NFTNIF Volume 3 Episode 9 "Winter is Coming"
Yesterday when the work was done, and cold was settling in like a chilly mantle, I overdressed, then lay me down in a clear spot and watched the sky. Day became sunset, with all the colors raised to glory, sunset became twilight, fire colors replaced by cool tones with the sky moving through every blue to indigo and finally the sacred black of night. The light was not gone - it simply shivered into a billion billion shards, specks, dabs and brilliant dust as the stars took over the show. I saw 8 shooting stars, and didn't even make wishes on all of them. That means I have a couple wishes in hand. I will guard my tongue carefully now.
My hearing has become preternaturally acute, and I have learned the normal sounds of the night. I can associate a horses whicker with the right horse, the engine with the vehicle, the walk with the person, the demolition charges all night with falling acorns (of unusual size). I hear the whispering pad of the feral dogs as they ghost by, the scamper of the ground squirrels, and if I lean my ear against something, the trundling of my own heartbeat. I know the sound of each gate, and a lot of the dogs. I recognize the snuffle of our hosts dog (vs. some other creature!) scouting our tent at dawn, and the plaintive mew of one of their cats after nightfall. All the pets seem to love us and seek our camp at every opportunity (not entirely to the pleasure of our gracious hosts).
Fall is putting on all of her finery, and the sight of a carpet of blazing Autumnal leaves is splendid; but then you see the green and brown giants, standing as high above the trees as they stand above bushes, and the Redwoods nod indulgently at the gaudy spectacle, unmoved by the rapid flicker of the seasons. A century old redwood is still a baby, and up and up they stretch, down and down they dig. To think that when the white man first came to these parts there were trees large enough to cut roads through; and even these huge specimens seem like adolescents.
I'm told that one of the oldest trees in the world (the oldest?) used to live in Mendocino county, but that a tweaker holed up in the trunk and set the whole thing ablaze smoking meth. A pretty commentary on our custodianship of Nature's masterpieces (including each other).
Happy Halloween! That's about it for our celebration, there is too much to do for costumes etc.
OK I have to ask. Did everyone but me know that it snows up here? I honestly thought it wouldn't get or stay that cold. Winter is coming indeed! Let's be honest, we are not Esquimeaux; I've got to find some shelter before the rains, much less the snows. That trailer sold yesterday.
I speak well of our EarthMissioners, we are easy to work with and hard working, drama-free and helpful in many ways. We are making a place for ourselves in the community, each in his own fashion.
OK friends, on Behalf of the Men of EarthMission, VOTE!
Ralph
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
NFTNIF Volume 3, Episode 8A Out of the cold?
We are trying to get off the ground into a trailer. We found this one - needs a ton of work but we are more than willing to do what it takes to make it cozy.
gofundme.com /EarthMission
This is the campaign to raise money for the ultimate goal - to start a church to help homeless move back into the mainstream. In this instance, we would be grateful to have a lodging even as humble as the trailer - we can make it work.
Well will you look at that? Necessity is the Mother of Something anyway, I have my first pictures in this blog!
Help if you can - we could use this home to stay healthy while we work.
We are trying to get off the ground into a trailer. We found this one - needs a ton of work but we are more than willing to do what it takes to make it cozy.
gofundme.com /EarthMission
This is the campaign to raise money for the ultimate goal - to start a church to help homeless move back into the mainstream. In this instance, we would be grateful to have a lodging even as humble as the trailer - we can make it work.
Well will you look at that? Necessity is the Mother of Something anyway, I have my first pictures in this blog!
Help if you can - we could use this home to stay healthy while we work.
NFTNIF Volume 3, Episode 8 Below Zero
So last night the temperature plunged below freezing. The fingers of cold crept into everything, but inside the sleeping bags we stayed warm. The air was cold on any exposed skin, and my sleeping bag was covered with a film of condensate, courtesy of my body heat.
The dogs here are quite a phenomenon, they rule the night with their chorus of complaints. One dog starts, and they all go off. Time means nothing to them - they bark, yammer, whine and howl at all hours of the night.
