Time balances and duties

            The world is opening up a lot of opportunity for me right now.   It is giving me great opportunities for discipline and for square success and independence.  This opens up a long standing internal conflict that I think most of us deal with on some level: the conflict between our empath/and or/ spiritual self/ and or/shaman self--   and that of our driven/legal/financial self. 
          I am reminded of two great persons that I have brushed up against over the years.  The first was a man on the nologo listserve on the summer and fall of 2001 named Scott.   He was reportedly working for a First Nations people in canada doing radical linguistic inquiry.   Insofar as it was mildly related to the discussion he shared his process with us.   One such occasion he described humans according to their function; as in homo-Sapien, homo-Faber, homo-Ludens, etc.  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homo_faber

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_alternative_names_for_the_human_species

This falls along the lines of you are what you do, or you are what you know. 
The more time passes, the more I see this as true for many.   Even more so if you consider disidentification (not just "non"  :-)  )  with work as a way to identify with others in a similar position. 

The other is Todd from wildroots in north carolina.    My brief but very open and enjoyable conversations with  him involved his process and eventual complete drop of bourgeois leisure society (and even out of agricultural society) into a deliberate hunter-gatherer leisure society.   Yes.   That's what I mean.   

to be continued....must run to potluck brunch.  

Continuation

The cross country community scouring is over for now, but the posts are not, still need to update on the Farm in Tennessee, and update the posts on spillcorn, wildroots, and earthaven.

I will get back on this after I take the GRE on Friday! Wish me luck!

lov
thom

Islands in the Mist

Spillcorn....

[[ A follow up to Wildroots and Earthaven, worlds unto the themselves. ]]

Friends of friends, I spent a lovely coupla days at SpillCorn, NC in Madison Co (early sept 2009). Bordering TN and the National Forest (and the Appalachian Trail)-- This misty southern climate is the wandering primordial membrane of fertility.
There are a fluxing number of folks there, 3 or so original members, on 40 Acres of rapidly recovering fertile hillside. This part of the Appalachians is one of the few geographies in the US that wasn't covered in icesheets during the huge last ice age. This means that there are an incredible variety of species native to the area (yet markedly vacant of evergreens).

The inhabitants of Spillcorn take full advantage of this diversity with their wild gardens and passive foraging approach to permaculture. They are a tribe of herbalists, brewers, and builders.

Their houses also embody their dedication to simplicity and local economy. They carefully constructed their artistic houses slowly using slipstraw (light straw clay), round pole timber framing, clay plasters, bottles, and hardwood floors gleaned from a local sympathetic dumpster.
Although at first I was a little surprised the houses were still standing, as they appear perched on narrow stilts on their steep geography with few few right angles, I quickly was sucked into the well thought and crafted intimacy.


to be continued....

continued:

Room to dream.

The intentional community movement is really full of endless variations. People move out to the sticks for lots of reasons.


I could go on for a long time about what a good and enlightening few days I had sharing with Dave, Janet, Dan and other folks, but i think what has really stuck with me was how they embodied both their commitment to the radical intellectual debate found in the cities and the independent spirit that lets their dreams and souls fly unrestrained from useless fears. At least this is how it seemed to me.
This makes a lot of sense considering that these folks lived many a year in New Orleans, and I experience a similar release from etheric hegemony in that lovely city.

Better and Better Part Two: WildRoots

http://www.wildroots.org/

The most amazing thing.

I'm still sore from using the two-man saw at Wildroots yesterday. :-)

So the site's been around for 7 years, and the folks who've been there the longest are a lovely pair who've been there for 4 years. I've got two friends that've spent months there-- one my dear friend J, who lived with us in New Orleans- and who hung out with my parents and I on the near Bellingham, WA last summer !

( I didn't ask the folks at WR if i could include them in the blog, so i'm not going to use their names)

WildRoots is a primitivist camp that i read about years ago when i was really into Zerzan and DerrickJensen's writings.
When I arrived, I was greeted by a huge blue dodge dinosaur of a vehicle that runs on Bio-grease (something like this below--- except more beautiful, scrappy...and blue)
http://www.trucktrend.com/features/consumer/163_0904_diesel_1942_dodge_power_wagon_wc53/photo_01.html
...as well as a red headed-lady and a shaven-head man with a nice full brown beard , barefoot- wearing what looked like homemade leather shorts, and the fellow: shirtless with a nice tanned build. As loaded down as my car is at present, it wasn't making it up the rocky gravel driveway--- so they pleasantly helped me work on that, which ended up in their neighbor kindly letting me park in hers.
Now, of course-- as picturesque, dirty and in-the-present as they were, i wouldn't have been surprised had any variety of dialect or language come out of their mouths, except for what did: neutral and positive california english such that an elec. engineer and ex-armed forces folks might speak!

