Siesta Lane

I received a copy of Siesta Lane: One Cabin, No Running Water; and a Year of Living Green by Amy Minato through Interlibrary loan via the Agawam, Massachusetts Public Library. Minato goes to live communally with a group of people who live either in cabins or yurts with a community kitchen and bath in Washington state. One thing that strkes her early on is the fact that virtually all the tennants of Siesta Lane have real jobs, and other interests, that take them away from their home on a regular basis. This includes herself. I thought about the gains and losses and compromises each was making in their decision to live this way. Gas is an expense when one lives far from others, a fact which contributed significantly to our decision to live in town. However, I feel a bit jealous of the peace from noise that they must enjoy. Living so close to town means that on nice weekends I hear a constant drone from the sound system at the nearby sports fields. Sometimes it seems enough to make me want to move.