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Catastrophic Snow Storm Has Positive Impact on Ecovillage

Playing with the snow in the road at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage

Last week, a gigantic snow storm swept across the country, affecting many millions of people, with snow falling on a whopping 30 states, and record-setting snowfalls in many cities, countless stranded drivers and commuters with no way to make their way to work, and deadly cold blowing in and making recovery a difficult and sometimes impossible task. This was not your average winter storm, no sirree.

But what effect did the storm have on residents of Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage of northeastern Missouri, where 50 mile an hour gusts blew more than a foot of snow all over the village, and temperatures dropped to below a frigid 0ΒΊ soon after? Well, not much, to be honest.

It’s rare to meet any city folk who can honestly claim to enjoy this kind of snow, and the scowls come out in droves when people have to shovel their cars out, suffer transportation delays or cancellations, and take a break from the bustle of their daily lives and experience what it’s like to be stranded and powerless to the effects of the weather.

Well, at Dancing Rabbit, where the residents work in the small village setting itself and have little reason to travel on a regular basis, community members simply stay put and await the sun to melt the majority of the snow away. In the meantime, they go sledding on the hill across the road, have snowball fights and build snowmen, play board games with friends, and throw a few extra logs in the wood stove to keep warm and toasty.

There are no driveways to shovel clear, and no dangerous commute to make to get to the office. The biggest commute is instead a two minute walk through the snow to the Common House to see friends and community mates.

Yes, the catastrophic snow storm that has swept across the nation has had a negligible, perhaps even positive effect on Dancing Rabbit. Isn’t it strange?

How different life would be if we could indeed bow to the weather and slow down, and not have to worry about upkeeping our hectic lives when there is extraordinary weather to deal with…

Looking for ways to stay warm while also keeping the utility bills in check? Consider installing a programmable thermostat, or even heating only the room your using with an energy-efficient space heater… while wearing a sweater, of course!

4 comments
  1. Eva Friedner

    Hey Ziggy,
    It’s always great to keep up with you and your sustainability adventures.
    I was wondering what DR looks like covered in snow. Thanks for the pic.
    We are the ones who you described, shoveling out, snow-blowing over and over, experiencing on-going annoyance with the town snow plows which constantly push snow and ice back from the street to block our just plowed driveways. Only when we are out in the Berkshire mountains can we appreciate some of what you describe…enjoying the beauty and fun of the snow.
    Best to you from Amos and me!

  2. jeff droz

    Ziggy,
    Good to read an update from ya. I’d like to come back for a short visit late winter/early spring and possibly stay at the mercantile.
    You’d like the “snow-plow” I built to use behind my horses last week. Couldn’t drive the truck to town, but the horses can go anywhere, any time, so they plowed the driveway and then the county road for 2 miles without much difficutly. It was a fun productive adventure. While others were complaining, I was smiling as I took turns riding on the “plow” with Jana, my fiance. I hope your little round house is keeping you warm this winter. Wishing you and all of the rabbits the best.

    jeff droz

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