Another fellow was loading up some nice red clay for a building project, but he offered that I have a walk around to see the buildings.
As everyone was barefoot (my favorite Nike [joke])--- I joined and took a nice long walk through the woods-- encountering wonderful surprises all the way through!

(Please check out my facebook pics for evidence -- under: "Carolina del Norte")

Abundance of Rhododendrons
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron_catawbiense
, sycamores along the lively creek, some maples, locusts, scattered pines and hemlocks, and probably some black walnuts -- plenty of moss and underbrush.
The trail curved along the sides of the hills/mountains a few times-- with trails going off to the sides, largely vertically to some "campsites" structures.

The first building i came across-- and where i slept that night, was a lovely red clay building with a solid roof incorporating plenty of Large bark pieces. Into the walls were sculpted out nicely done leaf/branch patterns on the west and north sides. Inside was a bed with plenty of blankets and some skins, a "one dog" wood oven, huge windows facing down the slope, and some nice shelf work and some books. The inside of the door also had some very nice carved leaf-patterns.

Later on the trail was a more primitive bark lodge made of very large pieces of bark (hardwood of some sort (poplar?)), also incorporating saplings for the skeleton.
This included the kitchen area-- mostly outdoor.

When i got back, I joined a few folks working on sawing down some locust (and another species?) that had been cut down within the last week. Using both "antique" big toothed one-man and two-man saws we took turns cutting through various pieces, and lowering them from higher up the hillside with ropes--- then with wheelbarrows, bringing them back to be cut for firewood. This was the base of a large (60 , 70? ft) tree, maybe two-plus feet in diameter.

This took most of the day. Including lots of good and friendly conversation. Another fellow was visiting from north of Asheville-- much talk revolved around comparisons Primitive Skills shares that are held in various places each year (often in Arizona and Georgia), "politics"/economics, and comparisons of methods with Earthaven.

Then in different turns we headed down to the creek for a little dip in the cool refreshing water! This fast moving creek is where they (and I for this day) got all the water. They said no one had ever gotten sick from it! Wow! It was delicious, and i didn't get sick either.

Then we slowly accumulated around the kitchen circle. This was a mishmash of different items, utensils, shelves, and deer skins (with pelt/hair), centered around a couple cement blocks with a grill. We chopped cabbage, onion, carrots, garlic, and local (Old Man of the Woods) mushrooms for different dishes-- and once the fire was started (manually, using the

....to be continued...coffee shop is closing..and i'm exhausted.. maybe some busking downtown???

Better and Better Part One: Earthaven

So far in the last week I've lost my glasses (in the woods or my car), got a speeding ticket, and boggled up a great opportunity in the stock market, but still things are going great!
I've traveled from Pennsylvania, to DC, to Peninsular Maryland, to most of Western Virginia (not W. VA) and now I'm circling and coming to know the mountains around Asheville, NC better and better.

(I also found a couple really great thrift stores in VA.. I mean..one.. was really really nice. :-) ) oops.

North Carolina so far has been: Rainy Pisgah National Forest, City Bakery Internet and Quiche, Coyote, Earthaven, Wildroots-- and soon to be Spilcorn and other yet to be determined adventures & connections.

After surprise-hanging out with an old New Orleans comrade Coyote for a goodtime, including the famous friday Asheville drumcircle/dance in the middle of town, I set out for Earthaven Ecovillage near Black Mountain, NC (East of Asheville).

http://www.earthaven.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Leafe_Christian

http://directory.ic.org/1794/Earthaven_Ecovillage

So, like Twin Oaks and some others, Earthaven mostly invites visitors through Tours on Saturdays (asking a donation of $15), camping, and internships. That morning Coyote and I got up early for coffee (earlier than any pinche! cafe's even opened in Asheville! [except maybe starbucks]). I then headed out and had a surprisingly short & nice drive to Earthaven, even arriving somewhat early for my (what turned out to by private) tour. While we waited for any stragglers, my tour guide, Suchi, and I weeded the ironweed like grass out of a bed and started our nice chat.
Suchi was a great tour guide, and I got to see quite a bit of the maze of neighborhoods and self-supporting systems that operate at Earthaven. Originally a Mainer, I immediately liked her (and her accent!). She's lived there for about 7 of the 15 years that they've had the land.

