Earle Birney's blog

It's 105 degrees out.  Everyday.  Now humid too with the monsoons.  

Perfect time for insulating the house...

so the question arises...  do I go with the short sleeves and shorts and deal with the itch?

Or with the long sleeves and the sweat?

day 1 - itch

day 2 - sweat

Day 3 ???

Check out this quick video of a bunch of stills from the building progress and some general carrying on in the kitchen yurt.  

I have taken a break to help others with their projects and to raise some funds, but am looking to do the drywall soon and hope to be done in a few months.  I will let y'all know when the house warming party is...

Had some very special guests the past few weeks.  

Firstly, my folks made the trip down from Canada for our family weekend at the beginning of term.  They survived the heat, assassin bugs, lack of amenities, and the drive out to the site - all with style.  Everyone tells me how cool (agreed) and relaxed (?) they are.  It was amazing to have them here, to meet everyone, and to have them visit my cabin.  It was very meaningful and good to connect with them about three year retreat at DM.  It will be hard but I feel they understand a bit more about what it is all about and why I am embarking on this adventure.

Then, Swami Swaroopananda and Krshnam Namboodri came out from the Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas.  I went there last year and had an amazing experience.  I asked Krshnam Namboodri to come to my retreat cabin and to do his thing.  He is from a line of Brahmin priests that goes back 100's of years and was performing 3 days of consecration ceremonies at Diamond Mountain.  Being in his presence is like being by someone that you know is seeing the world differently, seeing stuff that I cant see, relating to forces that I cant really acknowledge or effect - so it was amazing to have him bless my cabin and perform ceremony.

I grabbed the swat team (EO, Matt, Bert, Yohanna, Ted, and Andrea) and we got the stucco done in a day.  The cabin is now essentially sealed in and the outside is more or less done (save a deck and a door and the 10 foot area that still needs painting b/c we ran out of paint).

At this point I am gonna pull back a little bit and relax enough to help some other people on their building projects, enjoy the end of term, try to sleep a little more, etc.  

Here is the accounting (I am trying to keep things open for others to see - in hopes it will help them with budgets - and as well to keep in line with the organizational policy of keeping open books for projects that involve donated money).  

This is the cost for getting sealed in.  I think the total is $18,400 to date.  I feel like I am $5000 away from being able to finish up to a minimal level (still looking for a solar fridge option - if anyone has a spare one kicking around, let me know...)  - which is quite exciting and manageable. 

In case anyone was as worried or as sad as me about the hammer, I found it.  Some volunteer actually put it back in the tool box.  Weird.

I was leaving my site yesterday and got rattled at by this 4 ft rattle snake.  Cute eh?

Also, anyone seen my hammer?  Haven't been able to find it for a week.  I feel like I lost my dog - faithful, reliable, always by my side....

Time to throw up a quick blog inbeween hockey season and world cup.  Even with no access to tv, that sports vein runs deep.  To get my fix, I got a basketball hoop for the retreat center a few months ago (situated appropriately and controverserly right outside the temple).  A friend of mine from back home heard about it and thought it was for my cabin - "man, your gonna have the best jump shot around after three year retreat". 

No, J - I aint playin ball in a silent retreat.  Unfortunately. 

Anyways, here is the latest.

Bert and Will putting up the paper for the stucco wire...Some friends assuming the position in the composting toilet to be...c'est bon

Here is a two day progression of putting the paper and shingles on.  I am glad we waited to do the roof until summer hit.  Nothing like working with black tar paper and shingles on a roof in 90 degree heat!  Would have been a shame to miss that experience...

Next up... windows door and then stucco. 

Wanted to sneak in a quick thanks again to everyone who is helping in many ways.

A couple of people made some dontions to my cabin this week.  The timing was quite something.  I wa reflecting; feeling grateful, not knowing what to say to them, especially as one of them did so anonymously...

the other was a good friend of mine.  I know he has a good income and is in a financially solid place. I  was thinking though of all the things he could have bought with the money instead of making a donation to me.  But I couldn't come up with much.  He is one of the least materialistic people I know.  Give
him 5 million dollars and he'll still buy everything except his socks and underwear at the second hand store.  He isn't interested in new cars, fancy dinners, or flat screen tv's. 

But then I thought of all the places he could have donated his money to.  I know he could have chosen any one of a thousand worthy projects.  It struck me how much it meant to me that he made the donation because he believes in what we are doing enough at Diamond Mountain and in the three year retreat.  And in me.

I will spend the money.  Probably forget about his generosity sooner then later in my self absorbtion.  But I know I will carry this feeling of emotional support with me into retreat.  I know it is what will get me through when times get a little rough.  I feel the support of this faith, the motivation it inspires; the feelings of appreciation run deep. 

How do you thank someone for this?

I will try to do my best.

The fabulous Will Duncan III.  Ex retreat neighbour.  Moved to retreat suburbia....Viet helpin with the sheathing

I asked Bert if he thought I was getting any better at building.  He said yes.  I think I am jsut getting better at hiding my mistakes from him.

Hard to thank someone who does so much for you, day in and day out, building and otherwise. 

Bliss's retreat cabin is at the FAR end of the vally from mine - we can almost see each others cabin.  We have an ongoing argument about who's site is better.  I say mine.  To prove it... below is the view from the window where my sink will be - overlooking an ocotillo forest grove.  They jsut went into bloom - super thorny cactus with bright red devil's tails at the top.  Pic doesn't do it justice.