My question is this - if they are so loud they are waking me up in my tent on a hill, how do the people RIGHT NEXT TO THEM STAND IT? These dogs go off right outside the houses, trailers and other domiciles of their owners, and NO ONE EVER TELLS THEM TO SHUT UP! Don't they ever take their dogs inside? It was below zero last night. Maybe the dogs raise Cain to stay warm?
The ladies at the Native American trading post told us today about a guy "giving away" a trailer in Ukiah. I found his ad on Facebook, and the trailer is a handsome model in desperately bad shape. He is asking $500.00 or best offer.
I am praying for a surge of donations, enough to get us this beaten up shell, which we can slowly turn into a working house.
In the meantime, our hosts responded to the unseasonal cold with a raft of courtesies; but they have their own issues to manage. A trailer would be the least problematic form of housing, due to the obvious fact that it can be moved. So, I'm putting it out there. All of you going to the toilet inside, on a smooth seat, sleeping indoors, cooking indoors, consider us, and help if you can.
The guys are smoothly integrating into the local community, and in my own slower way so am I. Between our work here, making friends, and planning for the future everyone stays busy; but they also have to teach me how to use my phone. This may be the most challenging of our tasks - I am not friendly to these intrusive little blabber boxes. But, they can do anything my computer can, albeit in a convoluted fashion, with mealy mouthed demands to let it share everything with everyone all the time. But, I have created and posted entries using only the phone. Progress!
People in town here aways ask us what we are hauling, or delivering. The top guess seems to be ice cream, followed by frozen meat, and after that cookies. People also like the idea of US making runs into town so they don't have to. We have determined that it costs about $30.00 in gas to get there and back, so we can arrange our charges accordingly. We also spent some time last night after dark talking about ideas, plans, services people would need, and putting together business plans and approaches. There is so much opportunity here!
People here get very excited when they see prepared food. We have been sharing breakfast with the other workers, none of whom seemed to expect breakfast! There are people here from ALL over - Europe, Central and South America, Pacifica; everyone drawn to the harvest. Speaking of which - time to get back to it.
From the (chilly) Men of EarthMission, we salute you!
So last night the temperature plunged below freezing. The fingers of cold crept into everything, but inside the sleeping bags we stayed warm. The air was cold on any exposed skin, and my sleeping bag was covered with a film of condensate, courtesy of my body heat.
The dogs here are quite a phenomenon, they rule the night with their chorus of complaints. One dog starts, and they all go off. Time means nothing to them - they bark, yammer, whine and howl at all hours of the night.
My question is this - if they are so loud they are waking me up in my tent on a hill, how do the people RIGHT NEXT TO THEM STAND IT? These dogs go off right outside the houses, trailers and other domiciles of their owners, and NO ONE EVER TELLS THEM TO SHUT UP! Don't they ever take their dogs inside? It was below zero last night. Maybe the dogs raise Cain to stay warm?
The ladies at the Native American trading post told us today about a guy "giving away" a trailer in Ukiah. I found his ad on Facebook, and the trailer is a handsome model in desperately bad shape. He is asking $500.00 or best offer.
I am praying for a surge of donations, enough to get us this beaten up shell, which we can slowly turn into a working house.
In the meantime, our hosts responded to the unseasonal cold with a raft of courtesies; but they have their own issues to manage. A trailer would be the least problematic form of housing, due to the obvious fact that it can be moved. So, I'm putting it out there. All of you going to the toilet inside, on a smooth seat, sleeping indoors, cooking indoors, consider us, and help if you can.
The guys are smoothly integrating into the local community, and in my own slower way so am I. Between our work here, making friends, and planning for the future everyone stays busy; but they also have to teach me how to use my phone. This may be the most challenging of our tasks - I am not friendly to these intrusive little blabber boxes. But, they can do anything my computer can, albeit in a convoluted fashion, with mealy mouthed demands to let it share everything with everyone all the time. But, I have created and posted entries using only the phone. Progress!
People in town here aways ask us what we are hauling, or delivering. The top guess seems to be ice cream, followed by frozen meat, and after that cookies. People also like the idea of US making runs into town so they don't have to. We have determined that it costs about $30.00 in gas to get there and back, so we can arrange our charges accordingly. We also spent some time last night after dark talking about ideas, plans, services people would need, and putting together business plans and approaches. There is so much opportunity here!