I took many many notes: and the visit was inspiration and educational in ways that shouldn't be contained just in this brief blog, but here's a couple teasers:

Hydro-Electric plants and Lots of Solar Panels
Several Neighborhoods, almost all the wood for construction is from the land (mostly poplar/deciduous).
Leases are for either 4 adults (or pairs?) or 2 adults for the size of the land.
Membership and Leases are separate, membership is a year long process or so...
There's 40 current members, others have gone, about 20 people additionally living there doing internships and stuff. They're looking to grow to 200 or so!
They operate by consensus! And have a somewhat complex governing system.
They have quite few creeks and springs in their 320 acres! More than you'd think!

There are a couple things that "bug" me about Earthaven--- And i think this is largely due to the fact that I've studied their situation quite a bit compared to other villages, and they are a long standing inspiration to me.
First off, they are quite spread out! I can't state enough how weird this feels to me!
------This must partly be a result of how they divided their plots to lease/neighborhood-ize etc.

Second off, they .... well. there are just a couple more things that i find rather interesting--- and I seek to learn a great deal from and prevent:
Their governance and membership process (and fees) favors members so much that there are few transients (aka--- young people) there. Young people can't afford to stay there for very long without quite a bit of cash saved up. Its great that they do have a good deal of families, a few young people, and a lot of Elders-- but the energy when I was there seemed to be mostly that of Elders-- which is great-- except for the fact that a "young" community such as Earthaven needs the energy and strength of Youth to build buildings and such! (--and to attract (and breed!) new members!) ha!

One person there suggested that the Village will grow together just as they did in the old world- to create a more "city" like structure. Maybe so! Hmmm..

So much more to say-- but onto the next blog on: WildRoots

(Please check my photos on Facebook! under "Carolina del Norte"!)

Virginia Oh Virginia !!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia

Oh Virginia Oh Virginia!!!

Last two days have been full fulll fullll of Virgina.. Tuesday morning I left Frank and the lovely Woodburn hill community with its classic and timeless Amish carriage-driving neighbors for all the temptations and highways of the life I've come to know so well. Yet nowhere did I find the excess of Government bureaucracy and Military intruding into Virginia's green hills and "blue" mountains as I had expected. I did find plenty of evidence of retired east coasters with their nice houses and manicured lawns butting up to more impressive hills. However, this was countered easily by the pleasant downtowns in most cities filled with old brick architecture.

Below is a list of this cities I've encountered. Anywhere along the west of the state (from Charlottesville to NC) would be a lovely place for a community/agriculture/architectural experiment, literally anywhere it seems! Mineral and Louisa are home to two of the oldest IC's in the country, and Floyd is an old countercultural hotbed; they have a very nice Food Co-op, but not many young people or much AT&T service! :-)

Staunton seemed sizable enough and pleasantly old. Charlottesville the same, perhaps overrun with College students- for better or worse. Roanoke was similar to Staunton, with a pleasant (in my mind) number of downtown buildings/businesses for sale-- as i think (probably wrongly) is usual for the South. The remaning towns were small, but there--- more Appalachian/provincial I suppose.

The entire western highway of Virginia is bordered with forests (many national forests) and cattle and corn farms. However, they are so much greener and more beautiful than those that I grew up with in Central Texas! This trip could rightly also be called: "The onethousand and one Barns" or "Hemlocks, Rhododendrons, Pines and Oaks Oh My" or "All the world is a coffee shop". There were many beautiful barns along the roads in Virgina. I do wish that there were more Evergreens though (mostly seen as landscaping!). It appears that North Carolina has some taller mountain ranges that will sport more of the Firs, Spruces, Hemlocks, and Pines i love so much.

