While not related they both pose ver interesting stories about how this week is unfolding at WHTC.
On Sunday afternoon, the StuffIt Container lady was to deliver the storage pods out onsite that contain a quite eclectic mix of stuff. Our time was arranged and the first pod was loaded. We parked her truck and the pod at the entrance of the property to survey the potential spots. No one slight problem in sight. The toads had supported the movement of two bui buildings onsite. The buildings had both beem empty and the weather had been consistently dry. On this past sundy there had been several days of rainy and damp weather and there were some obvious signs of it on the road. The left side of the red clay road had been gouged with the rainwater runoff. Btu it looked manageable. So I left her to her delivery business and drove off only to receive a call before I could reach the interstate saying that the truck was already stuck. I returned and looked at the muddy mess. The truck had slidden to the left, into the gouged trench and was up to th rear axle in mud - blocking the ENTIRE road. Only reverse seemed like an option, but the spinning wheels nor the boards were an effective solution. So having done all we could...we left. I dropped her of at her vehicle and we decided to try removing the stuck truck on Monday morning.
On Monday morning I received a call saying that a truck with chain was no match for the mud and that another wrecker was being called to pull her wrecker out of the mud. We secured a flat, non-muddy space down the road to place the pod.
My confidence was rewarded as I returned to the property later in the morning to find the road clear and passable, albeit with a few more deep gouges from the wrestling match that I can only imagine that was required to free the truck.
So what does that have to do with lost phones? NOTHING! The continuing saga is that upon returning on Monday onsite I managed to lose my phone in the woods. I had no idea where I had lost it, only that the day had been rather quiet and I had not heard it ring. This morning I decided to retrace the path that I had followed with the visitor and dog, Egypt yesterday. And there it was! Under the fallen tree that I had limbo'd under yesterday; a bit moist frm the light sprinkles and fog, but working nonetheless!
This week has definately started with its own excitement. I cant wait for the rest of the week to unfold!
There are not many things that say wilderness better than a wood fire going! And not much says simple living than a wood burning cook stove.
This week's adventure has included the adoption of a blue and rust colored old fashioned cook stove for WHTC. Naomi Davis of Davis Farms in Roberta Georgia met our heat/cooking need by allowing us to adopt her grandmother's old stove.
With the help of Kim and Jim (driving the tractor to carry the stove) and the generosity of Naomi...we have a wood burning stove out at WHTC. I have committed to cook up something AND grilled cheese sandwiches and have the folks over at Davis Farms over after I get it cleaned up and working.
Thanks Naomi. Thanks Davis Farms! Be sure to check out the video and pictures!
As the holidays surround us and the weather begins to turn cold (brutally cold on some nights) the "demonstration" on homelessness begins to really sink in. The homelessness awareness event took our focus off of the development aspects of WHTC and focused for a day on the implications. The implications for addressing the issues of homelessness are HUGE! The ability to provide ultra-affordable housing is huge! The implications of providing healthy community structures as the Convertible Community Concept provides has very significant implications when addressing the issue of homelessness. There are so many things to say and I decided that I will share with you some of the "lessons to self" that I gathered from this experience.
Lessons to self:
1. When you are homeless, you can't leave the "demonstration". When it got cold and started raining too hard on Saturday morning, and all the other people left....we could too! We broke camp and went home!
2. A little bit of shelter makes a BIG difference. For our demonstration, budget was a concern (translated: this was a very low budget event). Normally we would have used a building material with at least the rigidity of R-Max insulation boards which give a higher R-value. But the insulation boards we used, while not as rigid or highly insulated provided a definate protection from the at times pounding rain and the chilling wind. When inside you were sheltered from the elements and DRY!
3. A casual event of a short duration only scratches the most remote corner on the problem of homelessness.
4. NOT being homeless provides opportunities to prevent homelessness or at least provide for comforts. I had the luxury of making some phone calls and emails to solicit donations and resources. I garnered financial support and in-kind support. I was able to send emails and receive cash and gift cards to purchase materials. I was able to call and receive access to porta-potties on-site for the event. I was able to solicit free products from Tape Rite, Inc. (http://taperite.thomasnet.com/) because they believed in the work we were doing and showed it with with support. I was able to do all this because of having access to my handy dandy laptop with mobile air card, and my albeit frustrating at times, sprint cell phone - all of which might be a luxury if I were homeless for more than just one day!
5. Many have lost the "inquiring mind" spirit. I would think that a shiny silver, hexagon "thing" in the middle of Poplar Street would garner questions from curious passers-by. Very few stopped to even inquire what the shiny thing was all about.
6. Transportation is a precious commodity if you are homeless. With transportation I could go and tend to whatever needs I had. On Saturday after disassembling the Hexayurt structure in the pouring rain, I was soaked even to the insoles of my shoes. I was able to get in my car and drive to the warmth of a friends house who had graciously made lunch preparations for "after I wasn't homeless anymore." I could put my precious belongings into my vehicle and drive to a place where i could dry off out of my wet, cold garments. Homelessness doesn't provide this option for many.
7. Homelessness is not an issues that generally solicits goodwill and charity from many. Rather it is one that many seem to be able to ignore without guilt or remorse.
8. Homelessness has a stereotypical face. Many don't realize that a large and growing number of homeless look just like me and you. They are families with children, they are people who struggle to make ends meet every day, they are responsible adults that are hardworking and they are innocent children who have not been given a choice about their situation.
9. One last lesson....although there are many more....I have within my power to do more about this issue.
I hope you will take a minute to reflect on my lessons or perhaps garner lessons of your own. Homelessness is an issue that can be quite complicated, but we have the necessary tools to offer real sustainable solutions! One tool is in being able to provide ultra-cheap living structures!
Please check out the pictures from the event.
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