It's a fire tower of course--and I want to go there.
It's beyond the top of this hill---up that steep road.
Steeper than I supposed---but doable. (this is a going down shot)
And there it is---50 feet in the air. Lots of steps but I need the exercise.
And Yeah--the view is worth the climb---but not in itself worth reporting to you.
BUT THIS IS!!---Meet Lana---a gentle, open firetower lady with a remarkable story: Married long ago to a military guy---baby comes---marriage falls apart---no way to make a living. She got an old camper and retreated to a hidden nook in the vast forest below this tower----AND LIVED THERE WITH HER SON FOR 14 YEARS. Early in her stay---the rangers discovered her hiding place---sized up her situation and offered her a summer job in this tower. She gratefully accepted ---did a good job--and returned the next year---and the next 20 years. Meanwhile the son grew up and moved away.
Lana continued to live in the forest SURVIVING ON 3 MONTHS OF MINIMUM WAGE SALARY.
Often, she would simply live in the tower itself.
Can you see her bed and the edge of her sink? (has to carry water up) There is a fridge and stove also.
I was moved by her story---returned next day with two companions--Laurie (left) and Ginger (right) the lady in the middle is Lana's replacement for Thurs and Fri. She gave me more details about Lana's story.
The hilltop is also a communication center.
RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: Lana's unspoken message/lesson for the world is: LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS. She has survived for 20 years on the income from a summer job. LET THE WORD GO FORTH TO THE GOVERNMENTS OF GREECE, SPAIN,PORTUGAL,IRELAND, THE UNITED STATES AND ALSO TO THE CITIZENS OF ALL COUNTRIES: Live within your means!
And P.S. Lana's story has a happy ending: Beginning this month she will receive a widows pension because her long departed husband recently died.
Quest for community caravan update: Interesting new people in interesting rigs have rolled in---I will show you in a day or so. Prepare yourself for a whopper.
7 comments:
Amazin story. Thanks for sharing.
Loved the story. Can you imagine waking up to that view?
Those fire tower jobs must be hard to come by. The guy we met at the tower near Silver City had been doing it for 13 years.
You're right about living within (or preferably below) your means. Seems to be a really hard thing for most people and governments to do, though.
Wonderful story Randy! I aspire to do the same...not live in the fire tower, but to live on less and enjoy more!! Linda in Kentucky
I think being close to nature makes it much easier to live within your means. The peace that comes from the open space is restorative. She's not crammed next door to the endless legions of farting, snoring, blathering, conniving, thieving, murderous humans turning the peaceful rhythms of the open landscape into one big living hell of a rat race. Any one whose ever spent any time in any city of brotherly love knows this.
Jim--Gale: We keep missing you. Know you're now at Lake Heron. Hope we cross paths before the summer's gone.
Anonymous: Tell us how you really feel about city life---you speak like Boonie---only nicer.
Lena has survived but has she fourished?
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