and now a big park next to it with a soccer field. Fabulous. There are nature trails and I see children in the forest as I run past making dens and playing in the creek. Ah, this is great! Tiny little pocket parks sport small but very interesting play equipment. This is what is possible and I dwell in that. This development is about 10 years old.

Back at the house where I am staying I make remarks about Southern Village. Out come the criticisms. It's Boring. The people there are all the same, white upper middle class. There is no diversity. So, I start to clean and pack to get ready to go home to Belvedere, I begin to sort out how to make communities more diverse. We talk about this in Children In Nature Design Symposiums. How do we design to decrease the culture of fear we live in, the fear of difference? There is no common watering hole where we all come to get water and mingle. Another criticism: The community did not develop until it had programs that attracted people. In other words: The infrastructure was nothing without the people. So, how to build it so they will come (to paraphrase a line from Field of Dreams)?

I am very hopeful and also very aware of the edge upon which Belvedere sits. Somehow, there is something unkown and very important that sits just beyond the edge of my awareness at the moment. I need more information then I put it all inside me and turn it around like a tumbler on a lock. I know I can find the right combination. I just need all the information. Can you help me? Post a comment and tell me what you think I need to know. Belvedere is not like Southern Village in many ways. I just need time, input, and the co-creation of others to find the right mix.

2008-11-27T09:58:00.027-05:00

Family
Friction
Fire

A Wilderness Skills Class

Offered by Earth Connection School of Wilderness Survival and Ancient Skills

Learn The Way of Making Fire Without Matches!

3:30 – 6 pm
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
At the Fairview Swim Club grounds
Belvedere Boulevard and Free State Rd.
Charlottesville, VA 22901

This class will cover a little bit of the history of making fire from rubbing sticks together. We will also use the Bow and Drill technique in teams to actually make fire. Different Native stories about the origin of fire and a firm talk about fire safety will conclude the class.

A parent or guardian must attend for each family and be responsible for the kids that they have brought. All ages are welcome! 5 and under is Free! All materials provided by us. Hot dogs provided (you may also want to bring a snack).

Fees: 1 person $35; 1 parent + 1 child = $45; each additional child $15

For information in the Charlottesville area contact Kate White: 434-996-2002, katercst@gmail.com

To attend this class: Visit our website at www.earth-connection.com/familycourses.htm and read though our information, then click on our Family Course Application, fill out the form and mail it to us with the tuition. We need to receive your applications and tuition at least 7 days before the class. Once we receive an application, we then send out class information and detailed driving directions.

Earth Connection is a school of primitive skills, wilderness survival and self sufficiency offering weekend courses and custom weekday courses throughout the year in Northern Virginia. Earth Connection is now in the twelfth year of continuous operation. Our specialties are Friction Fire Making and Wild Edible Plants. We also teach a variety of other subjects such as Tracks and Sign, Basketry, Primitive Tool Making, Hide Tanning, Wilderness Survival, Organic Gardening and much more!

Earth Connection School of Wilderness Survival and Ancient Skills

Belvedere Updates (the poop and scoop)

2008-11-16T06:54:00.002-05:00

Too much is happening in my life to spend time sitting at the computer, so I apologize for not writing much. We have lived here 3 and half months now. Somehow, I want to feel more settled than I do. It takes a long time to feel "at home." Here is the news as far as I know:

The Neighborhood
We are going to get two new neighbors this month! The house behind us went under contract, and the house two doors down. I have heard that one more townhome needs to be sold and then the townhome row will be finished. Yay! I am so tired of looking at the unfinished homes. Hauser has lowered the price of the homes in Belvedere so if there are readers out there lurking and looking for good prices on homes, have a look.

The Construction
The home across from my house and the one next door are almost complete. Great, I am so glad. I have not liked living with all the construction although I knew that I would be living with all this. The guys are totally friendly and it is lovely to see the homes completed. The one next door to me is huge, definitely a party house, with a wet bar next to the kitchen. I walked in there the other day to see what the workers have been doing. They had finished installing a most gorgeous kitchen with this little room off of it that had places for glasses and wine bottles above a little sink. My grandparents had one of those. But to be honest, the construction noises and mess are really grinding. Bret and I agree that it causes constant "low level stress." Sorry Stonehaus. Luckily it doesn't last long in the scheme of things (like the rest of our lives), so for families considering buying into Belvedere, it isn't that bad. Just prepare yourself and you can always come over here and be comforted.

From listening to my neighbors, I would say Eagle is doing a great job supporting the Church Hill homes that have punch lists. I have not heard where they are going to build next although I know they are discussing that.

I have been following Stonehaus's efforts to find funding for the Town Center. Apparently there is interest in that project because of the apartments that are projected to be built. This is something we all want here in the neighborhood so that is one of my biggest concerns besides getting more neighbors! It seems to me that Belvedere is still unfolding in a good way, only slower because of the credit crunch and recession. The carriage house units with apartments above them are a big interest to people who want to work out of their homes.

The Land and other Ambiance
The other day, three hot air balloons made their way directly overtop our house, and many have chosen to land in our neighborhood. I love this. Those balloons are really amazing. I often sit outside with the birds, too. The bluebirds are really wonderful. This last month, flocks of starlings were here although I think they have moved on. The trail system is continually being worked on. The other day I popped out of a trail only to find a interesting group of workers starting up a strange type of riding mower machine that is good at cutting trails. "Hey," one guy yelled to me, "are you Kate?" "Yes!" I said back, pleasantly surprised. This guy read my blog! Thanks Sean. It is fun to be a land steward. "Is this the Zone?" he asked. "No, the Zone is over that way!" I said, pointing north and west. I gave them an overall orientation right there on the spot. There are still areas of trash that need to be cleaned up, too.

The overall vision is still holding, at least as far as I can tell. There is playground planned for across the street from me on the green lot that is part of Fairview. The swimming club and Stonehaus have some agreements that I am not clear on, so I can't speak to them. I am looking forward to having more children here. We are not using the Village Green much except for kite flying and dog walking. Several four wheel vehicles decided it would be fun to tear up the land behind the village green one night and one truck got stuck. I also see evidence of fourwheeling on the flood plain, and we have heard hunters, too, shooting. I would like Stonehaus to look into these things and impose fines on people if they are caught. I am often down on the flood plain, and hearing the gun shots is not encouraging.

The trail system is lovely. I often run down to the fields next to Dunlora and back. This is called the greenway on the Belvedere trail map. Every time I am out on the land I encounter deer and sometimes other animals, too. I always find a nature treasure to bring back home. I just wish I had more time to explore.

That's all for now. I have started working out of my carriage house. I am massage and craniosacral therapist and specialize in the perinatal period. I will post separately about my work as a therapist and an educator. I have a lot going on in my work life and I want Belvedere to benefit from that.

Answers to Important Questions

2008-10-19T07:53:00.004-04:00

With the foreclosures on Churchill properties in Belvedere, Bret and I have been fielding phone calls and emails about how this affects us. We have also been, as always, listening to criticism of the project. I have tried to come up with some explanations for those who want to know. Here goes:

About the Foreclosures:
What I understand is that Churchill foreclosed on properties to protect potential buyers because some liens were being put on the properties that had nothing to do with the houses (called "judgments"). These were judgments are connected to other Churchill issues, not in Belvedere. AND there are mechanics liens on the properties, too. There were 19 on ours. I have no idea what is on the other properties (and it is not my business, really). Churchill got into financial difficulty because of the times we are in, like many other home builders. Yes, Bret and I are affected by the foreclosures in several ways.

It is difficult to watch people we care about stress out. This includes Churchill owners AND the staff. We got attached to builders, as many of you who have built houses know, the carpenters and foreman become part of your family for a time. Josh Goldschmidt is amazing the way he stays balanced and upbeat despite many personal and professional difficulties. He and Jamie fought bankruptcy and saw foreclosing as a way to protect buyers instead of entangling the sales further.
My neighbors are suffering, too. When a house goes to foreclosure it can be bought from the bank but AS IS. Those who got started with Churchill expected a finished house with a warranty. Who wants to buy a house that doesn't have a warranty and a long punch list? Josh has extended himself to say he will help finish houses and provide technical support through whatever means he can, but promises at this time are a little hard to take to the bank, so to speak. We are just in difficult times. Sometimes I just want to go to the builders and say, hey, cut it out, just do your job and finish the houses! But my savvy neighbors have put money in escrow that won't be paid until the work is complete. We have yet to see how potential buyers will complete the purchases of the houses sold to the bank on Friday.
Is my house worth less than I paid for it in July? Probably. But, I am here for the long run folks. I am not turning my house around to make some money. I bought into Belvedere for the lifestyle, especially the connection to nature and health. This neighborhood is experimental, it is a model of living that brings many different kinds of people together. I am here for the health of it and I am watching to see how it shakes out. When people come at me with criticism of the project, how much the houses cost, etc., I say, it is a start in what I think is the right direction. People living close together sharing amenities and sometimes meals (definitely child friendly and pet friendly. It is nice to have someone watching over our house and cat when we go away.) Yes, I took risks when we became the pioneer and I am like that. This neighborhood design is sustainable and tries to include nature and health in the equation. It is my type of idea, and while the house is a lot fancier than anything I thought I would ever own, I decided that I was going to support this idea, better yet, I was going to live it. I decided. If you have criticisms then search yourself and wonder why.

The bottom line for me is that we are all concerned about whether or not Belvedere will be what it said it was going to be. As my neighbor has said, I didn't buy into Belvedere for the lot! We all signed up for whole package, the mix-use walkable neighborhood, and those of us who are pioneers have paid a hefty price tag. If the town center is not built, the organic farm not put in, the health programs not launched, then I will consider selling and moving on (Take Note Stonehaus.) Which leads me to another point:

"Expensive" and "Self-Segregating." Let's talk about this for a few minutes
We are living in times that might make a few of us pause and think maybe there are other ways to live. It is not comfortable to change. I recently went back up to Vermont where my friends said (and I have heard this here in Cville, too), isn't that going to be self-segregating community of people who can afford to live there? You know what, America, for all its rhetoric as a great melting pot, is self-segregating. I have never been in a more self-segragating arena than some of the communities I was in up in Vermont. In fact, they wanted to secede from the nation during the Bush presidency. It is not about money. I think people are just afraid of difference and want to take someone to task. Face it, we all want someone like us next to us, but if we are going to learn to live together then maybe a new model of living needs to be unrolled. Maybe now we are going to be forced to make a change.

My home and healing arts center in Vermont was bought by two families. The mothers were both healing arts practitioners, the fathers both very handy men. The men made a workshop out of the garage and the women work in the center. They are raising their children together. When people come at with me with this attitude that only rich people live in Belvedere then I say, well, there are town homes, there are duplexes, there will be apartments. But people don't want to give up their single family lifestyle or their land. Then, I say, accept the responsibility of that. The builders here are coming up with new designs, smaller homes. They are listening. Personally, I want one of those 800 sq. foot cottages. If you are truly interested in Belvedere, come on down and lets talk. If you have this argument that we are exclusive here, let's look at that. Yes, in some ways we won't have immigrant communities here or people who live below the poverty line, unless of course they decide that apartment living is okay with them, or even renting one of the carriage units. It is quite possible for two families to buy one of these big houses together and learn to live, love, and raise children together. How nice it would be to have another mother in my house. If I my life comes to that, I would definitely consider it.

A Model Of Health
We have a distinct approach in biodynamic craniosacral therapy that honors we call the health in system. As James Jealous, DO says, "The embryo does not make a mistake." As native peoples have said, we have Original Instructions, all of us human and more than human (nature). My first experiences with Belvedere were through Stonehaus and the philosophy behind the design that includes nature instead of looking to control or worse, just destroy it. While Stonehaus had to cut down the trees, they have planted many many more. This development company is trying very hard to do something different (and sell it, too, I might add, but what do you expect, they are businesspeople). I am a big picture person (and detail oriented, too). I saw Belvedere as a chance to consider a different way of living, one that is about WE, humans and nature. It is not perfect. I just hope that all the fear will not squelch it.

I miss my life in Vermont, the nature, the peace, the fire, the life close to the edge. And I am trying something different now.

What to do from here?
I am concerned about the current state of my neighborhood. Hauser has laid off people and work at the company's homes is at a crawl if at all. This has been a very difficult beginning to a new life. I have likened the building of this home to a difficult birth and my neighbors laugh and say, my home has a low Apgar score (the score given to babies at birth, the higher the score the better the condition of the baby.) That is how it is here. So, here are my questions for myself and anyone else, How do we make a repair with these pioneer families to keep them resourced and in good health? What do we do when a community starts out with such difficulty, under-resourced? How can I help increase the health in this system?

I have clearly planted my feet and, in a healing metaphor, am holding Belvedere and waiting for the health in the system to reset. Maybe we all doing that in these times for ourselves, our communities, our country. As a practitioner, I have learned to sit, hold and wait. It takes faith and belief in something larger than myself to continue. That's where I am at. Where are you?