People here get very excited when they see prepared food. We have been sharing breakfast with the other workers, none of whom seemed to expect breakfast! There are people here from ALL over - Europe, Central and South America, Pacifica; everyone drawn to the harvest. Speaking of which - time to get back to it.
From the (chilly) Men of EarthMission, we salute you!
Monday, October 29, 2018
NFTNIF Volume 3, Episode 7 Green Day
Green Day.
Back on the land the work continues. Last night was the coldest yet. We are examining every possibility for additional shelter. Some founder on a lack of funds while others remain impractical from a social perspective; ongoing negotiations for the future, etc. We still have a few possibilities, the locals are now looking on our behalf.
We got our little baggage tent set up yesterday; this innovation gives us more room and clears the truck for deliveries. I did manage a picture of the camp, but I am not sure how to add it to this blog.
I wondered how dark it got out here and last night stepped in to show me. Dark. But, the bonus was a sky ablaze with stars, speckled, peppered, sprayed and dotted, clumped and scattered, dim and flaring, deeply radiant and stretching across the vault of the sky. I lay down on my back in a clear area and just drank it in. The peacefulness of the scene was such I almost felt I could FALL into the glorious light, but the rocks beneath me only laughed.
Back at the tent, contemplating the slice of sky visible from my sleeping bag, I saw two ghostly quadrupeds flit by - feral dogs. A little later another, this one white enough to pick up the beginnings of moonlight. Then everyone's chained and penned dogs went insane, barking like the end of Alpo, KennLRation and deer carcases all at once. Back and forth they excited each other across a vast area, waves of barking washing to and fro as far as one could hear. The reason for it was finally clear - they saw the feral dogs moving freely. This went on long enough that it reminded me of my childhood.
In Detroit when I was growing up we had a similar situation once. There was a very clever dog named Baby who broke his chain and escaped. A real freedom fighter, Baby was the Spartacus of our local dogs. Time after time he wheedled, teased and provoked other dogs to free themselves from bondage, until they ran together, a mighty pack of two dozen or more. Baby was the sly leader, and the pack began to prey on anything small enough, pets, tiny children, rats and squirrel: it was all food to Baby's pack.
For one of the two or three times in all my childhood, the men of the neighborhood got together, pooled transport and guns, and drove off. They hunted down and shot Baby and his crew, much the same as Pompey hunted the last of the gladiators who defied Rome and with the same result. I suppose the situation will evolve the same way here, and in the meantime I always have at least a stout branch at hand. Imagine the irony; I travel north to be devoured by wild dogs! I DON'T THINK SO.
The weather here varies wildly from day to night, even from sun to shadow. We are very lucky that our spot seems to be much warmer than the surrounding areas - every little bit helps.
The trees keep getting more colorful, and the wonder is when you see the Redwoods tower over them as a tree towers over bushes. Truly awesome scenery here - to remind us how small we really are in the grand scheme of things. And yet, how grand we are too!
From the Men of the EarthMission, love and beauty to all.
Green Day.
Back on the land the work continues. Last night was the coldest yet. We are examining every possibility for additional shelter. Some founder on a lack of funds while others remain impractical from a social perspective; ongoing negotiations for the future, etc. We still have a few possibilities, the locals are now looking on our behalf.
We got our little baggage tent set up yesterday; this innovation gives us more room and clears the truck for deliveries. I did manage a picture of the camp, but I am not sure how to add it to this blog.
I wondered how dark it got out here and last night stepped in to show me. Dark. But, the bonus was a sky ablaze with stars, speckled, peppered, sprayed and dotted, clumped and scattered, dim and flaring, deeply radiant and stretching across the vault of the sky. I lay down on my back in a clear area and just drank it in. The peacefulness of the scene was such I almost felt I could FALL into the glorious light, but the rocks beneath me only laughed.
Back at the tent, contemplating the slice of sky visible from my sleeping bag, I saw two ghostly quadrupeds flit by - feral dogs. A little later another, this one white enough to pick up the beginnings of moonlight. Then everyone's chained and penned dogs went insane, barking like the end of Alpo, KennLRation and deer carcases all at once. Back and forth they excited each other across a vast area, waves of barking washing to and fro as far as one could hear. The reason for it was finally clear - they saw the feral dogs moving freely. This went on long enough that it reminded me of my childhood.
