Mr. Kraft does life

“A friend of a friend offered to put me up in Santa Cruz. Turns out he lived 9 miles away from town, away from the direction I was traveling the next day, in the most filthy and disgusting domicile I have ever entered in my life. Having lived in a fraternity house, and having experienced all sorts of squalor and shit-life, I have to say that this house in the hills was the nastiest shit-hole I’ve ever seen. It deserves some writing here. (NOTE: This is not a reflection on my host, who was very kind, and went far out of his way to help me find this place, and to help me find public transport etc.)

“There were 4 cats in the house. Bottles, clothing, hair and other gross matter were strewn about the place. Matt, my host, had a bedroom with a mattress, a desk, a broken computer, and piles of unorganized and dirty clothes, topped with cat hair and sweat. The kitchen floor featured spilled and crusted liquids and sauces, along with dust, hair, dirt and other grossness. The pantry was covered in cobwebs and there was even a dead spider on a packet of oatmeal I tried to extract from the cupboard. Empty pizza boxes and even a bag with half of a loaf of bread that was completely covered in mold were just a few items of note in the kitchen. It was a complete shit-house. There were also broken windows all over the place, into which raccoons crawl into to steal food (this was attested by my host). Although I did not see raccoons, I did watch the cats come in and out of the freezing cold shit palace through the spaces in the door that should have held windows. I slept with my clothes and shoes on, on their couch, luckily with some blankets Matt just washed that day. I considered camping out, but it was so late and sleep was too important.

Realizations:

Joining my guest, I spent one night inside and had a powerful and overwhelming experience of gratitude. While I greatly enjoy sleeping outdoors and value much about it, the previous night had been 20 degrees F and made for a cold sleep. Spending this following evening in a bed with crisp, dry sheets, without needing to bundle up considerably, and to have a bed to stretch out in, moved me.  It was another reminder to realize how much I had been taking for granted, in regards luxuries in our society that have become expectations for so many people. Gratitude further overwhelmed me for the community and support and abundance surrounding me.

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Little to no purchasing from stores was part of life here.  Similarly, money was not a strong focus.

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“The earth doesn’t need you at all.”  -Old Turtle

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The earth keeps giving; over and over.

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One can turn on the tap here and never have to think about water quality.  This is not the case now in many places.

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After taking the tent down and sleeping indoors for two evenings, I woke up congested, with snot in my nose, and a hoarse, dry throat.  If the surface and the bedding are comfortable and warm, sleeping outside seems to be preferable in most situations.  Particularly in a wall tent.

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Seeing the Forest Rd. neighbor’s property with its architectural gardening and elegant layout has a dramatic and positive effect on me.  The contrast between how properties like this feel in comparison to those with scrap vehicles and unkempt houses, is marked.  I would like to learn how to create spaces like this, and bring that creative process into my life.

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Bike rides feel so much different than driving in a car.  The pleasant yet invigorating experience is reinforcement of my desire to live in a place where car-free life is possible.

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Regular aerobic physical activity is critical to my balance and well-being.  Even dragging heavy logs, chopping firewood, a long day of butchering, or a similar energy-intensive experience is different than an aerobic one.

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I can build a small, cozy, ample place to live. No need to worry – just do it.

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Having a natural body of water in which to bathe improves the quality of my life greatly.  Even a small pond is amazing.

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While awake,
while asleep;
we’re all dreaming.

it’s all a dream.
it’s all a play of mind.

The dream is happening incessantly.
Look  into your thoughts – now.

Each one temporary.
Each, an imagination.

Being unreal and transient,
it would be foolish to  deem them reality.

What would happen,
if I let go?!

Release!
I am free.
No one is bounding me.

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Too much imputer.

Greek yogurt.  Not pasteurized.  Organic milk. From Jersey cows.  Only in Maine.

Here in the forest, our vegetables have no refrigeration and are subject to warm summer temperatures.  Naturally I’ve been fermenting to preserve them.  We have put together quite a little camp and there is much interest in these techniques along with general cookery as well as permaculture.   Teaching needs neither a classroom nor an institution.

Joy.  Thirsty minds surround me.  I, too drink from this in this instant and transient community here in the wood.

Each night it has rained, leaving the Vermont forest lush and humid.  Most apprentices are camping in the dank understory, where our things never dry fully.  Days are sun-filled and after working all day in the heat, we have made the ride to our local swimming hole without fail. 

As I write this I am entrenched in gratitude for my tent, which keeps entrenchment from the unforgiving precipitation that thunders down around me in this bed of ferns.  Hail and wind, just millimeters away, remind me of a favorite adage, memento Mori.  So easy to remember now what humans have been experiencing from time immemorial.   A feeling we so often are shielded from in our modern, western world.

The forward leaning mind has not righted itself.  Old dreams meld and expand after hearing stories from new friends.   My worldview continues to broaden, living amongst inspiring doers, all living this fragile, finite and uncertain life.

   Seize and regret not.  Perhaps as I continue to directly pursue that which inspires me, this mind’s eye of time will right itself after all.

Lots of labor, lots of love.

Almost finished building the tire walls.  The amount of dirt that fills each tire is astounding.  These walls aren’t going anywhere.   One roof dome up, along with part of the concrete and can support structure (bond beam?).

So far all concepts and tools are simple, repeated daily, and clear.   Awesome.

No time was lost.   The floorplan was staked out with surveying equipment and rebar for markers. Walls made from tires, filled with pounded earth began their erection.  We pounded earth for most of the day. Tires are stacked offset and require an enormous quantity of earth and labor to be filled.   Another team built skeletons for to roof domes.

Michael Reynolds and the earthship Biotecture crew are working with us, probably with more effort.   The work environment is positive and people are moving.  Photos to come.