Addendum

2008-09-04T05:37:00.002-04:00

With the advent of September, it seems that a whole new crew of workers floods Belvedere every morning. Oh My God. It is amazing. And while I did write that the construction noise is irritating, ( or can be!), the presence of the new crew is energizing. Like Bret said, it means that work is being done and we are closer to completing the vision of Belvedere each day.

The Connexion people have been putting in the fiber optic system over the last few weeks. They camp out, in the rain, and in the sun. There is a box on the corner near our house and I have been watching them. One of them stopped us the day it rained to comment on the mud. And now the blaizng heat. What troopers.

The sidewarlk ends are filled in and the alley is going to be complete soon. Yay!

So, while living in a constuction zone is low-level stressful, it is also inspiring and exciting.

Home at Last

2008-08-31T09:03:00.003-04:00

I has been a while since my last post and I apologize but we've been a bit busy (see Kate's post below). Between monitoring the finishing of the house to packing and moving, then closing, unpacking working out new schedules and routines...whew...well, I finally am starting to feel settled.

One balm has been the almost daily spectacle of the hot air balloons floating by in the early summer mornings. One day I'll be on one of them looking down I guess but for now it is a nice reward for getting up early.

Then come the sounds of Hauser and Church Hill workers starting in on the unfinished houses. For some that might be terribly annoying, but to me it is the sound of - completion - and I can't wait to have the houses and townhomes finished and occupied. As I tell people "I hate my neighbors", but now that another owner is moving in I can't say that any longer. It has been a trying and difficult time, certainly more challenging than I would have ever dreamed, but I feel strongly that we have turned a corner and things are only going to get better - much better.

We haven't gotten any bills yet (there has been a little glitch with the post office not handling our mail properly) but I promise to post them as they come in so we can get a sense of exactly how energy-efficient this house is. I won't make any conclusions for awhile as the season is turning, and we are still getting our house routines down, but it will be a nice long-term project.

One thing I can say is that the house (as Josh Goldschmidt had assured us) is very comfortable. It has a lovely airy feel to it, and whether the windows are open in the mornings or evenings or closed in the hotter afternoons it never feels stuffy or "artificial". It is also always a pleasant surprise to go to the top (attic) floor and have it be only a degree or two warmer than the one below.

So if you drive by in the evening and we're sitting on the porch chatting and looking peaceful it is because we are happy with where we are living.

One Month Report

2008-08-31T08:45:00.003-04:00

Okay. As requested. Here is my one month report.

It has been exactly one month since we moved in. While the environment has been tough (no rain, subcontractors going on temporary strikes, businesses bought and sold, neighbors having to delay moving in), I have just loved living here. And we are not the first family to move here. I have met a family of crows (they are quite communicative), a herd of deer, and a flock of blue birds. Here is a short of list of the good and the bad.

The Bad first:

Living in a construction zone: It's not too bad but I don't like it much. The hammering and the generators can be loud but we knew that. And I really hate it when the construction workers whistle at me. Look, I am an old married lady (our 20th wedding anniversary is this week), definitely a maid, not a maiden, nothing to get too excited about. I run a lot, and yesterday when I ran by the crew working on the Hauser homes and I got that whistle, I thought, I am going go up close to those guys and give them a hard time. I didn't though I thought about it. I don't like that.

The Red Mud: Really, I like the mud. The tracks here are amazing, and my daughter loves the mud, too, but it gets on everything. We have to be careful to not track it into the house. Our shoes are probably going to be permanently stained (who cares?). I can't wait until the landscaping for the first phase is complete. The red mud is on the sidewalks, the grass is not growing anywhere. Ack!

Not Many Neighbors: Finally, the second home owner moved in yesterday. We can't wait for more people.

I am sure Bret has his short list, too, but over all, the development company has just been awesome, helping us every step of the way. The fiber optic communications is not in yet but the builder and developer, and the communication company Connexion, have been great.

The Good:

The Land: Whenever I think that maybe this was a mistake and I should have stayed in my private little sheltered life in Vermont, I go and sit on the land. It is a spiritual practice of mine anyway, and I have chosen a high spot on the land that stays a secret to you all because I don't want you finding me. Anyway, I sit there in the early morning in awe of the mountains and the trees. The view of the sunrise and the moonset is amazing, and then there are the hot air balloons. They come floating slowly over Belvedere and you definitely get the sense that, Toto, we are not in Kansas anymore. I feel imbued with a sense of magic and awe when I am out there.

The House: The house just rocks. I can't wait until more people move in to experience the feel of the structural design, the porches, the sidewalks. The light is awesome, the window treatments have been intense; what to choose? I am not really a house person, but my husband is, and the neighbors are. I just adore listening to them love their house, too. I look forward to really being a neighborhood.

The Trails: I am out on the trails everyday. I am told that the Belvedere trail system will be revealed shortly by the developer, Stonehaus, so I won't say too much here except that Dan Mahon and the Rivanna Trail people did an awesome job with the trail through the Dunlora woods. I run and walk down there all the time. My daughter and I spend time looking at all kinds of things along that trail, from the massive mastcrop trees to the spiders to the creek system and animal tracks and sign. Bret and I run along the trails down to Dunlora. The other day, massive amounts of grasshoppers flew up ahead of me as I ran through the Dunlora field trail. I will often find sign of animal behaviors in the flood plain, like coyote kill sites and deer paths, and of course, lots of frogs. The Zone has beautiful trails, if only I could keep the four-wheelers out. There is much to explore and love about the trails and the land.

The Builder and the Developer: The builder, Church Hill, has been just awesome. Even though they have clearly struggled, they have stayed in touch and are very gracious to us. And Stonehaus, you have also been great. I ask a lot of questions, and have tried to be measured in my approach to your vision but sometimes, I can't help myself. The potential is just too amazing and I tend to be exuberant anyway. I really think things have just begun here and are going to get better.

My Yard: The Permaculture Garden is still planned. I plan to put in a fence and some more plant beds. I hope to have the fruit trees planted this fall.

Other Amentities: The Fairview Swim Club was great this summer, just walking up and jumping in the pool. I hope my kids want to be on the swim team. SOCA is still planning the soccer field house, the Village Green will one day be green with the activities promised by Stonehaus, and there are plans for classes and other health-related activities that are not my place to say just yet. I know they are coming down the pike, though.

"We Need Powerful Rain"

2008-08-31T08:31:00.003-04:00

The day the rain began to fall, the rain barrel man, Bryan Buckley called me about our rain barrels. He said, "The blessed rain has fallen." A perfect thing for the rain man to say. We have had no rain for almost 2 months, and the drought is keenly felt in Belvedere. Our lawn is green because Bret nurtured it like a newborn calf. We had been warned and worked over by the people who put it down. Everyone was concerned about landscaping in August. The seed/straw combinations put down in Belvedere did not produce much green, and the trees are suffering.

But the words, "We need powerful rain," came from my little girl, Eleanor, age 4. My husband asked her why. "Mud," she said. She is a mud specialist and I let her revel in it. With the recent rain, she donned her raincoat and boots and went out to find the muddy places. Also, she loves frogs. I went down to the Zone after the rain and said, "Eleanor, I saw many frogs down in the Zone," hoping to pique her curiosity so that we would go down there together. "What kind?" she asked. Wow, I thought, she is mentoring me. This is a mentor's question, getting the student to think about species identification. "Mainly tree frogs, " I said, "and some leopard frogs."

"Oh," she said. "I want a green frog." She paused. "And toads. . . . they are my favorite."

She's four years old and knows the frogs. Awesome.

We Set A Record

2008-08-31T08:08:00.002-04:00

We set a record in Albemarle County with the number of liens on our property. Our closing date was set to be July 31, a Thursday, and move-in was that day, too. We had business in New England the week previous, and we knew that something was not quite right when we began to get emails from the settlement lawyer about the title. The first title we saw had about 5 liens, all filed from subcontractors who had not gotten paid by Church Hill. By the time we went to settle, there were 19 liens on the property, a record in Albemarle County. Bill Tucker, our most excellent settlement attorney worked his legal butt off the get that title clean as a whistle, because not only were there liens for people who were owed money, there were conditions that required Church Hill to get signatures from subcontractors who had not filed liens saying they would never file liens. Church Hill had to go around and get signatures in July when many people were on vacation, and well, the delay was intense.

I was still in New England when Bret called me and said, "I just had a conversation with our lawyer that a new home owner never wants to have." I had those conversations, too. Bill Tucker started calling us the Belvedere Poster Child, and amid threats that we were not going to close, we persevered. It was difficult though. But once the papers were signed and filed, Bret and I finally could relax and really be in our home.

Now, the second home owner has moved in to Belvedere. Church Hill properties in Belvedere have been bought by Eagle and new energy is flowing into the project. Things are moving in many different ways. Our esteemed realtor, Jim Duncan, says, "Belvedere will survive." It may be awhile, but I think Belvedere will thrive. Just watch.

We Have Met the Future

2008-08-14T06:53:00.003-04:00

And it is us, to paraphrase an old saying.

Two recent articles in major newspapers about "development" could be about Belvedere.

Gas Prices Apply the Brakes to Suburban Migration

and

Gas prices drive push to reinvent America's suburbs

These say that urban development with businesses and residences are the wave of the future, Belvedere just adds Earthcraft homes, green space, community and organic garden, soccer fields, and cool nature-based activities.

"There's Still Money"

2008-08-02T16:41:00.002-04:00

Here are more answers to questions from people, and the big message is, There Is Still Money. If you are concerned about whether or not Belvedere is floundering, don't worry about your investment. Things have had to change somewhat, with staff and timeline changes, but the big message is all is well (or better than well, actually, Great!)

Stonehaus Development Manage LJ Lopez came and spent time with me yesterday, the day after move-in and explained a few things. It is easy to look at this unfinished place and see a project not complete or threatening to fail, but actually the opposite is true. Here are few explanations, as I understand them:

The Storm Water Park is still going to happen, but the drainage will look raw for awhile. There is a large sediment catchment area because there is huge run-off from the lots that don't have sod. Actually Josh Goldschmidt explained the value of sod to me yesterday. So, just take a deep breath and look beyond the muddy water to the tree lined path beside the levels of water and small fountains in the Stonehaus plans. That is still online for the neighborhood.

As is the Civic Core, and Belvedere's commitment to the community and the arts. The Civic Core includes the Village Green, where this fall there will be several events. SOCA is in process and committed to building the indoor facility. The other parts of the Core include the Town Hall and the Montessori School, all still planned and in the queue for building. The residents of Belvedere are going to be, in part, responsible for the programs and what is going to happen on the Village Green but I know Stonehaus is planning on music and movies. And after talking with people interested in living in Belvedere, there will be many more interesting things that might happen here.

The Organic Garden is still going to happen, and Stonehaus is going to send out more information about that this fall. They want to wait to promote until the gardeners get in there and begin to "do something" (as it was explained to me), and actually, that garden amenity has turned out better than they anticipated.

I am unsure about the Retail and Commercial Space, more the timeline than the content. I am reassured that there are many interested parties who want to support that space. We just need to move down the timeline a bit.

For those of you who came out and talked with me about the plans (not just LJ), I thank you for your honesty. LJ in particular made it clear that Stonehaus will stay with the process and will not abandon the project, and wants to more of a presence than most "development companies." I imagine that many a development firm who would want to be a part of something like Belvedere. So Belvedere remains the green gem it was designed to be, and there are peaks and valleys within the process of making it real. (Sometimes the peaks and valleys can occur on the same day, my hat off to you Churchill and Hauser for staying solid.) I have definitely felt those peaks and valleys, and bear witness to what this time in our history is doing to the perspective of so many people.

My advice to those reading the blog interested in buying a home here is to talk with many people, particularly Josh Goldschmidt, Greg Slator, my realtor, Jim Duncan, and any of the pioneer families here. This is an urban design that doesn't have much precedent.

As yes, I'm Still Tracking! And I was just down near the Zone yesterday. I am into my third season on the land here. There is someone caretaking down there, I saw the chain saw work. The floodplain vegetation is higher than myself. I just felt so grateful. Having lived connected to land, I know that it takes years to get to know and understand its patterns. I will be full circle here next winter (February), and then I can start to map and identify species and patterns. It takes time. As I ran by the field, a deer jumped into the path ahead of me, out of a line of green reeds about 6 feet high. That place is rich with wildlife and plants, and I look forward to being in relationship with that more-than-human world.

First Day in the House

2008-08-02T15:57:00.004-04:00

Well, the first days in the house have been interesting. Move-in Day was long and dramatic, with a hustle at the last minute to get all the boxes off the truck before the staff went into overtime. Then came the collapse and the glass of wine and the deep breath. Those who have moved know that it takes a lot of work. My mother was here, bless her soul, to help with cooking and childcare while Bret and I pushed boxes around. There is a short punch list that will get looked at this week but the house is beautiful. My favorite room in the house is the front porch, or the cool space as Stonehaus calls it.

