Our first possibility is in the small town of St. Anthony---northof Idaho Falls.
This marvelous little cabin, under forclosure, is up for auction in just a few days.
Minimum bid is $1000. She is excited--willing to pay the full forclosure price, $34,000 to get it, if necessary. Or to buy it outright.
It is perfect for her---a few problems--but fixable.
So we camp in a "seam" just 2 blocks away to wait for the realtor in charge tomorrow. ( remember that a seam is an "iffy zone where ownership or jurisdiction is unclear--a place to be without offending anybody--in this case , a roadside area along a dead end street) So much simpler than driving 20 miles to a campground and back tomorrow morning. Solar panels make this kind of flexibility possible.
Nicole makes us a meal of buffalo and veggies. So rare for me that I photograph it.
Next day we learn the hard truth about Bank Forclosure strategy. The auction offer is a pressure tactic on the borrower to force him to get serious about repaying the loan. It worked--and he rescued his property. Nicole absorbed the truth with astonishing aplomb----focused her attention on another option---a trailer--situated in some nice place would do nicely. This one for $10,000 seems a good buy.
She photographed it for careful consideration while we move on to look at her next option--The Coeur d'alene area
She loves this beautiful lake---will consider a lot just 10 minutes away from right here.
We make our way to the area--look around--decide to stay the night in this driveway--looks unused --so we just chance it. If by some remote chance the owner should show up--I have invented a good cover story--the truck died right here--we're waiting to be rescued--Note the explanatory note stuck in the window and the hood raised. Nobody troubled us and we saved ourselves a lot of hassle-the salesperson came next morning.
Would you pay $12,000 for this lot? That's the asking price. Another without electricity is $6,000.
With all her options in mind--we moved on to Spokane, Wa to amuse ourselves and wait for her train. I loved riding the carousel and so did she----Interestingly she collected 7 rings as we whirled and me 4--one of which was the brass ring---and damn! I dropped it.
After midnight, she boarded Amtrack for the trip back to Chicago. I was sorry to see her go--she was good company---and has a head full of interesting ideas. Here's my interpretation of a few of them:
1. RAW MILK ---taste better and is much healthier for us than pasteurized. Big damage is done to it by that process.
(The Untold story of milk by Schmid and wikipedia raw milk) She brought a 4 day supply with her and tried in vain to find a source for more.
Would you pay $12,000 for this lot? That's the asking price. Another without electricity is $6,000.
With all her options in mind--we moved on to Spokane, Wa to amuse ourselves and wait for her train. I loved riding the carousel and so did she----Interestingly she collected 7 rings as we whirled and me 4--one of which was the brass ring---and damn! I dropped it.After midnight, she boarded Amtrack for the trip back to Chicago. I was sorry to see her go--she was good company---and has a head full of interesting ideas. Here's my interpretation of a few of them:
1. RAW MILK ---taste better and is much healthier for us than pasteurized. Big damage is done to it by that process.
(The Untold story of milk by Schmid and wikipedia raw milk) She brought a 4 day supply with her and tried in vain to find a source for more.
2. ENJOYING THE NOW--she says we can train ourselves to live mostly in the now---by consciously snapping our attention back the reality in front of us--- to now, now, now---we will slowly create neural grooves in our brain--slowly conditioning ourselves to live in the now.
3. CLARITY OF COMMUNICATION ABOUT SEX ---She favors courageous, straightforward sexual communication; bypassing awkward subderfuge and misunderstandings.
4. CONSIDER THAT YOU CHOSE YOUR PARENTS----Taking responsibility for your body, mind and environment, whatever it is. (diminishes the agonies of victimhood)
5. CONSIDER THAT YOU CAME INTO THE WORLD WITH AN AGENDA---things to do--lessons to learn to make progress toward wholeness. (true or not--this attitude will stimulate one to look carefully at ones unique "set of fascinations"---the starting point for personal meaning)
6. TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY QUESTIONS----this was a personal lesson for me---making me participate in my questioning by giving the reasons for my asking. What have I noticed that provokes me to ask. I've been getting off too easy in my many interviews. I actually found it more refreshing to participate ---to have a dog in the fight. (so to speak)
RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: This lady supports my suspicion that FREE LANCE LIFESTYLES generate more well-rounded personalities that CAREERISM. LIVING WITHOUT CREDENTIALS allows no automatic status --respect and authority are earned one person at a time. It's worth remembering that the most influential people in history were the free lance types---like Jesus, Buddha and Benjamin Franklin.
RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: This lady supports my suspicion that FREE LANCE LIFESTYLES generate more well-rounded personalities that CAREERISM. LIVING WITHOUT CREDENTIALS allows no automatic status --respect and authority are earned one person at a time. It's worth remembering that the most influential people in history were the free lance types---like Jesus, Buddha and Benjamin Franklin.
Here is a balanced piece on pasturization http://hubpages.com/hub/Raw-Milk-Should-Be-Legal
ReplyDeleteLiving in New Zealand were we are the largest dairy export country in the world, I have used used milk fresh from the cow and bought milk which is pasturized by law. Given the choice I drink the bought stuff every time, it tastes better.
When I was in the States last year, My biggest frustration was not being able to buy plain milk. It either had stuff taken out (fat) or stuff added (vitamin D, etc) I could not find plain pasturized milk at all and it didn't taste like milk to me.
Nicole may be interested in Lamar's excellent eBook, Simple Solar Homesteading.
ReplyDeleteIt explains how to build a small cabin for about $5000 and outfit if for energy independence.
Simple Solar Homesteading
As always, an interesting post. Nicole's points have some merit. I'm working in #2, although I recognize I have some distance yet to travel.
ReplyDeleteI do, however, have some difficulty with Nicole's fourth point that we chose our parents. I'll agree with some of what follows the point itself, especially with regard to victimhood, but I don't think I would have chosen to have an abused and insecure mother who looked for love in all the wrong places. Nor would I have chosen a father who left my life for good when I was five and who 45 years later I learned may have gone to prison for being involved with underage girls.
Point five, on the other hand, reminds me of much of the underlying themes in Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch, and I think there is much to be said for the idea. Perhaps there is a way to reconcile my thoughts on those two notions. Something else for me to work on.
Thanks all, for your input. I trust that Nicole, out there on Americas highways somewhere will pause and also get your messages and suggestions.
ReplyDelete