In Detroit when I was growing up we had a similar situation once. There was a very clever dog named Baby who broke his chain and escaped. A real freedom fighter, Baby was the Spartacus of our local dogs. Time after time he wheedled, teased and provoked other dogs to free themselves from bondage, until they ran together, a mighty pack of two dozen or more. Baby was the sly leader, and the pack began to prey on anything small enough, pets, tiny children, rats and squirrel: it was all food to Baby's pack.
For one of the two or three times in all my childhood, the men of the neighborhood got together, pooled transport and guns, and drove off. They hunted down and shot Baby and his crew, much the same as Pompey hunted the last of the gladiators who defied Rome and with the same result. I suppose the situation will evolve the same way here, and in the meantime I always have at least a stout branch at hand. Imagine the irony; I travel north to be devoured by wild dogs! I DON'T THINK SO.
The weather here varies wildly from day to night, even from sun to shadow. We are very lucky that our spot seems to be much warmer than the surrounding areas - every little bit helps.
The trees keep getting more colorful, and the wonder is when you see the Redwoods tower over them as a tree towers over bushes. Truly awesome scenery here - to remind us how small we really are in the grand scheme of things. And yet, how grand we are too!
From the Men of the EarthMission, love and beauty to all.
Sunday, October 28, 2018
NFTNIF Volume 3, episode 6 (Ukiah, CA).
Ukiah, CA.
We struck camp, piled it all into the truck and headed to Ukiah for the night. We ate wings, everyone took two showers, and we are piling up our laundry before heading out to wash and dry.
I was too busy until dark to take pictures, and today is overcast, still threatening rain. I will get some pix I promise.
I wrote to the manufacturer of our tent asking if there is a winterization kit. We have plans to upgrade our campsite when we return. Our gracious host is letting us use a small spare tent to store our belongings so we need not fight them for space while we sleep. The current plan is to return to our lovely spot, put down pallets and fill the spaces, then tarp, then tent, then amenities inside, more pallets for the gear tent. I am now looking for a larger tarp or shade structure or something to cover the whole "complex". Mind you the second tent is about the size of the sleeping bag Dustin got for me, but it's enough.
We also plan to dig a trench, pile the dirt on our side, and divert running water away from our platform.
Today with a reliable connection I have applied to local FB groups as another way of making our introduction to our new community. Security is supremely important so some kind of trust is necessary to do business.
Everyone is holding up well, adjusting nicely and making friends. We are still looking around for a cheap trailer; it makes everything so much easier and answers many of our needs for security, maybe an indoor bathroom (this is a family rated report so I will NOT share the state of temporary sanitary facilities, but let's say they are primitive at best) and shower, insects and scavengers, not to mention the increasing cold.
As we settle in and make connections, far from the madding crowd, we read and hear with dismay about the violence and hatred boiling over, again, in the great outside world.
Racism, while so pervasive in our culture, is really an odd man out historically, a poor system.
Pirates had a complete meritocracy - color and gender blind. The only qualification for leadership was success, and the only bar to joining was acceptance of a meritocratic system.
Native Americans, clannish to the Nth degree, nevertheless accepted newcomers as their own blood and tribe with due ceremony.
Native Americans, clannish to the Nth degree, nevertheless accepted newcomers as their own blood and tribe with due ceremony.
The USA claims to be a melting pot, the inscription on the Statue of Liberty promises an open welcome to all, no exceptions.
But it's a lie. We are not color-blind, we are a misogynistic, racist, intolerant culture; xenophobic, unapologetically discriminatory, violent and out of control.
The flip side is a real evolution of a culture embracing diversity; offering opportunity based on merit and nothing else; offering respect and dignity to everyone irrespective of their abilities.
We are in the process of deciding what we truly are as a society. If you care, get out there and work for the result you want. If you sit idly by, then swallow whatever happens and don't complain.
Personally I think the pendulum has swung so far to the right it has no choice but to reverse. It doesn't happen in the abstract though: vote!!!
Time to get back to the days clean-up.