I also can't wait to make the yard my own. I have a preliminary plan that I carry around in my head, one bigger than the design handed into Stonehaus for preliminary approval. I am just back from New England where I visited the gardens of Dave Jacke permaculture assistant George Leoniak. (George is also an extremely gifted and hardworking animal tracker. We have a tentative plan to have him come to the area next spring to help me launch the Charlottesville Area Tracking Society). More on the yard and its design in a separate blog. The sod is necessary and we are all afraid it will die in the August heat, so we are watering and nursing it like it was a newborn calf.

Then Channel 29 came to do the interview for the news. That was fun! Thank you so much Christina Mora for the story on Belvedere. So many people want to know, How is it? It is wonderful to be "at home," and be able to start the process of making this house my space. The construction noise is not loud and the crews are friendly. When I look around Belvedere, I see the finished place in my mind's eye. I don't dwell on what it isn't, I groove on what it is going to be. Now that I am in my house, I know that different levels of settling are going to occur, and my projects are going to take off. The garage office is looking great, better than I expected, so I hope to be open for business next week! I will post pictures, soon. I have been hanging out with my neighbors who will be moving in soon, this month and next. We are planning the welcoming parties! I just came from the open house next door where the realtors have been busy meeting with clients. More lots have been sold and more phone calls are coming in since the houses have started going up.

I remember six months ago on a cold windy morning, we stood on our lot with Josh Goldschmidt and Jim Duncan, and Josh said to me, "You've got to like people if you are going to live here."
And I said, "Woohoo, let's get started!" (and we still have red mud stains in our van from that trip!). That was not so long ago, and now see what is here. I'll repeat what I said to people, yes, I am happy, I am excited, and I am ready to work to make Belvedere what the developers outlined to me over the last year as I expressed interest in being a homeowner and a business owner. Watching the changes in the staff of Stonehaus and witnessing what the builders have had to go through to make things happen was a little anxiety provoking, but I have received many assurances that things are going to stay on track. Stonehaus and Churchill have extended themselves to make me feel at home and confident. I thank you!

Since the newstory last night, people have been streaming into Belvedere. Bret and I have been fielding questions from passers-by. It's been awesome. Don't hesitate to ask us questions about the process if you see us out and about. I've been asked to write about being here at different intervals, so stay tuned.

Children, Nature and the Belvedere Potential

2008-07-29T07:32:00.004-04:00

I have said I am a somatic practitioner (massage, craniosacral therapy) and I specialize in working with families, children, and babies. I have a lot of somatic skills and can work with just about anything that comes in my treatment room (Jim, would you call this Shameless Self Promotion? Feels a little strange to be explaining myself). But another part of my work is working in nature with children and families.

When I first met Bob Hauser, he said that he had a vision of creating a neighborhood where children are inspired to get off the couch and out into nature. It was a vision of returning childhood to what he remembered it was, where children played outside. He said his children are his inspiration. Well, I just had to hold onto the table because I thought I was going to fall out of my seat. Creating programs for families and children so they can connect to nature is part of my mission here, and I have the perfect place to do it in the Zone. You can see about my work with children on in the slide show on my old website. (My new website coming soon).

I am planning several nature based programs for Belvedere, one called the Green Hour that will start in the fall with nature games, songs, and stories on the Village Green. More to come for sure, as things build and blossom. Just after I move in, I am going to spend time with my favorite all time nature practitioner Martin Maudsley from the UK. He has created a movement in the UK called Playwork. See about the conference.

Meet Martin Maudsley and the programs that inspire me

Hear a recent BBC podcast about children and nature.

I am trained by a lot of different naturalists. But more about that later!

Belvedere amenities, the trails and the Zone, the outdoors spaces and its values include this very basic and necessary part of being outside, connected to nature and to other people. Bravo Bob Hauser! Let's make this come true.

The Felt Sense of Home

2008-07-28T06:32:00.003-04:00

We are nearing move in date. It has been scheduled for this Thursday, with some things starting to be moved in on Wednesday. The house shines like a jewel, and John Garvey of Piedmont Landscaping is installing the beginnings of my permaculture garden today. I will be making additions to the garden starting immediately. So me, the yard person, the land person, the one who connects with the vision of Belvedere has fallen in love with house. Never in my life did I expect to live in such a place. It is the smallest house on the block, but it feels like a palace to me.

Bret and I have not blogged much these past weeks, engaging with summertime and the kids in a big way. I received a membership to Fairview Swim Club with my home purchase, and we have been at the pool. But we have both participated highly in the house construction, going everyday to observe and make finishing touches. With each trip to the house and the land, I notice a rise in anticipation and a range of sensations that mostly revolved around a familiar ache. Every tree now becomes familiar, and the vision of the sun on the grass on the turn around the bend to Belvedere creates a cascade of feelings.

I am a somatic therapist, and I know how consciousness includes the body in memory and the present moment, co-creating with the mind, a person's reality. I am also a tracker. So, the exercise of creating a home to the finest detail has been excruciatingly delightful, a combination of arousal, hope, love, and fear. I track the sensations in my own self, following them down to ends of the nerves as I track the red fox to the Zone.

One thing about home, is that there can be some pieces out of my control. Well, more than some pieces, maybe life in general. I have certainly given this my all but am old enough now to know that things don't always turn out as planned. So, here are some answers to a few questions people have been asking:

How's it going? It's been great, are you kidding? Yes, the downturn in the economy has slowed things down but this has been an awesome experience.

What's it like, being the first home owner? We are little concerned about being there with no other families on the land, surrounded by empty homes. But other families are coming in soon. Two more in August, and another in September, and then more coming during the year. I am looking forward to meeting them.

But aren't you going to be living in a construction zone? What is that going to be like for you? I have to say that with this project, I feel like I have inherited a bunch of brothers. From the house painter on the ladder to that little guy who has been painting my interior to Josh Goldschmidt who is owns Churchill to Bill Hammerick who wrote my mortgage to the guys toting bricks, and the electricians who patiently rewired my great room after I took out the office there, to John Garvey who did not know what to think of me when I said NO to holly bushes, please, I want something different (who knows what he REALLY thinks of me) to Greg Slater who helps immensely with every detail, to Jim Duncan who actually opened the door and introduced me to Belvedere to all those guys at Stonehaus, wow, it has been great. And I think of them when I enter Belvedere and I am so grateful. AND there are sisters on the path, Clay Green of Churchill has also endured interior changes and dealing with the different personalities of Bret and I (who really wants to be between a husband and wife in the homebuilding process? That's Clay Green for you), and of course, the ultimate Fierce Woman, Pam who is Stonehaus's supervisor on site.

Aren't Hauser and Churchill and Stonehaus all going broke and filing for bankruptcy? NO. They are simply reorganizing and downsizing. This has been a difficult time for everyone, but sales are still happening in Belvedere. This project has get loads of traffic on open house days, Thursday through Sunday. It gets loads of traffic other days, too. Lots of people come walking through to see the house sites. And we'll permanently be there soon, sitting on the front porch, sipping our ice tea! Feel free to say hi if you see us there, and ask more questions!

Okay, more answers to questions later. Move in day is coming and I have got some packing to do. Also, I am jonesing for the Zone. The forest is calling my name.

See ya!

Too good to keep hidden in the comments:

2008-06-24T16:39:00.003-04:00

...We feel very strongly that the Belvedere neighborhood will be, truly, THE development that will change the way Albemarle approaches development over the next decades. I have a master's degree in planning, and I'm continually amazed at the fact that so much of what the developer and builders are doing is *right* from a planning, environmental and new urbanist perspective...

That's our feeling also and what sustains us as the project gets off the ground. But right now, each passing day brings so many good changes that I can't help but feel that we're over a hump and that it won't be long before many others decide to live in Belvedere also.

Photo Progress Update

2008-06-20T01:36:00.005-04:00

Exterior is just about done. We've gotten nice comments on Kate's color choices. The man in the white shirt is Rick, the construction manager. He's a great guy and just exudes competence and good humor. Even though we caused him to redo some work under the tight deadline (our fault totally) he has been right on top of things and we're grateful to have him in charge.

Wood floors are in, trim is next.

Our neighbors' houses are going up. Right next door is still unsold but the others are taken.

Across the street work has started on one of the houses with basements. It is starting to feel cozy and neighborhood-like now.

And everywhere work is going on - sidewalks poured, trees planted, etc.

The Ednam is move-in ready. It is stunning inside.

The initial vision of a neighborhood with front porches and sidewalks is becoming reality.

On a nearby street Hauser Homes has started construciton on the townhomes.

Zoned

2008-06-01T07:53:00.024-04:00

Two recent trips to the Zone revealed its richness in track and sign, and species. Here are series of pictures. They don't include the newborn fawn found by Chris Schooley, and the little red fox seen by the Harris family as they explored the Zone.

First set: On this very sunny Wednesday tracking afternoon, the two boys, Nick and William, and I travel down to the Zone with Chris Schooley and Nate Cunningham of Stonehaus. They have a little device along to measure how far the trails are down to and within the Zone. It is a little orange wheel on a stick. We stop every half a mile so Nate can mark a tree; he is creating a running trail for Belvedereans. I tell the two boys we need to teach these grown men about tracking, and they are pleased to be charged with such a sacred duty. The five of us set off:

The road to the Zone, down the sewer line.

Just to illustrate the richness for animal trackers, the next series of photos illustrate several animal species in the mud at the entrance to the Zone down on the flood plane. It takes about 15 or 20 minutes to walk down the sewer line to get to the Zone:

Raccoon, or as Chris tells me, 'Coon. (you're in Virginia now, he says, speak Virginian)

The smallest deer footprints ever, probably those of the baby fawn we saw during our walk with Chris and Nate.

Red Fox prints, hard to make out but you can clearly see one print. Almost a direct register, this animal is in a baseline gait.

Squirrel or Raccoon?

The kids play in the mud, a great "loose parts" experience for good brain development!

The Frog experiences in the Zone are extraordinary . The next series are about tree frogs, and at one point, we emerge into a living carpet of the tiniest frogs, hundreds of them, that have emerged from a large puddle. Bret tried to capture it with the camera, but there was no way to relay the incredible experience of being surrounded by frogs smaller than a penny.

This gray tree frog thinks we don't see him. Nick saw him! This frog's survival strategy is to blend in with its surroundings. Doesn't he look like a leaf or a piece of bark? We undoubtedly caught him in mid stride going from one green spot to another.

We come across a kill site, an opossum, or 'possum, as Chris informs me. The Big Mac of the forest, says Chris.

There is some scat at the site. Either Wild Dog or Coyote has come this way. The tracks are plentiful and Bret and I engage in the kind of discussion I love around a track. Dog tracks are wider than coyote. Coyote tracks have a tell-tale round heel pad. But what about the X you can see in the track? says Bret. The track is too wide for coyote, I say. But doesn't mud make tracks expand? asks Bret. Well, yes. Look at the nails, they are so close together! Anyway, it could go on and on. Makes me want to go tracking right now!

We head on down the path to the river.

There are two great places to hang out next to the river, one with a small set of rapids (or falls):

And one with a rocky beach that would make a great fishing hole, and swimming place, too:

The boys (big and small) skips stones. The Big Boys Mentor the Smaller Boys in how to do it, a quintessential boyhood moment. We need more of those these days, as childhood is so changed from what it used to be.

If you head around the path beyond the turn up to go back along the railroad tracks, you can access to railroad bridge. Here is a photo of Chris and Nate:

Two Developers on the Right Track

In Every Great Story

2008-05-30T11:10:00.003-04:00

Frank Stoner, this entry is for you.

In every great story, there are trials and tribulations. There are hardships, and in the best stories, there is transformation. Personally, I like humor, too. Laughter makes everything better. But, there are always trials, and FEAR. The heros and heroines overcome obstacles and do impossible things.

In The Jumping Mouse, there is a place where Jumping Mouse must cross the plain, and this is the hardest place for the little mouse because he is most vulnerable. Even with the cover of the buffalo who said he would protect him, it was hard for that little mouse to be out from under cover, open to attack from birds of prey. In that situation, you had little warning that something was about to strike, so there is a state of vigilance and readiness that is garnered, for protection sake. It takes a lot of energy to be vigilant.

In the Belvedere story, there are some great elements. One of them surely is transformation, taking a concept and making it real, committing to something "sustainable" and "wholistic" is certainly different than many "developments." There are some untold parts of the story that I know that tell me there was a before and after moment at the beginning of the story, one of transformation. Then there is excitement with the vision and the beginning of the journey to the mountain (or in this case, this mixed use neighborhood), and then there are the trials and tribulations. We are on the plain now, and perhaps we are all feeling a little vigilant, a little vulnerable.

I don't presume to know how real estate developers think. I am sure it is not so idealistic as the story of the Jumping Mouse. But consider life action as metaphor for something greater. Perhaps no eye will be sacrificed, Frank Stoner, but certainly, something was and something is. And those in the middle of the great story often can't see its greatness.

This is still a great story (even though I am accused of being too positive and also, affected by Urban Philosophy). This is real and represents change.

Keep going, Jumping Mouse.