Woodburn Hill Farm

Woodburn Hill Farm ( http://directory.ic.org/1304/Woodburn_Hill_Farm ) immediately evokes a feeling of “Home”. The new buildings there easily shed-off the sometimes glaring-shine-of-youthfulness with many touches of comfort and older familiar furniture or a beautiful woven bedspread. The older buildings tell many stories that invite you to them. The farmhouse hosts their library and meeting space in addition to the large kitchen; it also possesses many features particular to Amish construction that makes it feel unique and thoughtfully positioned. This, blended with the 33 years of use with the Woodburn Hill community, gives off a big “Welcome!” as one can tell that after a likely many incarnations, the layout of the one you are seeing is well-earned and the most comfortable.
The barn is a huge structure, the outside painted red and the inside consisting of a few sections, a central “dance floor”, all separated by large sawn oak (!) timbers (4x6s and 6x8s primarily; the understories show more 8x10s!).
Currently there are about 9 adult residents living at Woodburn Hill Farm. Two couples, and several single folk. I believe the average age to be likely 50ish; they are actively seeking new young members! (rents start at about $250/mo!) Some occupations of the folks include PhD student in ethnomusicology, acupuncture, nurse, city govt, massage, teacher, and technical aid to guitar luthier among others!
Finally: the site feels well laid-out with its various houses and gardens. This community (along with Short Mountain Sanctuary and the Lama Foundation) also operates by Consensus decision-making and also considers it essential to their longevity and the health of their community!

Now I am touring Virginia, looking forward to checking out Charlottesville and Floyd (who has a well reputed music and counterculture scene). Virginia and Southern Maryland have a surprisingly nice mix of oak and different pines; the fortunately the foothills of Appalachia reach further east than I expected! I drove pleasantly through the counties Louisa and Jefferson where the large ecovillages Acorn and Twin Oaks have been for many many years (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_Community http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_Oaks_Community ) . I was unable to coordinate my schedule to fit their visitor's schedule, and am now especially bummed to find out that Twin Oaks even has a Klezmer band ! Ah! Their wikipedia pages are very interesting reads!
Now I will leave this coffee shop, head to Charlottesville and then to camp in the Forest! Yeah!

Returns to Itinerary!

August 24th, 9:46 pm Newmarket, MD Woodburn Hill Farm

I need to catch up on my blogging. I'm sorry it has been so long. There has been many new additions and surprises to the trip, and it is still not yet set in stone. So far, I have visited:

Sante Fe, NM 5 days-July
Taos Pueblo, NM
Kindra's Family's Summer Getaway in Angel Fire, NM
Earthship visitor Center (north of Taos NM)
Taos Mesa (off the grid – almost -but spread out- community)
Lama Foundation (and community) Lama, NM 8 days July
Kansas City, MO 24 hours July
St Louis, MO
Short Mountain Sanctuary (aka SMS) SE of Nashville, TN 3 days August
Barnswallow (community of friends) near Colombia, KY(in Amish Country) 5 days August
Natural Bridge National and State Park, E. KY
Berea, KY
Lexington, KY
Louisville, KY 24 hours August
Sunil's CSA at Port Matilda/State College, PA 5 days August
Philadelphia with Brooklyn friends and French Creek State Park and Surroundings
& Lancaster County (Suburbs and Amish Folk)
DC
Woodburn Hill Farm (and Community) in Amish country (newmarket, MD) 24 hours August


And on the horizon!?

Acorn Community, Mineral, VA (1 day)
Floyd town and County, VA (1 day)
Spillcorn Town and Community, NC (2-5 days?)
Earthaven Black Mountain, NC (1 day)
Turtle Island in NW NC (day visit-- but doubtful)
Wild Roots Western. NC (1 or 3 days?)\
Atlanta and Surrounding Mountains Couple days?
The Farm Summertown, TN (Couple Days)?
New Orleans
Austin!!!

(and new Project in Hunt, TX -- next to Kerrville, Starting Mid-september!) claysandstraw.com

On up and back down Farms and adventure all around

Such a strange place Pennsylvania. Would have been a great year for spirulina.
Yesterday farmer-nightmare surfaced. The Late Blight (aka Tomato Blight- aka Irish Potato Blight) that has been wreaking havoc on the Northeast US appeared on a few tomato plants in Sunil's field here in South Central PA. Sunil's been lucky so far this year as 70% of NE farmers lost their entire tomato crop and at least here he's had a couple harvests already. Nonetheless, Organic farmers have only one option to combat the blight, and that option is only preventative: Spraying copper on the plants. But with that action the Organic farmer begins to betray their good name, because Organic farming is about promoting Life; copper's inherent properties as a heavy metal are very Antilife. (for more information on the blight - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/09/opinion/09barber.html )

But the rest of the farm is going grandly. The shares of the CSA are overflowing, and could be even more stuffed if there was more labor.

Taos Pueblo

Sun July 26th 09.

( Check: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taos_Pueblo for pictures! )

Many Surprises! No Cameras, no cell phones, & later, no sketchbooks! Also a fee of 10$ per adult.
Visions of simplicity, Taos Pueblo is an interesting case of an open system over a LONG expanse of time.

