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It began in early 1970, during the infancy
of his macrobiotic years, when his T'ai Chi teacher in Boston laid down
the gauntlet to the class. Duncan asked his class if anyone would like
to help him build a log cabin on his 250 acres in the mountains of
British Columbia. It sounded like a great adventure to Paul and
Jake, the only two volunteers. Jake begin cleansing with an all
fruit diet while Paul ate buckwheat and miso soup.
The day to leave saw Paul and Jake on the entrance to I-90 in Boston,
thumbs out, wielding packs and sleeping bags. Jake's bag was a
warm down but Paul could only muster a summer bag. Three days
later, traveling day and night (except for one night spent on a
dormitory floor) they arrived at an old farmer's house in Fernie,
British Columbia at 2 a.m. where Duncan awaited. The farmer's
wife, Katy, promptly got out of bed to fix them cornmeal, bread and
eggs. It wasn't two hours later that Paul awoke with stomach
cramps and diarrhea. Where he went the Earth only knows.
Morning, toboggan loaded with roots, grain, seaweed, beans and
supplied, the three men pulled it seven miles up the mountain along an
abandoned logging road to the site where the only structure was a crude
teepee - 20 foot poles leaned against a big pine (lower branches
removed) with tar paper spiraled around, and a dirt floor. They
found a few boards to lay their bags on. Paul didn't really sleep
except in fits for two weeks, curled tightly to avoid freezing during
10-15o nights. He thanked the hard work in the
daytime for his remaining unscathed by frostbite. Five feet of
snow remained from the thirty-two feet which had fallen that
winter.
The first task was cutting logs, straight ones, for the cabin. No
chain saw here to pollute, only Swede saws, axes, draw-knives and rope
to pull the logs as much as one mile to the cabin site, where they
laced the peeled trees into a cabin (after excavating four feet of snow
which still lay on the ground).
Food Never Tasted So Good
They took turns cooking on a Coleman stove, kept warm
(for a few hours) at night by banking the fire in a pit in the dirt
floor, and kept the vegetables from freezing by burying them in the
snow. Food never tasted so good.
After about two weeks, not having had a bath, they started a fire to
heat water, but Paul stripped to the buff, ran 100 yards over the snow
to a "hole" in the creek, splashed and rubbed, ran back to the waiting
fire, and put on clean clothes. He felt like a million
dollars.
Snow melted first beneath the big trees and there they lunched on sunny
days, where chipmunks stole rice from their hands and birds began to
sing. Low shrubs began to appear as the snow receded, while buds
expanded into tender shoots on the trees. The muted gurgle of
streams slowly gave way to the melt as fresh breezes plied the forest
with smell and sound until flowers popped joyously forth and streams
roared rebirth. Forests and valley awoke in a profusion of
foliage and earthy stirrings. The moist fresh winds carried
scents of cedar and pine followed by the complex sweetness of clovers
from the valley. Our spirits were alive! Soaring above to
savor the Earth's delights! Flying deliriously....
Time for Planting
With the cabin built and the weather significantly warmed and
snow remaining only in patches, it was time to break ground for
planting. Who says you need to eat animal food to swing a grub
hoe (heavy as a pick axe) nine hours per day busting ground? Or
to carry 200 pound logs on your shoulder over brush, fallen trees and
uneven ground? To run and not tire . . . your aura riding amidst
the treetops.
It was work like this, intimately tied to the earth that brought Paul
to a kinship with nature and a thirst to understand his universal roots
and destiny. Long walks, 6 miles (one way) from the valley late
at night after helping farmers with their hay, took him through dense
forests after dark, often scrutinized by cougar, deer, and bear, but
never molested.
Eight months after he arrived in the early April snow, Paul left
because there was no provision for the winter. He was at a point
in his spiritual/psychic/conscious development where he felt about to
open up, to blossom into a much greater awareness; like antennae turned
into wide-band radio-telescopes. But winter was setting in and he
returned to life in populous New England where for months he enjoyed
fabulous success in everything he attempted.
Paul's dream from that time has been to have a place where he could go
beyond where he had been, to advance in consciousness, health and
understanding and show others how. Western religion says "Come
and believe." Paul believes that one must "Come and see" or "Come
and experience." Paul and Mary (who shares this dream) have
miraculously stumbled upon and bought a 170-plus acre piece of land
right up against Glacier National Park in Montana. Shangri
La! They will be establishing a small community there but need
help to build tight homes, root cellars, kitchen(s), other buildings,
establish a good water supply, perhaps erect a windmill and much more,
plus offer cooking classes, meditational direction, T'ai Chi and other
ways of growth, gardening, macrobiotic instruction, crafts, fence
building, survival courses, world class fishing, hiking trails you
wouldn't believe, mountain biking, and many other spirit lifting and
strengthening pursuits.
In the springtime when the Montana mountains awake is the perfect time
to set out for this land hugging Glacier Park on its most accessible
eastern side. Paul & Mary are liquidating their assets
now.
The challenge of building from scratch in order to accommodate
(eventually . . . sooner rather than later) a small community will tax
mind and body; but, as most hard work expended towards a worthwhile
goal brings deep satisfaction, so will this, as we create with hands
and share in the camaraderie of friends, building a better world.
Winters blow harsh here. The first couple winters may be spent
traveling, visiting, learning, working elsewhere, until provision for
cold weather and isolation are established. Then, what a
conscious metamorphosis could occur spending winters in study,
writing,. meditation . . . amidst the fierce wind, cold and snow.
But, did you imagine yourself becoming a great influence towards a more
conscious world by enveloping yourself in posh environs and
creature-comforts within the urban jungle and its distractions?
Fields of energy surround your body. When they grow strong
enough, work in urbania will be more fruitful, the temptations and
distractions buffered by your strengthened being. We think this
Montana community will be the ideal place to develope the inner
strength and consciousness as befits true humanity. We hope you
do too.
For more information contact:
e-mail address:
wolfroadvq@sio.midco.net
Paul Kern and Mary Schramm
1019 So. Norton Ave.
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
PH: (605)338-1151
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