Now It's Our Turn

2008-05-30T11:01:00.004-04:00

Like in most construction, there are times when you just need to redo something. Bret's design of the office on the first floor with the diagonal island in the kitchen just didn't work. We had to scratch it after the sheet rock went up. We now have a completely open area and a rectangular kitchen island with three stools to sit at it. Bret has a work nook.

I had to redo the small garage to be a bit bigger to accommodate my work, a good temporary space until I can rent an office from Stonehaus in the Core or the Town Center. It was a little expensive and it was our fault for not really translating what was on paper to a real functioning space. I want to encourage people to go and visit the Belvedere houses, ours included and stand in the spaces and feel what they are like. We are often there after hours and love to chat with people who have questions. There will be a June 14th barbeque for those who want to come out. It should be fun! We will be there in the afternoon.

Edible Landscape

2008-05-30T06:25:00.016-04:00

"Not many people are doing this," said Terry, when I began to ask questions about what plants go with what trees to produce the best edible garden. Different plants nurture the soil in ways that support specific trees in a good way. Okay great, I think, pioneer again. I guess I am just going to have accept this pattern. It is fun to bushwhack, but it can get tiring.

Terry takes me to Edible Landscaping off of Rt 151 in Afton, VA to look at possibilities for my garden, starting with the edible hedge and the first stage of the garden with fruit trees. I feel like I have lots of space in my garden, thanks to my small garage choice and the corner lot. We are planning on one rain barrel. Terry's partner Bryan Buckley tells us that our roof pitch and space will produce 600 gallons of water per one inch of rain! Wow! We are starting with one rain barrel, but Terry floats the idea of "cistern" into Belvedere plans. A community "rain barrel." Well, that idea might be a future project.

We have planned small raised bed with a little pond, small sandbox in the southern corner, with a Dwarf Mulberry. We are calling this space the "Child Zone," and I can see this place easily in my mind, having had one in Vermont. Iris, Lamb's Ear, Sweet William, Lillies of different kinds. Lavender perhaps and some annuals. This picture is a mature dwarf mulberry with Terry in the hiding space under the leaves. Perfect for the children.

Here is a picture of the little pond space I had that I want recreate in my Belvedere yard. The children love it.

We also choose an espalier apple tree for the garage wall, under the stairs:

We have also chosen and Asian Persimmon and an Edible Dogwood:

The edible hedge is a bit of a puzzle for me. Our first pick is a type of current.

Other features in the yard include beds for vegetables and an herb spiral:

Along the way we meet permaculture landscaper Pierre who, when told what I was doing, exclaims, "I have been doing this 40 years and now, just when I am about to die, it is starting to be done!" He is very funny!

There are many options to make this garden full and functional. Stay tuned! For prospective buyers, you get a $4000 allowance for landscaping. We are starting with the landscape design of raised beds and berms for trees, fence, and current hedge. So much to do, and I am patient and excited.

The last bit I have planned is a Forest Garden to the north for the front of the house. This special small bed will include Cohosh, Solomon Seal, Dutchman's Breeches, Virginia Bluebell. Trillium, and whoever else wants to come a live in that little space. These small green plants, and the Tulip Poplar called me back to Virginia.

More to come!

Just a coincidence?

2008-05-22T14:49:00.002-04:00

Found on the sidewalk in front of the house today:

Kinda scary, but in a good way :)

ps: I am assured by Stonehaus that the balloon is biodegradable. Nice touch.

Aerial Photo of Belvedere Site at cville.com

2008-05-20T10:11:00.002-04:00

Last week's "Red Dirt Alert" in cville.com features an aerial photo of Belvedere. Read it here: "Green to red to "green" at Belvedere"

Clotheslines and Solar

2008-05-13T12:00:00.004-04:00

A reader asked about whether Belvedere, like many developments, would have restrictions on line drying and solar power/water heating. Call it an opportunity to see where the rubber meets the road: would Stonehaus follow through on their commitment to sustainable design and living, or would pressures of home values and appearance win the day?

Here's their answer:

Clotheslines: Our permaculturist/landscaper asked Stonehaus directly about clotheslines in a landscaping meeting we had with them and the answer was that they are fine. My guess is they might be discouraged in the front yard, but like everything else, if properly located they would add a "homelike" feel to the community as well as being practical and Good for the Earth.

Solar: "Absolutely! Someone is putting solar panels on his house and we agreed this was a great opportunity to celebrate the panels. A lot of 'subdivisions' would want to hide them, we think it will add something to the streetscape if they are tastefully visible."

Patterns, Eology, and the Garden

2008-05-12T06:00:00.007-04:00

We are poring over the books that our permaculture gardener, Terry Lilley has loaned us: Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway, The Integral Urban House by Helgo Olkowski, et. al. and of course, The Edible Forest, (2 vols.) by Dave Jacke. The design process is fun, and also, serious. Dave Jacke has written hundreds and hundreds of pages. Wow! Bret and I want to make the garden useful and right. Then, I read the chapter in Jacke's 2nd volume on A Forest Garden Pattern Language and I remember the first time I met with Stonehaus to discuss our involvement.

We sat at a series of tables put together in a horseshoe shape around a screen on a wall. I was fairly concerned that the developers were going to do what they proposed, this green development that included nature, and one that included community and health, especially of children. Bret and I came from an experiment of community building in Vermont around the notion of sustainability and community, nature and cultural health. It was a community particularly devoted to the future generations. It wasn't the best experience. So, I was very pointy with the staff.

There was this young guy there, a member of the development staff, who asked me some pretty interesting questions. Most people aren't that curious about what I do for a living, but this guy had some experience with my profession, and also had some interesting ideas. He said to me: Are you familiar with Christopher Alexander? No, I said. He wrote a book called A Pattern Language, he said. This philosophy influenced Belvedere's design. Well, I went and read that book so I would understand what he meant. Originally written in the 1970's, Christopher Alexander and his friends observed and analyzed development of home and community in many cultures and came up with a list of elements that he called patterns that could be used to create great places to live. This huge list could be considered building archetypes. Alexander examined what worked and what didn't work based on these patterns.

Dave Jacke writes about the same thing, only with regard to the garden. His patterns come up with ecologically sound and functional ways to plant, grow and enjoy a sustainable garden. Best patterns generate a sense of aliveness, he says, and patterns solve problems. I am particularly struck by three points that I think can be applied to anything. When designing, Jacke advises:

1. If you find yourself in a garden or other place that "works," (feels good), define the physical features of the place worth abstracting. What makes it so special? What is the essence that makes the place work so well?

2. Define the problem the pattern solves or the field of forces this pattern resolves.

3. Define the contexts where this problem or field of forces exists, and where this problem might therefore be useful.

This little bit has given me immense food for thought. I work to help resolve patterns that don't serve people. I start with the prenatal period. I work with couples who are expecting first, then assist in the birthing process, and catch the family on the otherside, educating, resolving, supporting, encouraging health in the system of the family. That is what I do for a living. I think Belvedere is a pattern that can help resolve the real estate development problems of our time, and apparently there are others out there who think the same thing (Reid Ewing). I want my garden to reflect this health in the system, what is possible, and what is alive. It all feels right to me.

Shift Happens

2008-05-11T09:05:00.003-04:00

Sunday's Daily Progress published an article about how development needs to shift toward mixed use neighborhoods: Author: Huge shift in development needs to happen

"Communities in the Charlottesville region and elsewhere, (Reid Ewing) said, ought to have housing, schools, workplaces, shops and recreational opportunities all within walking or bicycling distance. Smart planning, he said, can cut the amount that residents drive by up to 40 percent." This is exactly what Belvedere is about, adding nature and wellness into the package. Right on!

Okay. In the field of craniosacral theray, we have a saying: "shift happens." Only in most cases, the shift needs a fulcrum to allow the change. Fulcrum: "a: the support about which a lever turns b: one that supplies capability for action" from Webster's Dictionary. Belvedere design and concept provided by the team at Stonehaus development is the fulcrum in this case, and successful projects like Belvedere will provide fulcrum for the field of real estate development to shift.

I have many friends who live at the grass roots in straw bale homes and/or other sustainibility concepts. They don't necessarily see Belvedere as sustainable because of the price of the homes. But I say, we have to start somewhere. This mix use neighborhood is the beginning of a new and necessary way of living, according to Reid Ewing. Things will shift even more in our lifetime. And when people complain, I say, I have faith in the human world to apply their adaptability and creativity to overcome, and invite others to consider what is possible instead of criticizing and complaining.

Landscaping and Tall Grasses

2008-05-05T14:53:00.006-04:00

I was coming out of Belvedere the other day when there was some moderate gusty wind. The grasses are getting long on the berms next to the road and I stopped for a few minutes and enjoyed the visual play of the movement that was created. I recall one of our first meetings with Stonehaus when they described the landscaping they intended to do in the public areas like the entrance. They talked about having longer grasses and native species rather than the typical sod/short-cropped grass.

We were told this would not only require less watering and mowing, but an important aspect was also the visual play and movement that would be created as the wind rustled the grasses...

It works, beautifully. Like watching the facets of EarthCraft certified construction as the house is being built it is one thing to hear talk about sustainable and beautiful landscaping, and another thing to see it in action.

What's Most Important

2008-05-05T07:08:00.004-04:00

In case you forget what is most important, this came in from Jim Duncan (who runs the blog RealCentralVa.com).

Raising Eco-Minded Children

Green Landscape

2008-05-04T07:57:00.004-04:00

Fig Trees!

She said fig trees.

I am sitting with my gardener, or maybe she should be called a Green Landscaper. I had just drawn out our plot with house and land on a piece of paper, and then marked the sun exposures. She said that fig trees would do very well there. Wow, that idea takes me back to when I was traveling in France and tasted my first fresh fig. Omygosh, the possibilities.

Terry Lilley is a permaculture expert, having received her certificate in 2007. Her work and life was featured in Abode in July 2007: "The house on green street - One Charlottesville couple goes green, ground-up".

I want an edible garden and together we are designing it. She starts by saying to me: Choose a fruit tree and then we can support that tree with different guilds of plants. She asks a lot of questions about what is allowed at Belvedere:

Can you compost?
Can you have rain barrels?

I pass those questions on to Stonehaus. There are some rules in Belvedere. We need an "edge." It can be green, they tell me. Terry says, you can have blueberry bushes, and I see a long line of bushes and many dollar signs. Yes, she says, think of your budget. Uh oh.

You can grow up, she says to me, pointing to trellises on her land for flowers and vegetables. You don't need a lot of land to grow in a sustainable way.

The first thing, she says, is to make the soil healthy by adding compost, lots of it. That means huge piles of manure. Oh boy. Okay.

We are meeting with landscape designers at Stonehaus on Tuesday.

The Feeling of Home

2008-05-04T07:41:00.003-04:00

When I arrived in Charlottesville, I felt I was home. I grew up here and the Blue Ridge has always represented home to me. Now, three months later, I am realizing more about the felt sense of home. I am a somatic specialist trained to track sensations in myself and others. I am aware now that it takes time to "feel" at home. There is the sense of being in a place that registers in my bones. I become more aware of my own structure as I relate to those structures around me.

Watching our new home take shape before my eyes is an experience I have never had, not from scratch, much less a whole community of trees, plants, people, houses, businesses. I have built additions and renovated old spaces. There is a wonderment about it. I want that feeling of being at home, the familiarity of my own space and the ache that comes with not being there. If this ache had a sound it would be a creaky door or step. Out on the land, I feel held and received. There is this pressure on my back that feels comforting and an openness to the front that says I am supported there. Yet, I crave the rhythm and the flow of knowing and being in a place, of being able to greet the same trees and the same people everyday, and the familiarity of my own territory.

When I decided to move to Virginia, another tracker said something like this to me: "Get used to where you are on the landscape (meaning, find yourself a home), and remember that sometimes it will be shady and sometimes it will be sunny. You can move into the sun and then chase the sunny spots as the sun moves over the land, or you can just get used to the shady spots and remember that no matter where you go, sometimes it will be sunny and sometimes it will be shady." Meaning: Sometimes life is good and sometimes life is not so good. Get used to it.

He was right, and Vermont was not where I wanted to be. Here, now, I know this is right. I travel a lot in my work, going in and out of communities in lots of neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. and other cities. I know this design and concept is right for me. I feel it in my bones, a firm but elastic supportive structure. I can't wait to move in.

Red Fox Tracks at Belvedere

2008-05-01T01:07:00.006-04:00

There is something wonderful about the red clay behind the homesites. It is like a slate that is constantly refreshed, and on it is drawn the record of the wildlife that lives near us. There are always deer tracks, but it is exciting to find nice fox tracks. Here is a photo showing the distinctive chevron the heel pad of the foot makes, one of the things that can help identify it as a fox track and not just some small dog. The fox is moving right to left, although the toes are not as clear as the heel.

Here's a visual aid to see what I am talking about when I mean toe pads and "chevron":

Here is another close up of a track going the same direction. The clay here is a bit harder and only the toe pads and the chevron show up clearly. The claws are not showing in these pictures, although they are commonly visible; that is a good way to be sure that these delicate tracks were not made by a fox and not a member of the cat family.