A lot of different thoughts come to my head while I'm there.
Although permaculture proposes a layering of systems that increases efficiency, I have rarely seen comparisons between actual historically operating systems. ( Although i can think of isolated examples within systems.. ) But the intense layering-- the intense "stacking" as permaculture calls it.. almost seems to demand so much time as to be unable to regulate and produce what is needed (often food) from the system.

An interesting difference in Taos, is the simplicity of their water system as their creek runs through the pueblo. Perhaps no comparison is possible to cities in North Africa-- But the latter's is much more complex and fascinating.

The overlying theme i took with me from Taos pueblo was simplicity.

The most beautiful parts of New Mexico are too cold to inhabit for long. From the tour, I gathered that those parts are used for hunting and gathering. Indeed, the pueblo as used as winter housing for the people, while maintaining summer housing outside of the pueblo walls.

The housing in the pueblo typically needed a good deal of maintenance once or so a year, but besides that was very well adapted to the climate.

Taos Pueblo stands as one of the ONLY sites in the US where the folks indigenous to that region were able to continue living there after the European conquest!
I'm left with many questions.

Oceanview Property in NM

Oh dear..!

The Lama Foundation seems to have hit it on the head concerning the right mix of rural comforts to urban-creature comforts. (as i sit here in their often empty computer lab--- the sun setting over one of the most amazing views you'll ever see-- including a huge! gorge)

Kindra informed us that Lama would be hosting a worktrade in order to get some rooms done before their big month of retreats. ...with Carole Crews! one of the most gracious and well respected plasterers in the business. I flipped, of course.

So now here i sit. They have a most lovely kitchen ...and i mean most lovely, with wonderful outdoor seating/eating overlooking the gorge. Also, the bathhouse... surely the finest I've seen since leaving Marruecos. Blue tile, large tub-like shower--- complete with plants (bamboo?) next to it in which used to live a friendly snake ! :-)

- - - - - - - continued on weds - - - - - - -

So, I don't have a sophisticated understanding of the membership roles, the finances, nor the history of Lama yet, so far its organization does have some things I am very impressed with.

Right now they are preparing for and welcoming many returning residents or stewards for their annual meeting.
So, they have 3 different types of registration as far as i can see.

A Member--
A Steward
and a visitor.
(they also host a couple hermits in hermitages!! folks pay for this and are brought food up to their mountain lookout away from people... they have it arranged where they don't even see the folks who bring them their food)

Stewards are in a worktrade like situation for an extended period of time.
Visitors typically are paying something, and are often returning.

Members.. i don't quite know!
http://www.lamafoundation.org/ways_of_being_at_lama.htm
So there it is!

I really like these distinctions in a lot of ways.
It seems to be a system that welcomes folks to come back which both refreshes the visitors and the more permanent folks on the land.
Also, this puts more emphasis on the land as the permanence, and not necessarily so much on the personality/ies!
(Also... Lama has a large Sufi emphasis...and Sufi's are one of the more laid back and humorous spiritual traditions as you may know!)
Now, besides making prayer flags that they sell by internet, i think most of the finances are manifested through donation (I may be wrong).
So, in a situation that more resembles a working farm-- or group of small businesses or whatever, there would need to be some changes made.
But i DO think that a farm/group of small businesses would benefit greatly from a spiritual/educational type element that had a sort of revolving system for folks to visit/revisit, such as does Lama.

Next post on Lama to be about their layout and buildings!

Getting Started

(This is a photo from the visitor center for Earthships 10 miles north of Taos, NM)

This blog is dedicated to communities around the Southwest, South and Eastcoast that I am visiting this summer.
I have 6 weeks between Natural Building gigs (with Kindra and John of Claysandstraw.com) and I am hoping to gain a lot of insight and inspiration from different folks and their dedication to the land they live on.

From Austin I will be visiting Sante Fe NM, Taos and Taos Pueblo NM, Black Lake NM and the Lama Foundation near San Cristobal and Questa NM.
From then, on east to Tennessee, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee again and back to Texas in September.

The communities I am planning to visit are:

Dancing Rabbit in MO (but they are full for the summer! Oops!)
Short Mountain Sanctuary in Tennessee
Earthaven in North Carolina
Spillcorn in North Carolina
the Farm in Tennessee
Turtle Island Preserve in North Carolina

Kentucky and Georgia chiefly interest me as possible homes for a Land Centered group of folks.

more soon!
Back to plastering at the Lama Foundation