Food & Shelter 1
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| James offered to build a clay oven here. I have wanted one of these for a while. |
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| The whole procedure was incredibly fast. First, I made a sturdy timber base. Then, the oven was built on top of this in just a couple of days. |
| Working with the clay and fire was pure joy. The feel of the moist earth was exciting. I remembered playing this intently as a child. Care-free. Judgment-free. Later, when the oven was fired up to dry it out, magic happened. The night receded into the background and a sense of ease descended around the oven. |
| I had not expected such a strong experience. It was similar to working with the clay-straw – it engendered a sense of knowing. This is what I am after on my Food & Shelter quest. An awakening of inner knowing. Masanobu Fukuoka in ‘The One Straw Revolution’ writes about this in respect of growing food. Nature wants us to survive. Knowledge of how to do this is in our genes. Growing food and sheltermaking and are very similar in this regard. |
| If we know how to provide ourselves with food and shelter where does that leave us? In a perfect place from which to view the modern world it seems. Surprisingly, this comes as something of a shock to most people. It is no easy thing to see the world so clearly. |
| The struggle to accept this state of affairs is played out in day to day life. Firing up the clay oven for the first time was a burning of the past. The new beginning which emerged from this is as yet vague and slumberous. I will now tease this into its fullness, open myself to its revelations. |
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| Next, an odd thing happened – the gas bottle ran out! There was nothing for it but to crank up the clay oven to cook dinner! Roast veggie, mini-pizza and lots of fun. Alleluia! We are underway! |
| Flames. |
| Woodsmoke. |
| The great outdoors. |
| Life. |
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| More to follow … |