Clicking on most of the images will bring up a larger version in a new window or tab. That may make it easier to see the things I am talking about.

Our son has done a Science Fair project on tracks; he made plaster casts of deer, raccoon and fox prints. We're thrilled he enjoys this also.

Photo Progress Update

2008-05-01T00:27:00.010-04:00

Here's a change I mentioned earlier - the dormers originally went to the peak of the roof:

They have been redone so they come into the roof a little lower. It is a small change overall, but I think results in a much improved look:

Nice to see the house with the windows. The garage is going up now, and the ductwork and electricity is being run, as well as the Modern Home Systems "future-proof" data and entertainment wiring.

I stopped by on the first (rainy) weekend of the EarthCraft home tour and saw the insulation going into the model homes. The first photo is of an exterior wall, with the recycled newspaper insulation. Jamie Spence of Church Hill Homes explained that it is sort of "poured" in wet into the wall openings, with a form held against the studs and moved up as the insulation dries. The foam at the top prevents heat loss through the area of the ends of the joists, where it is difficult to apply conventional insulation. There is also foam (not seen here) applied where the exterior wallboard meets to prevent air and heat loss there.

There is also foam applied around where pipes come through the walls and ceiling...

...and even where wires come through also.

There is foam or caulk at all the window and door openings, and even between studs on the exterior wall. I was impressed.
Here's a look at the crawlspace, where the rigid insulation is foam sealed at the joints as well:

It is one thing to read about the EarthCraft specification and another to see it as it is actually applied.

Charlottesville Tomorrow

2008-05-01T00:07:00.003-04:00

As a soon-to-be Belvedere resident I am trying to keep up with county developments that will affect the project. I am interested in news about: the Meadowcreek Parkway (bike paths, PLEASE!), the SOCA soccer facililty at Belvedere, recycling, water supply, and so on.

I can't imagine a better place to have a permanent link to (or subscription to the RSS feed) than the Charlottesville Tommorow News site and main blog. Current articles cover all the above topics:

Meadowcreek Parkway interchange issues and utility relocation.

SOCA field approvals and recommendations from the Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission.

County-city collaboration on recycling

Well, you get the idea. The sheer amount of time and effort that is put into this site is phenomenal, and it is a great opportunity to inform yourself as things are being discussed. It is information you really don't usually get until some project or decision is completed and then it makes the news.

The Dreaded HOA Document...Not!

2008-04-12T20:36:00.006-04:00

Well, there I was with the nicely bound final copy of the Belvedere Neighborhood Association Disclosure Packet. Here is the document that could codify everything that I might hate about living in a planned community, yet I feel...pleased. In there are pages of little stipulations about how Belvedere will be managed, from trash pickup to maintenance of the alleys and common spaces, etc. Yet overall I come away with a feeling that this is basically a sensible document.

As I told our realtor, Jim Duncan (RealCentralVa.com), if you want to move to Belvedere and put up a geodesic dome it probably isn't the place for you. But overall the restrictions do not appear too onerous and seem more in line with keeping Belvedere an attractive place to live. For instance, in many Agreements there is a clause that toys, bicycles, etc must be picked up and out of sight each evening. I flinched when I started to read the same thing in this document, but the wording has been subtly changed to have things put away when they are not being used for "an extended period of time". Small change in wording, big change in intent.

And then there are the pages that describe the "feel" of Belvedere. While some may view this as excessive control over what their houses can look like, I view it as an attempt to keep a sense of reality in the construction, as opposed to the "faux everything" look I see all over the place in developments that have sprouted up over the last 5 years or so:

From the Document: "Shutters are to be full-operational. Vinyl shutters are not allowed". I say Amen to that! Then there are the pages of guidelines around landscaping which stress minimal impact (yes, I am aware of the extensive impact of the initial clearing and grading) and native species.

I think the heart of the matter is the attempt to create a successful neighborhood by balancing planning and controls with "differentness". Belvedere acknowledges they are trying to do "in a few years what in the past took several decades".

I experienced this firsthand when we visited a development in Chapel Hill, NC called Southern Village. When it was first built I detested the place. Now that it has matured somewhat and the trees and landscaping has introduced some variety to the look I feel less strongly yet there is still in inescapable "sameness" about the place due partly to the fact that all the houses are lined up exactly the same distance from the street. In Belvedere I know that construction was actually held up for a time because the developers insisted on being able to place houses at different places on the lots, rather than have a fixed setback.

As Josh Goldschmidt of Church Hill Homes told me, Stonehaus is actually encouraging what they call "dysfunctional" aspects to the community. Although the word may seem alarming, what it means here is that Belvedere will reflect in some ways the human experience: life isn't all straight lines and perfectly manicured lawns. Our lives are somewhat...messy, and our communities feel better when they reflect that, at least to some extent.

Be An Active Participant

2008-04-12T20:11:00.002-04:00

As Kate mentioned, we have found some issues with the construction of our house. Nothing major, and nothing that hasn't been immediately and graciously handled by Church Hill Homes. In fact the lessons that come from this are worth far more then any detailed explanation of what we noticed:

It's your house - take an active role in making it what you really want. This absolutely includes watching the construction as often as you can (without getting in anyone's way of course!) Only by keeping an eye out on all steps of the construction process will you catch problems and avoid (almost) all misunderstandings. And things found early are generally easily corrected, or a solution can be found that will satisfy everyone, as some changes are unavoidable.

Be flexible. In our case, if construction had been completed without changes I would still be very pleased with the house. That's because we had chosen several things that we really cared about and made sure those things were understood by everyone at the start to be high priority items. For other things we can tolerate a fair amount of variability, and we make it clear that the builders can do whatever makes the most sense to them.

There's a saying somewhere that I can't recall but will paraphrase: It is easy to look good when everything is going well. True character is shown by how things are handled when everything isn't completely smooth. I will continue to keep a close eye on construction, but I have full confidence in the integrity of Church Hill Homes.

Being a Pioneer

2008-04-12T08:54:00.005-04:00

I love being a pioneer in Belvedere, but as is often the case, mistakes are made with the first one. I find it hard to complain though because I am so happy and hopeful. Bret and I hover over the house to make sure it is being built true to our vision. Actually, Bret hovers over the house. Good thing, too, because some mistakes have been made. Each time, though, Churchill has been gracious. Greg Slater (a.k.a. The Closer or The Luckiest New House Salesman on the Planet) explains, It's because you are pioneers. The mistakes always have silver lining for me. Maybe Bret can shed more light on that.

Storytellers of old were the conscience of the people. The West Africa griots that drew me to Africa over 20 years ago taught me that praise is much more powerful than criticism. Praise singing inspired the people. If you did right, your song was sung, and that is how I operate. If errors were made, storytellers found really positive ways to bring things back into balance. This is what I studied in college and what I try and practice. At the heart of things, I am a storyteller, one who knows the power of the story and its function.

Stonehaus, my story for you is The Jumping Mouse. It is a story of hope, vision, daring, sacrifice, tenacity, and magic. That story is for you Bob Hauser, Frank Stoner, Drew Holzwarth, Chris Schooley, Nate Cunningham, Josh Goldshmidt. You are the Jumping Mouse.

Patterns, People, Trails and Tales

2008-04-12T07:44:00.006-04:00

I am out on the land in Belvedere again, but this time with two grown men as opposed to the 9 year old boys I usually track with. And this time, we are not tracking, we are trailing. Rivanna trailing to be exact. Chris Schooley of Stonehaus is meeting with Dan Mahon of Albemarle Parks and Recreation to map out how trails in Dunlora will connect with trails in Belvedere, and then on into the Rivanna trail system and over to 29 north. It is pretty exciting and I am so happy to be asked to go along and excited to be outside, at least for a few hours, and in the company of such interesting people. I have to admit though, those guys are a lot bigger than the boys I usually track with so I end up feeling small, and my enthusiasm blends with my playful nature so that I feel like a kid. Maybe even like a puppy, my tail wagging all over the place. This is fun, fun, fun. And when the men begin to talk about landscape architecture I half listen and begin to scurry about, sniffing here and there, looking under leaves and for patterns on the land. They take me places I had not been before.

Earlier in the week, my son and I went tracking, looking for tracks to dig up for a presentation on animal tracking at his school. He held my hand most of the way, and talked and talked about all kinds of things. We found some excellent tracks but I really needed a shovel to get them up undisturbed. In the Zone, we walked all the way to the Rivanna River and stared at the small set of falls there. Lovely. This time in the Zone, what I saw most was how people used the land instead of animal track and sign. A few dirt bikes had been there recently, and what looked like a small woman with a big dog. The roads have huge ruts and the dirt has been disturbed from vehicle usage. Someone left their cooler. I don't know. I get a little upset by unconscious human use of land, so I noticed how somber I began to feel. My son noticed all the poison ivy. Some of the trails are quite steep, and my son balked. "Come on," I said, "Let's go down." "No Mom, don't go, it's too scary." "I'm tough!" I said, "I'm tougher than you, " I teased. That got him, and we laughed, slid and climbed up and down the steepest part of the trails.

But today, I am not sure exactly where we are going, all I know is that I am super pleased to be out and can just float in and out of the seriousness of the men as they talk and walk. We start out finding where the properties meet. Dan has a GPS unit and the men talk about when they were there before. Before Dan arrived, Chris pointed out landmarks to me on a topographic map, and we talked about the process of building Belvedere. Yes, the loss of trees is terrible for everyone, Chris and Stonehaus, too. Chris talked about the process of becoming a developer and making hard choices. That is a theme of the men's talk, too, and I hear how weary it can be to develop natural areas. Chris has had to make some hard choices, and since he is quite lovely, you can see his distress on his face and hear it in his voice. I have heard a lot of chatter about how terrible Stonehaus is for developing, but I challenge anyone who wants to follow that line of talk to stand in front of Chris and feel the truth of the process.

Dan Mahon is quite interesting. Even in the car before setting foot on the land we talk about patterns in the natural world. Dan tells story of his childhood in the Chesapeake and his ability to see wild asparagus against the tall grasses. Dan Asparagus Man. This guy has the eye! His stories are lovely, and I hear the specialness of his boyhood and know it is important and was perhaps the root of his adult success. Back then, people still wildcrafted for food, and Dan tells stories of going along with his papa, his father with a Budweiser in his lap, driving slow, looking for food in the wild places along the Chesapeake. Chris joins in with stories from his childhood, growing up on a farm in Augusta. But children don't roam the way they used to. Jim Duncan passed along an interesting link about the roaming patterns of children:
How children lost the right to roam in four generations.

I know these men represent the past and I am hoping that we can recreate at least some of their wilderness experience for children today, knowing that that wildness mixed in with their personalities to create the men they are.

We walk down an existing road and onto the flood plain into the magic of green grass, and then along the river, noticing beaver sign, river topography, frogs and toads. Chris and Dan talk about creating a put in for boats (canoes and kayaks) and maybe even a locker system for residents so that the boats can be stored there. Chris narrates the location of SOCA, and parking lots and bathrooms. Sounds so organized. We hike up the extremely steep road along the sewer line that will eventually, supposedly, become the road to SOCA. Dan talks about the trailhead.

Along the way, I gently prod Dan for stories. We have the same passion: how to embody indigenous ways of connecting with nature without appropriating native culture. He has been on the journey a long time. He tells tales of the Monacan people and how they used the land, some places near Belvedere. How do we teach the children to see the land in a good way, to find that sense of place that both men have that I know is part of the living fabric of their interior? Dan says, "Tell them that the landscape is like a blog." We all laugh. But, the landscape is not a blog, it is not linear, and is circular and three dimensional, and full of patterns.

We end our two hour walk standing on top of the Village Green. Chris narrates the design: a serpentine hill to observe the mountain ridge; tunnels for kids to hide and go through, boulders to climb on, and amphitheater for activities for families, and lots of trees. Chris also points out the trees Stonehaus has just planted, some 40 feet tall. Chris and Dan make a plan to do a presentation for National Trails Day in June. Sounds exciting.

Comments are Activated

2008-04-09T21:09:00.001-04:00

They won't be moderated, but we keep a pretty close eye on the blog so we look forward to seeing what you think.

What is an EarthCraft House?

2008-04-07T08:40:00.004-04:00

As I wrote earlier, one part of our purchasing process was to hire a builder friend of ours to look over the house design and give us advice. This was useful not only in helping us make a few design modifications, but also to help us understand exactly what we were purchasing. Our friend wanted to know exactly what was meant by an EarthCraft home and specification, and how that matched up with building standards he was familiar with in Montgomery County, Md.

The first place to start is with Church Hill Homes "Green Building Fact Sheet". Although this does not tie directly into an EarthCraft checklist, this is great for seeing how Church Hill Homes is actually building the house. For instance, it talks about the "Zip System Wall and Roof Sheathing". You can see this on the photos as the green panels on the outside with black tape lines between. This for the most part eliminates or at least reduces the need for Tyvek house wrap. It looks like something that saves time when building the house and also can make for a more tight envelope. While the Earthcraft specification may not say this Zip System is needed, using it is one way to make sure the house will conform to EarthCraft standards.

