January 2011 Update
Garden
Our new garden is flourishing under Sarasvati’s able management. The garden beds are lush and green with an impressive variety of vegetables. We all foresirage regularly for delicious tomatoes and greens daily.
An important part of our garden’s success is our homemade worm pee. Below is Yogesvara’s experiment with a variety of controls. The plot without any worm pee or casings is currently not showing any growth while the plots with worm pee or casings or both are showing good growth.
Next on the garden’s list of To Do’s is a large chicken coop which will include the new garden pond put in during our successful and very fun, first Thai Kids’ Camp - see tour here.
Trees
Tree planting around the land is slowing down as we approach the dry season but the end of 2010 saw a few more put in the ground. New trees were added to our front “lawn” and parking area as well as the upper food forest.
A bare Plumeria branch is finally showing some green – excited to breath the sweet smell of Frangipani!
And nearby, sprucing up the bodhi tree shrine is a shiny new, red spirit house and platform.
Meanwhile the trees in the lower food forest, down by the ponds are faring nicely and have been protected with shade cloth for the coming season.
Temple
A pretty footbridge connecting the dorm/kitchen paths to the temple path was erected just before the October Mind of Siva Retreat.
And after the retreat, Mahatma embarked on the great temple path project. The path was widened, leveled, and layered with weed suppressing sheets and then 3″ of gravel.
Directly across the temple is the beginnings of a lovely temple garden complete with circular koi pond and numerous mounds to be eventually covered with soft grass for afternoon lounging.
The temple mural project is moving along as well. Neem Karoli Baba, Ananda Mayi Ma, Dattatreya and Abhinavagupta have been or are in the process of being added to the wall.
And more…
Dharmanidhi’s office headquarters is finally nearing completion. This exciting prospect ushers in a new era of book writing and rest for our mandaldyaksa!
In addition, a very secure fence will be erected around the perimeter of both the garden and the coop (to protect it from Kiki, the dreaded chicken killer – we love her just the same though 
and simultaneously, new compost stalls will be built.
We’re looking forward to the start of our aquaponics program. This symbiotic program of multiple tanks of fish and vegetables/flowers/fruits sharing water and byproducts will mean an increased production of healthy, organic food for residents and retreat attendees alike. An area in the nursery has been cleared to be the eventual first home for tanks already in the planning with a fabricator in nearby Loei.
A contractor has been hired to begin the building of a gymnasium which will house Catch Wrestling trainings with the famous Billy Robinson as well as other fitness retreats coordinated by Atmadharma. Impressive racks of weights and other exercise equipment are already in use and awaiting their future home.