From the Men of Earth Mission to all the world, be well.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
NFTNIF Volume 3, Introduction.
We leave tomorrow for Northern California.
So many people have helped, and so many given their blessings, I am full of confidence and the grace lent us by supporters.
I will try to post at least once a week but at this point I am not 100% sure how to recharge the laptop so I will be using it sparingly. Maybe the guys can teach me how to use the phone to update, anything is possible in an infinite universe.
So much to do - here we go.
Ralph
EarthMission
San Diego, CA
Oct. 19, 2018
www.gofundme.com/EarthMission
NFTNIF Volume 3, episode 5 (The Emerald Triangle).
The Emerald Triangle.
Last night was mild and only got down to about 48. The day dawned to light as crisp and golden as a pitcher of mead. Our spot is actually the warmest locale on the property. However tonight it rains starting about 3 am so we are striking camp while working today and heading for a cheap motel. We need to clean and launder and repack, shower and use modern plumbing, wash down the truck. It looks like about half the forest is mixed into our things.
I will try to take some pictures today.
From the men of Earth Mission to all: have a blessed day.
Ralph
NFTNIF Volume 3, episode 4 (Redwood Country).
Redwood Country.
Early to bed and early to rise. We see the same palate of molten color in the morning and evening. Work continues despite the full moon and ahead of a forecast of rain. Everything I own smells like fresh peeled tangerines or me. Our host kindly provided sleeping pads which cover gnarled toots and the stony teeth of the Earth. I spend a few langorous moments at the end of each day watching sunset, twilight and the gloaming, the day rolls away and the stars spread out burningly luminous. We have been near the full moon so far; I wonder how dark it will get.
My guys are adjusting beautifully and to be honest so am I. Born in Michigan my blood knows how to thicken and it is.
Humanity and Nature live in a rough parity here. This is forest and farm country. Already we are a known factor- our movements in town are conspicuous with so few residents. Luckily our truck projects a wholesome and friendly image which our interactions support.
I am starting to worry a little at the relish in the eyes and voices of those who keep telling us it will get much colder.
How do you winterize a tent?
Suggestions are welcome.
Time to get back to work. From the men of Earth Mission, love to those we left at home.
Ralph
NFTHIF Volume 3, episode 3. Somewhere in Northern California
Somewhere in northern California.
It's crazy beautiful here. Hills painted a dry gold black limbs thrust up and up and up here in Redwood country. Then the crowns some green, other trees aflame with reds and oranges and yellows all turned molten by sunrise and sunset.
The hand of discretion covers the mouth of reporting but we have met the natives and they are friendly. We're camping in a secure place and working hard. Making friends, refining our business model to fit reality, lining up customers and vendors and getting ready to saturate the local minds with our service.
If I may be allowed a personal comment, it gets cold here to be in a (wonderful) tent and we are given to understand that it keeps getting colder. Remember us here and help if you can.
Other than that looking forward to a hot shower tonight even if we have to drive and pay to get it. Coin operated showers at campgrounds.
But it really is crazy beautiful here.
Earth Mission
Sunday, October 21, 2018
NotesFromTheNorthIF Volume 3, Episode 2 Williams, Califoria
We stopped for the night in Williams, California, barely in time to get some food before they rolled up the sidewalks. Clear, chilly, the sky is full of birds wheeling, settling in such large numbers on the phone lines as to make them look like trans-Atlantic cables. I can only imagine what it looks like on the ground beneath them.
We are learning, all over again, about cold at night.
Onward and upward - today is wonderful day and excitement is an elixir headier than the weak coffee I just drank some of, indeed, even the fortune cookie fortunes promise success will flow from hard work and integrity.
That's what we have.
We stopped for the night in Williams, California, barely in time to get some food before they rolled up the sidewalks. Clear, chilly, the sky is full of birds wheeling, settling in such large numbers on the phone lines as to make them look like trans-Atlantic cables. I can only imagine what it looks like on the ground beneath them.
We are learning, all over again, about cold at night.
Onward and upward - today is wonderful day and excitement is an elixir headier than the weak coffee I just drank some of, indeed, even the fortune cookie fortunes promise success will flow from hard work and integrity.
That's what we have.
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