So I advise potential buyers to look over the Green Building Fact Sheet as a way to see how Church Hill Homes will actually build the houses. It is where "the rubber meets the road" so to speak. It does not say much about the actual EarthCraft homes specification however; for that we must look elsewhere.

I see EarthCraft Virginia has recently put up a website: EarthCraft House Virginia. It is a little "green" yet (couldn't resist) but it has a resources page with very useful documents. The one our builder was most interested in (and the one I found fun, although potentially overwhelming to read) is the EarthCraft Virginia Technical Guidelines (1.5 MB). Here is everything you might want to know about the big and little things that set an EarthCraft home apart from normal houses. What I found most interesting is that EarthCraft encompasses the entire design and building process: there are sections on how to clear the land and develop the site all the way to very detailed descriptions and drawings of how to seal around vents and pipes coming into the house.

From what I understand, an EarthCraft specification is fairly flexible - there are specifications for all aspects of the building process, and points are awarded in each category (site plan, clearing, erosion control, insulation, sealing, HVAC systems, and so on) for meeting each specification. A builder has some flexibility in choosing between these guidelines in order to achieve an overall score that makes the finished product an EarthCraft house. I am looking forward to seeing the completed worksheet for our house.

The Virginia EarthCraft House site has other files available on their Resources page on sealing, indoor air quality, etc. There are also worksheets and checklists so you can see the way a builder can combine choices to achieve EarthCraft certification.

Other useful resources I have found are:

The main "EarthCraft House" website.

"Building Green with a Budget", a blog detailing the process of building what may be the first EarthCraft house in Spartanburg, SC.

"Living in the Green", an article about renovation and new construction meeting EarthCraft specifications in Atlanta.

A huge difference between our home and traditional construction is the way the house envelope is treated. Traditional construction has the envelope extending from the first floor to the ceiling of the top floor. Indoor air needs to migrate to the attic, where a venting system removes heat and humidity from this air. In this design two things are critical: being able to insulate the house from the attic space while not unduly restricting the ability for air and especially humidity to pass through to the attic. Then the attic and roof absolutely has to be able to vent this air to the exterior, otherwise mold and mildew will accumulate in that space. There can also be mildew problems in the crawlspace if enough airflow is not built into the design, or even with it as moist outside air contacts the cool underside of the house, or cool air conditioning vents and condenses.

Our house will behave quite differently: the attic and crawl space are part of the house envelope and the heating and cooling is extended into those areas so they do not need exterior venting. They stay about the same temperature as the rest of the house so heat and humidity differentials are greatly reduced, in short, the house is more comfortable.

This building method was greeted with skepticism by builders unwilling to change what have been fairly static construction methods for a hundred years or more. Even now after years of successful houses built using this method I encountered worries ranging from interior air quality and humidity control to the roof shingles melting due to increased heat in the attic.

After all my research I still found myself with many questions, some of which were inspired by the criticisms I noted above about humidity and shingles. Josh Goldschmidt of Church Hill Homes has answered these questions to the best of his ability and I am satisfied that I will be living in a more comfortable as well as more efficient house. And to his credit, Josh was not afraid to say that he didn't know 100% why these things worked so well, but that he has simply experienced the result. Furthermore I have found him truly excited about the whole process; he freely admits he is looking forward to living in Belvedere because it will enable him to do his job better as he will have direct knowledge of what is like to build and live in his own EarthCraft house.

Language of the Birds (a.k.a. Belvedere Pocket Parks)

2008-04-06T19:03:00.007-04:00

When I came back from Africa for good, fifteen years ago (long story), people asked me, What is the most exotic country you have ever been to? I answered, This one. Truly, the United States is one of the most impressive countries when it comes to natural beauty. We came back in late winter and I was wowed by the snow and icicles. Then, spring came. I was blown away by the flowers and the trees, even though I hadn't been away from this country for long (on and off for 10 years). What an incredible place this is. And then there are the birds. Back then, I could not believe the beauty, grace, abundance, and colors of the birds of North America, and I felt special that I could see them every day. And I still feel that way.

As a naturalist, I say that birds are a girl's best friend. I completely rely on them in the forest to tell me what is going on. When I was trained in nature awareness, my teacher, Jon Young (www.wildernessawareness.org), taught me that there are five different calls that are important when paying attention to the birds. Each call has a different meaning, and there are different behaviors to observe as well. Birds will tell prey that a predator is approaching. Birds will tell me if a crazy person is in the forest. Jon has amazing stories about what birds can communicate.

In Vermont, I had a small group of chickadees adopt me. Sometimes when I went into the forest, they came along, and I could hear them saying, Here she comes, she's going into the forest, the one who feeds us, the one who lives in the yard! It was often quite sweet. There have been times when I have been soundly scolded by chickadees, too. For those who have been scolded by chickadees, you don't forget.

I first heard about Belvedere through my realtor, Jim Duncan. He listened to what was important to us and then said, consider Belvedere. I read the website, thought about it, and called up Stonehaus saying I want to be a homeowner and a businessowner. I am researcher, a scientist and a healing arts practitioner working with children in nature (www.belvederearts.com/resources.php). I said, if you are designing all these pocket parks as a part of your neighborhood, then you might want to consider the research on children and nature. I directed them to the powerpoint presentation under Resources on my website, but the good research can be found at the Children in Nature Network.

It was clear from our early communication that Stonehaus had a big commitment to providing a good natural environment for the residents of Belvedere. I was able to give the organization a complete presentation on the research of children and nature, including recommendations on how children use the land. Landscape architects involved in the project attended. On the way out of that presentation, I heard chants of "Jim Duncan." Yes, he matched us up.

I am hoping that other residents of Belvedere will help in the design of the pocket parks, making them friendly spots for the birds. I can see Blue Bird houses and park designs for other birds down by the Storm Water Park, and plants that encourage butterflies in other parks. Early designs for the Village Green and nature trails reveal the intentions of Stonehaus to make good on their claims to get children off the couch and into nature, harkoning back to days of old when children played outside all the time. And then the birds will know us, and tell our stories.

So, I say, Stay True Stonehaus.

Getting Outside Help

2008-04-06T16:57:00.007-04:00

As we see the house exterior coming to completion I am grateful for a decision we made some time back to hire a builder friend of ours to look over the "stock" design and specifications and make suggestions and recommendations. As competent and friendly as I have found the people at Church Hill Homes, I think this is an area where any new home buyers can ensure that they are a participant in the process, rather than being a passive consumer.

In our case our builder helped us with our design, as well as our understanding exactly what we would be getting in the package. Design changes he suggested were:

Extending the front porch the full width of the house, rather then the 2/3 width in the stock design.

Substituting the casement windows on the second story front with double-hung windows to match the top and first floor windows. I'll post a photo when the windows are actually in.

He also looked over the specifications and was able to reassure us that Church Hill was building a quality home, from the materials, to the insulation package, to the heating/cooling system. We did not follow all his recommendations, but decided which issues were most important and discussed and negotiated with the Church Hill folks on pricing and implementing those changes. The whole process made us more informed buyers, and was well worth the money we spent (and the additional costs of his changes).

As our friend put it, "you will be coming home to this house for a long time and you want to be really happy with how it looks to you, especially the front." He is also fond of asking this question: "In ten (or twenty) years, how much will the additional cost of doing what you really want seem - while you will have enjoyed the benefit of your decision the entire time."

Spring, Dens and the Zone

2008-04-04T06:40:00.008-04:00

"Kate, Kate! A deeeeeennnnn!"

That is the call I hear almost all afternoon. The boys are looking into every hole and crevice and proclaiming them to be dens. Even small holes in the meadow are "field mouse dens." They are disappointed if I don't look at every one and engage them in the art of seeing. I ask them questions around most of them but I am pushing the boys toward the Magic Zone and I had a spot I wanted to explore on the way. This is not good nature awareness etiquette; one must not have an agenda while out in the forest. We (those of us trained in nature awareness facilitation) seek to create a feeling of timelessness. But, I know just how much time I have out there, and having been at the edge of the Zone last week, I wanted to go there again, AND explore the creek beds.

Having been rewarded by my experience at RiverRun with the many spring flowers and skunk cabbage, I want to see if the same species grew here in Belvedere. They don't. Not many flowers are growing now along the creek bed, and the water source is part of the water for the Belvedere House (an original structure in Belvedere), so Pam tells us to be careful. We quickly walk down the creek and into the flood plain. Standing in the creek bed there, the boys begin to spin stories about how this place was a hideout during the World Wars. They want to play and I should stay and be with them but I urge them on.

We walk along the floodplain, occasionally going to the side of the Rivanna River to explore. I am looking for owl pellets. The kids find more dens and scat. Nick is particularly good at this and I am in awe of what he sees. This guy has tracker potential, and when he walks into an area where a red fox has been and correctly identifies the smell of fox urine, I know for sure he has a gift. He is a quick study. I only showed him that once before. Along the way, the boys name different land marks. Kids do this naturally and I will use the way they see to make a map in the end. The HideOut Tree, The Place With The Old Car, The House Tree, The Bomb Shelter. And on and on. It is a technique called Songlines.

The boys discover something that looks like intestines in a puddle. Those are eggs, I explain, toad eggs. And the pull them out to look at them. Awesome. (For a good explanation of the different kind of frog and salamander eggs see http://www.fishpondinfo.com/egg.htm. I especially like Robyn's questions to answer about eggs at the end of the page.

Finally, we are at the Zone, and just two steps in we are rewarded with fresh beaver sign. The area is covered with blooming Spring Beauties which give the area a kind of ethereal glow. What makes this area different than the rest of Belvedere? It gives it additional magical weight. We turn left down the creek. The boys start harvesting what they call "magic sticks" (just so you know, they don't know I call this place the Magic Zone) when we stumble across an old skeleton of a small deer without the skull. The boys are in awe and begin to paw through the white bones, identifying the parts. Look, says Nick, I can put this one on the end of my stick! He has a small vertebrae.

"This place is Treasuretopia," my son says. I smile. Yes, it IS, and I need to get the boys back to the car. We are out of time. I hate that. We have a long way to go, and as we walk back, deer scatter through the woods around us. Next week is spring break for the kids, so I want to come back and spend more time. I will be Zoneward Bound.

Why Belvedere (Bret's Thoughts)

2008-04-04T00:51:00.004-04:00

Taking a break from obsessing about our house, I thought I would add my piece on why I am looking forward to living in a community like Belvedere. It certainly seems implausible that someone who moved to Vermont just five years ago in an effort to find wilderness and independence is now moving into a neighborhood with small yards and neighbors close by.

Like Kate I am passionate about nature and the outdoors. I have studied survival and nature awareness and have served on the board of directors of a wilderness school. Like many who rediscover the beauty and power of the natural world I really felt a need to "get away" from the city and suburbs and be able to live with nature around me, with land around the house to wonder in. That was a large part of moving my family to Vermont. And that is still a fine thing to be able to experience.

But what I came to realize, slowly, grudgingly, was that as much as I felt it was "right" for me, it was not the best thing for my family. In Vermont, even though we lived close to town, we still had no close neighbors with children for ours to play with. So we were constantly arranging play dates - which might involve a 20 minute drive to and from the other house - repeated again for pick-up.

The sheer physical distance also affected my relations with friends who I had hoped would be a close community when we moved there. Instead, with most of us busy with work and children and geographically far apart we had to settle for a more remote community where we would gather for occasions, but we lacked the close-knit support network that would have made a huge difference in all our lives.

Furthermore, when I really faced up to it, I realized that I was not completely healthy in that environment. I work from the house, and the isolation plays into my solitary nature, leaving me a bit lonely for ... well, neighbors. And as much as I loved that land, the people, and even the winters, a part of me simply missed the mid-Atlantic forest I grew up in. And most of all I missed being close to my (and Kate's) family.

So when we decided to move to Charlottesville we faced the choice that I believe many have: to live in a neighborhood close to or in the city, or to take advantage of the beautiful land in the surrounding counties and to some extent, re-create our Vermont experience. As they say, it was no contest. Every time I felt drawn to the countryside I found myself thinking of more driving to and from play dates and other children's activities. And I would find myself looking forward to the first time my son could just "go over to a neighbor's house to play". (That has happened here already in River Run, by the way - hallelujah!)

Living in Belvedere will mean compromises in how I choose to live. I do not have the same level of trust that Kate has that everything will come together as planned. But as I told another Belvedere prospect a few days ago, I view the community as a place where the easel and paints have been laid out but it is up to us to really paint the picture. From what I have seen, heard and read, Stonehaus is doing a huge amount of work in designing and creating the structure and nature of a successful community. To fill out that community, to give it life, vibrancy and fullness is the task we home buyers face.

Yet to some extent, the very choice of living here will involve every resident to some extent in the experience of the Belvedere community, because of the way it is designed. I believe this is one of the main things that sets Belvedere apart from the the co-housing communities that are also gaining popularity - and is actually one of the things that I like. People will be free to contribute to the extent that they like, given their time, interests and personal nature, and that is just fine.

I am ready to help Kate in any way I can in settling our family here and in helping build the kind of community that is satisfying for us. I will still have nature close by - the oaks, sycamores and tulip poplars I love. I have red clay to track in. I look forward to Saturday rides from C'ville Bike and Tri. And I get to do it all while living in a beautiful, energy-efficient house that I have helped make special.

Latest Photos

2008-04-02T19:51:00.005-04:00

We stopped by the site yesterday evening and I was able to walk inside the first floor and finally see the results of our design process. (I might add here that it is extremely useful to live or rent fairly close to where a new house is being built. In our case we deliberately chose a rental close to the Belvedere site and in the same school district - although school districts can and do shift from time to time).

We can see the full-width front porch and the nice overall symmetry of the Millmont design.

Here's the interior (stitched together from 2 shots, so the sun on the floor and some other angles are a bit odd). I'm standing pretty much at the far corner of the kitchen. In front of me will be the counter; to the right is the office and the six windows in the midde background pretty much form the southwest corner of the house. The light is delightful, the openness is delightful, and (whew) the relative sizes of the spaces look fine. We can't wait to be able to go upstairs.

Why Belvedere

2008-04-02T13:34:00.005-04:00

I notice that the press wants to talk about the "green" homes in Belvedere. Everywhere there are articles about "green construction," and "eco-friendly building." Everything is going "green." The chatter seems to be about the house. But a home is more than a house, as realtor Jim Duncan http://www.realcentralva.com/ has said in his outstanding blog on local real estate. And Belvedere is about more than the Earthcraft home. It is the vision of Stonehaus that keeps me in the project. As you may have gathered, I like being outside. Heck,I could probably live out there and make a shelter out of sticks and leaves and be okay, so I find all the chatter about the houses to be enough already. Let's talk about a few other things.

If I understand it correctly, Belvedere is about community, it is about people, children, nature, healthy living. There is a sound philosophy of Health and Connection to the community design: greenspaces designed to encourage children's play, trails to run and walk on, an organic garden for vegetables and delivery of other specialties, and even this soccer facility. Part of the Belvedere ethos and core values is the inclusion of the non-human world as part of the community. That really caught my eye. I have never heard of a development firm purporting to design a place for humans and plants and animals, too.

When we went and stood on our lot for the first time, Josh Goldschmidt of Churchill Homes said,you have got to like people if you are going to live here. Stonehaus and Churchill have been very excited about the sidewalks and front porches, places where people can sit and connect, "cool spaces" as they are called. They wanted parking on the street so people could connect there, too, and common green places to gather, including the Civic Core. Their design follows what is our inherent plan: humans are hardwired to connect to each other http://www.americanvalues.org/html/hardwired.html. We are also hardwired to connect to nature. Belvedere is more than a home, it is a pattern of health and connection and living like this is our birthright.

My work on the land is about teaching how to connect to nature through pattern recognition, and I do that in many ways, through play, adventure, story song. I am also health practitioner trained to help heal the overwhelmed nervous system and help human beings connect to their own innate and inherent health. In the craniosacral tradition, it is called "the health in the system." Is is powerful and subtle, and I can feel it with my hands.

For me, Belvedere is about that larger pattern that is macrocosm of the inner pattern, what is balanced and right. I just attended a seminar last night about Strong Families and Communities at my son's school. We are living more isolated and disconnected than ever, and faster than ever, too. It is my hope that people moving into Belvedere will embrace the importance of building community, for each other and especially for the children. But, even if they don't, they can sit on their front porch, in their "cool space" and enjoy the view. I like that about Belvedere, too. It is completely voluntary, there is no obligation to participate. You don't have even wave at people if you don't want to, but you will still be a part of the pattern.

It's Wednesday. I am goin' tracking. See ya out there!

Kate

The Green Hour

2008-04-01T05:16:00.003-04:00

Yesterday after dinner, I insisted that we (myself and the children) go outside for The Green Hour (http://www.greenhour.org), even though it was misting and wet outside. I just had to get out and Bret was away on a business trip. The Green Hour says that every family should get outside in nature for at least an hour a day, citing evidence that being in nature is on the decline. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America says so (http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/0709893105v1). Heck, National Public Radio says so so you know it must be true (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18698731).

This evening we are very rewarded for our effort. We slip out the back of the townhouse at RiverRun we are renting and down the hill to the creek. A herd of deer is just ahead of us, stopping to stare before sending up their white flag tails and bounding away. They accompany us on our short walk always just yards ahead of us. A HUGE Eastern cottontail speeds away from us like a silver bullet. My goodness that thing was the size of a small dog. Skunk cabbage is starting to come up next to the creek and the forest floor is alive with Dutchman's Breeches and Trout Lilly. The Spice Bush is still blooming and the creek is up from the rain. The deer bound ahead of us, and my son bounds after them before experimenting with hiding next to trees, and inside parts of them. He is wearing gray camouflage, so his hiding is good. We turn a corner and a huge deer is standing there, not 10 feet away. I swear my shoulder is as high as hers. A smaller deer joins her and they bound into forest toward Meadowcreek Golf Course. We stand in the rain and watch about ten deer browse and cavort on the course about 1oo yards away.

What a great way to end the day. Nature. You gotta love it.

The House Is Up!

2008-03-31T06:08:00.005-04:00

Thanks to the hard work of a team of people our house is framed in. It certainly is interesting to see the plans we worked so hard over on paper made manifest by wood, stone and sweat. The office Bret designed is small and intimate, and the windows in the family room are magnificent. The two walls of windows afford light and view. I stood in what will be our kitchen, with the small island Bret put there and looked through the windows, imagining making meals there, with the small gas stove for fire and heat in the corner to the right. I stood in the eating nook and tried to get a sense of what it would be like to sit there. I can't wait until I can walk upstairs and stand in bedrooms.

I am also pleased with our end lot. It seems like we will have ample yard for the garden I have planned, to the east and south of the house.

I can't wait to be moved in. Thank you Church Hill. We will have some more photos up soon.

Tracking, Maps and Dreams

2008-03-29T08:22:00.004-04:00

I have met and studied with many of the good trackers in this country, and am blessed to have a mentor who is one of the best in the field. He would not say that. He would say he is a non-teacher. He reminds of me of Yoda, only much much taller. I have just returned from the Degaba system, I mean a mentoring session with my non-teacher, mentor where we engaged in conversation about tracking. He is a recluse now, not teaching many people so I am blessed that he even gives me hearing. I asked him to teach me, he said yes, I will take you on. It is always a little nerve wracking to ask a master teacher who has retired to consider teaching you. He told me to come, and to bring good questions.

Tracking. What is it and why do I do it? For me, and this is just me, because if you ask anyone else, they will tell you different things, tracking is about building a relationship with the natural world through pattern recognition. For me, the natural world is a living fabric, a live thing, like a creature, but bigger, more complicated, and profoundly non-verbal. The landscape is a like the Other, a being, something sentient. It takes an immense amount of time outside to get to know this Other, so tracking is about being with, about lived experience. Sure, you can read a book about tracking, and species identification really helps, and the stories of other trackers help, too. To know the natural world you have to be out in it, observing, over long periods of time. That is how you get to know the patterns. Animal tracks are a most bold way to know the place I am in, but others might choose trees, plants, dirt, birds, the night sky. They are all connected, all the things in nature, and the observed connections lead to questions, deeper and deeper questions, and I am completely engaged.

I believe that tracking helps me with my work as a therapist for I have come to understand that humans are about patterns, too. I think it helps my work with babies in particular. I live in a very non-verbal world, the natural world and the world of babies. My lived experience in all arenas of life, observing, noticing, thinking about patterns, exploring them on every level, leads me into ways of knowing and levels of knowledge. Their application is the art and science of my work. And I am always surprised and pleased by something new. Everything changes. So I am always refreshed and begin again.

My favorite tracker author is not someone many trackers know. His name is Hugh Brody. He has written beautiful books and made fabulous documentaries about his work with native people in Canada. My favorite tracking book of all time is The Other Side of Eden. Brody talks about how the Inuit honored him with teaching him their language, and how his knowledge of the language really came from non-verbal patterns. Living their life with them, in the snows and through the suffering, and into the quiet spaces. It's a fabulous read. Brody wrote another book called Maps and Dreams, about the Beaver people in British Columbia. The Beaver people make maps of their territory depending on where the beaver are (or maybe were). The people dream these maps as well as walk them, but animals appear to them in dreams and the knowing the land leads them in their unconscious. They wake and draw the map. Brody's wonderful writing and documentary about the land rights for native people are captivating. The Beaver people dream their last map to spirit world, too.

So, out on the land, my first exercise is to make maps of different kinds, noticing what I notice and documenting it. It is always useful to be with others on the land, because they see things I don't. I often dream of being with people who are as committed to the process as I am but really, the tracking life tends to be solitary. Dreaming might lead to reality though. Tracking, maps and dreams.

The House Design Process

2008-03-27T07:45:00.002-04:00

I do not know how this usually goes, but for me customizing the house design to our needs has been an immensely rewarding and enjoyable process. When we began discussing home plans with Church Hill Homes we decided upon their "Millmont" model as something the closest to what we wanted. We prefer (at least at this stage of our lives) to have our bedroom on the second floor, away from the living area, and we also were aware of how the house would sit upon our lot and thus where the rooms would align to the sun and to the surrounding houses.

The only problem was the standard interior did not fit the way we have become accustomed to living in our houses. We prefer an open plan to the more traditional separate kitchen/formal dining room/family room layout. We also wanted to have a soaking tub in our master bath, something the original plans did not include. What could have been a difficult process instead became a collaboration. Here's roughly how things went. The "stock" floor plan looks like this:

This is the back half of the house; we didn't make (at that time) any major changes to the front. The entrance is the back door, which will be fairly heavily used as it leads to the backyard and garage, where we expect one car to be most of the time. The back of the house also points roughly south, so there is the opportunity for a lot of light in that area. I told Church Hill that I liked the size, but we wanted a more open plan, the master bath tub, as well as space for a home office. "Fine", I was told, "why don't you sketch what you have in mind."

I did a rough plan in Photoshop and sent it to them and the next day I received a plan from their designer that took my elements and put them into a feasible scale. Here's what we ( emphasis on the "we") came up with:

The back entrance opens to a small mudroom with storage for coats and shoes. That opens up into the family room area,which is open to the kitchen with a small counter separating the two. We'll have pendant lights hanging down over that and a couple of stools for the kids to eat their breakfast. Across from the kitchen is the office and at the back is a small 2-story bump out that not only gives needed space to the family room but also allows for the tub in the bathroom upstairs. we later decided against the fireplace, opting to put more windows in that back corner.

But the exact design isn't really the reason for this entry. What is more important, I think, is how open and responsive Church Hill Homes was in making what could have been a tug-of-war into a really fun process. I'll have more posts as we continue adjusting our plan, and decide upon interior features and lighting.

The Magic Zone

2008-03-27T06:56:00.002-04:00

Warm wonderful Wednesday afternoon and we get to go tracking. Another boy has joined us and I am beginning the think soon I will have my own troop out here learning to read the patterns of the land. This boy is Gaylen, and he is upbeat and enthusiastic. The three of us set out down the sewer line on the west side of the property heading toward the flood plain and immediately we find piles of deer scat. I lead them in the Art of Questioning, a skill in nature awareness that gets observers thinking. So where is the next deer track? The boys look around, find the track, look up and see a deer. We all freeze and then begin a long slow stalk down the path. I explain to them when the deer browses move, and when the deer looks at you freeze. Then another deer appears and they both stare at us for a long time and the boys, frozen, begin to very quietly complain, but then when we move again, the deer are onto us and disappear into the woods. We keep walking then, but the deer have waited and leap way. Wow, the boys say, did you see that? Can we follow the deer? Sure, I say. Perfect!

As soon we enter the thicket where they disappeared, I begin to tell them about deer patterns in the forest, and deer behavior when chased, when my son takes over the storytelling. I am so pleased. He explains that deer will run away and then circle back to see what you are. We immediately find a deer shoulder bone, which Nick claims. Wow again, what treasure. The boys start claiming the next bone, all claiming they are going to find a skull. Skulls are treasures. Then I hear heavy equipment working nearby so I pull the boys out of the thicket and call Pam, Stonehaus supervisor at the site and check in with her. Just so you know, friendly reader, she is very good at her job of caretaking that site. I always check in with her, and I am sure she will find you if you decide to come on site without notifying her. Honor the Fierce Woman. Bring her gifts.

So, we keep going, down the path to the ridge and we then we descend to the flood plain, the future site of SOCA. The path is steep and the boys have made up incredible imaginary games. My son says he has the power to mend the earth since his powers are connected to nature, and he begins elaborate gestures over a large rut. Look, Kate, Kate! The boys shout my name all the time, giving me their interpretations of the rut. It's a den! What makes you say that? I ask, and I engage them again in questions and observations and tell them stories of sign. Yes, I say, sometimes I will crawl into a den and look for animal hair. But they are gone, down the ridge to the huge mud puddles that contain frogs, frog eggs, and salamander eggs, getting muddy to get them in their hands. Eww (that's a good expression), squishy (that's also good). Kate! Kate! Look, one is hatching! We all get real close and stare at the eggs, 4 heads all so close we are almost touching. Then Nick steps back and says, Kate, Kate, this puddle looks like one big deer track! Exactly right, I say, and I get him to explain why. The boy is getting the pattern in a big way.

Then, a small figure catches my eye to the left. It's a little person! Stories of the Little People from many native traditions flash through my mind. We head over to the small figure to explore and see it is an old stature of a boy reaching out to take a horse, one of the old statues from the day when people did that. It is cemented into the spot and the boys interpret what the figure is doing, all yelling about it. He's pointing! They say, but I am turned and looking down along the land that is separated from the flood plain by a creek. Wow! This is it! I have entered the Magic Zone.

Large sycamores mark the river valley, and they are a-plenty here, with paths running here and there among large trees and shrubs. Lesser celandine, a small yellow flower, is blooming in clumps, and I know that if Little People did live there, they would choose this place. I am on fire. I just want to dive in and go and go, looking, sniffing and feeling every corner of this place, but I know I have to get the boys back. They are exploring another den, so I engage them in questions again, and listen to the boys spin stories. My son explains to me the stick he has is magic. Yes, I think, if you found it here. I organize them to head back, and we all agree, we need more time out in the forest together. Maybe four hours, they say.

I am filled with longing to stay and explore. It is hard to turn back from the Zone, but as we hoof it home, we are rewarded. A deer herd streams past us just yards ahead. I have seen pictures of just this kind of image, the animals in almost single file, maybe two deep, but the picture is not the same as the real thing. Maybe this is why artists like to try and capture this moment, but the beauty, grace, and sensuality of the moment are better live. The boys are once again in awe.

What a great day. As we head out, I look back and see the Blue Ridge mountains to the north and think that view can be seen from the Zone, and feel blessed that I am going to live here where I can go there every day if I want to, without driving, just head out my front door and down the path, to take in the river, the mountains, the trees, the plants, the animals whenever I want. I begin to see, in my mind's eye, the games I will play there with the children, and to see, also, that this will be their memory, the land imprinting on them as their home, over the years, growing up. Even when SOCA has their facility there, the Zone will stay, as I believe it is a planned park for Stonehaus.

For those readers on the fence about buying a home in Belvedere, consider that you are also buying access to this place, and your children will have access to all the magic this place has to offer. As a specialist in nature and children, I know this will be worth it. So don't wait, put your money down. You are not just buying a "new home." Stonehaus is working hard to build a place that will be beautiful, full of life and health, with access to nature and activity, and definitely a "great place" to live. Erika Howsare of Cville Weekly asked me, "How is it for you now when you go out there? You know, it is kind of like being on the moon." She is right, the land where the construction is happening is cleared and flat and empty except for stakes, a few houses, lots of equipment. But I laughed and told her, "I have faith." I see the vision. If you want to live in Belvedere, just do it before you won't have another chance, especially now before prices go up.

We track every Wednesday afternoon. Feel free to email me with questions, katercst@gmail.com.

More Photos

2008-03-23T08:20:00.002-04:00

The foundation is in place, and we can really see how the house is going to sit on the site. We feel very happy with our location; the house is set to one side of the lot and gives a bit of a side yard, although sidewalk and landscaping will take up some of that space. It is somewhat deceiving to look at the raw foundation - it seems so...small. But having gone inside the model Millmont after the walls were raised we know that things suddenly feel much larger.

Once the foundation is in things happen rather quickly. The three model homes are going up fast, and give use a good sense of the scale of the neighborhood. As I tell others, I a truly looking forward to the day I can tell my children to run over to a neighbor's house to play without having to arrange transport, pick-up times, etc.

In the foreground is the smallest floor plan, the center home is the Millmont model, which our house is based on, and the furthest is the largest of the model homes (I don't know the exact design).

I find the designs elegant and the overall feel is one of harmony and appropriate scale. Coming from Vermont, and our 11 acres, it seems funny for me to be pleased with such a smaller space, but what I came to conclude was land makes sense if it is used, or shared. I am actually looking forward to having a small yard, and the ability to really shape that space.

First Official Tracking Day

2008-03-19T20:00:00.001-04:00

Soft. That was all I could think of this morning. The day was warm and softly wet, rain was gentle, and the trees were blooming everywhere. Red bud. Cherry. Some Magnolias coming out. The tree flowers and the gray sky combined with the warm, wet day to make it feel timeless. Today, I was to pick up my son, William, and his friend, Nick, and go tracking and mapping in Belvedere. The houses there are starting to go up quickly now that they are not hampered by the county, so it is a great to drive and see them, now actually with roofs. My house is still just getting its foundation. I can't wait. Erika Howsare of C-Ville weekly gave me a call to talk about the green development of Belvedere. I told her, like I will tell everyone, that the concept of green efficient homes combined with access to nature and wellness is a good thing, it is news, and it is medicine, too.

But today, I am looking forward to tracking. The red mud is perfect for tracks (and really messing up my car, but what the hey, what is a tracker to do? We get muddy.) So we are off on this rainy, muddy day onto the land, following the trail that will be the nature trail of Belvedere. After I pick up the boys, I begin to quiz them about the hazards of going out into nature. This is the first thing you must do. I quiz Nick in particular, and I hear my son helping him with little sounds. What do you need to look out for in nature? Poison Ivy! Yes, and what does it look like? In the green season, how many leaves does it have? I quickly discern that Nick needs a lesson in hazards (and later, he is quick to teach me that calling him "son" is a hazard. Hilarious!). We go over bees, snakes, ticks, hypothermia, and a hazard that is very common on old farmland, old barbed wire.

I notice my son knows a lot and that pleases me, since I have been teaching him since he was 2. But Nick is a quick study, especially on scat. On our last outing, I taught Nick that poop was actually an important wildlife sign referred to as "scat." He is an amazing scat finder. We find sign related to racoons, fox, coyote, and turkey. It is amazing to hear his descriptions: "Like a curly french fry!", and he loves it when I take them apart, helping me find a stick. Don't touch it, I say.

We find tracks of raccoon, deer, dog, human, turkey. Our favorite place in the wetland, with several frog species, it is great to walk along and see the frogs leaping ahead. Small and different colors, we can see tree frogs, and maybe a green or leopard frog. The kids want to catch them. Frogs seem to be in every puddle, and Nick definitely wants to go into every puddle after them. Eventually, he falls in and so we head back to change clothes and play. On our way back, we walk into a herd of deer. What a magical moment, the deer running just a head of us. My son stops and looks dreamily at me. Wow Mom, did you see that! He talks awhile about one special deer. I know that being with the deer is important for him.

Keep going Belvedere. Make that nature trail.

A Friend, and Frogs!

2008-03-14T02:38:00.002-04:00

It is tracking time and I drag my son out to Belvedere to do species identification. My 3 year old wants to go. "You are going to have to walk," I say. She agrees, but when we get there, a huge tearful exchange begins because she wants to be carried. I try and hold my line of "you have to walk," but I can see this is a mistake. She is tired from being sick but wants to be included. I am about to pack it in when a blue 4 wheel drive vehicle zooms up, screeches to a hault, and a fierce woman steps out. Wow! It was kind of a surprise to see a vehicle where I was anyway (by the three large oaks that stand next to the Dunlora Farm property). I wouldn't drive my car down there. Then, to see a fierce woman. I am impressed! I know who this is, it is Pam Strother, the assistant development manager of Stonehaus. I had been told about her. Quickly I explain who I am so she is not going to kick me out (or beat me up, I can't tell which she would do first), but she quickly becomes a most gracious hostess and shows us all around, driving us down to the flood plain where the garden and the SOCA facility are going to be, narrating many of the stories about Belvedere I had been longing to here, and rescuing me from the tearful exchange I was having with Eleanor.

The land certainly is beautiful. We drive along the river. I look up along the ridge to see what trees are there, and what patterns I can see when I hear frogs! Please, stop the car! I get out and run over to what seems to be a vernal pool set into a "disturbed area" near where two creek beds come together. It is on the corner of Belvedere, the north east side of the garden. It is a loud singing chorus and I distinguish 3 species before jumping back into the car. Wetlands like that are so important, even if they do pop up in places where the land has been damaged from human use. Frogs mean food to many species, including otter and raccoons. I can't wait to further explore. Frogs mean life, as far as I concerned. Their mating calls are beautiful, and they are gifted beyond most species at camouflage, and it is their elusiveness but directness that hooks me. Come here, see me! they cry, to each other, but to me, they know when to be quiet and hide. I always feel a quiet thrill when I can sneak up on a group of frogs singing their mating calls, and it is something I teach children to do. Get quiet, find a place in your heart where you feel glad, walk softly on the earth, and keep your eyes open!

Kate

Groundbreaking has Really Started

2008-03-12T14:19:00.002-04:00

Some photos of early progress:

Let's look again in a few months, shall we?

It's great to be pioneers but it's nice to see another "Sold" sign...

Construction has started on Church Hill Homes' three spec houses.

What to do first?

2008-03-11T20:02:00.000-04:00

Looking through the WildlifeMapping handbook, I realized that the first thing to do is to classify the land, and as the good book says, "the non-forest and forest classes may be the most difficult to label. Many professionals can go to the same site and disagree on the classification." Do your best, it says. Then, "recently disturbed" can mean disturbed yesterday or 10 years ago. Well? I would say the land at Belvedere is "disturbed," and not just by the development. It certainly is clearcut, and there is forest, too. There are young trees and some absolutely awesome trees. Reading through the classifications lead me to think about McKee Carson, the landscape architects who have worked hard to consider the natural habitat of Belvedere, and who are planting native trees, nurturing them in berms before planting them in the neighborhood. "There are climax species on the ridge above the flood plain," Eugene Ryang said to me. Trees are awesome, and I can easily get distracted by a handsome tree when driving. And the trees of Virginia are, in part, what brought me back here. The Tulip Poplar, with its funny shaped leaves and blossoms, long staight trunks that grow ever so fast, stayed with me during my years in hardwood forests of the north. (We have just moved here from Vermont.)

But there are surprises in this forest from the start for me. The prevalence of the Eastern Cedar, and the quality of the American Beeches. There are also many Wild Cherry. So, what is first? Classification of land, and identification of species. My eye naturally goes to the patterns on the land, the swells, the gulleys, the animal trails, the qualities of shade and sun. And it often changes, which is one reason why I love the natural world.

Out on the land today, I am walking with 2 boys, one of them is my son, William. We are exploring, looking for "forts." "Yeah," said my husband,"someone built one in the rocks by the river." He tries to tell me it is not much of anything but I shush him. "Come on kids, let's go find the fort." My companions are enthusiastic, each grabbing sticks that become weapons. My son plays Civil War, and we head down the ridge from the back of our rented townhome in River Run, a nearby perch from which we can watch the house being built in Belvedere. It is an adventure, moving among the huge mountain laurel and into the rock ledges. The boys find hideouts everywhere, I know this is what kids need. I smile and am happy, listening to them explore the mysteries of the rocks and the forest, watching 2 downy woodpeckers doing a mating dance. On the way back home, my son leaps up and says, "This is the best day of my life!" All right! I say in my mind, and many more to come.

Getting to know the land

2008-03-10T20:12:00.001-04:00

For those following the saga of our selection for a home, you need know, Bret is the one passionate about the house. I am all about the land and the vision of Belvedere. He sends me in to make choices for him about the house, the one that he designed with Churchill Homes (who have been awesome, by the way.) We chose the Millmont design but Bret really changed things around. You can see the selections of house designs at Churchill's website, http://www.churchhillhomes.net/. We are pleased to be the first contract in Belvedere, first homeowner, and I am first business owner. Belvedere Integrated Healing Arts (http://www.belvederearts.com ~ my old website is there, more information coming soon!) will likely run out of my garage apartment until the office units are built. I am planting my feet and am becoming the Welcoming Committee, along with other pioneers in the neighborhood.

I am just itching to spend hours on the land getting to know the other species in the community at Belvedere. My son, William, and I are planning to spend Wednesday afternoons Wildlife Mapping (http://www.dgif.state.va.us/wildlifemapping/), and want to encourage people interested in learning the art of track and sign to join us starting in April. I was very nicely served the most gorgeous maps from the GIS division of community development in Albemarle County (see http://www.albemarle.org)(Thanks Elise!). I can't wait to start really spending time out there. Our first visit yielded evidence of raccoon, deer, red fox, and wild turkey. The most beautiful red fox prints are left in the red clay roads.

Stonehaus has very much impressed me with their commitment to reaching all their goals. I think it is a most unusual development firm, one that is forward thinking and a pioneer in urban development. I had reservations about getting involved with this project, and I have tested this company in a few ways (you can ask them!). But I am convinced of their integrity and am joining them to make their dream (and mine) come true.

Please stay tuned for notes on the land and community development.

Kate