[Oe List ...] Fwd: GMCA May 23-24

Sun May 25 16:36:04 PDT 2014

I'm grateful for your reports, David. Glad you're taking care of yourself.

Blessings,
Jann McGuire

-----Original Message-----
From: David Zahrt via OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>
To: OE <oe at lists.wedgeblade.net>; Dialogue ICA <dialogue at lists.wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Sun, May 25, 2014 2:40 pm
Subject: [Oe List ...] Fwd: GMCA May 23-24

Dear Climate March Friends,

May 23, Friday, 

Overnight itrained and was still raining when we got up today.  We had breakfast and made lunches under a roofed-in patio.The route had to be scouted out so the vehicles had to wait. We knew that therewas a very steep climb on today’s March. I think it was called The Step.  There was a request for a show of handsof those that wanted to be shuttled up the hill.  At 10 o’clock we headed east on Hwy 75 and N on Hwy 516.  It went over a climb and had a scenicoverlook.  It is amazing how mountainssurround Taos, NM.  Our campsitewas at a Southern Methodist University outpost.  The SMU campsite was at 7300 feet elevation and I think theroad over The Step was 8500 ft.  Igot to talk to a botanist who traveled from SMU in Texas to do a course forstudents here.

It wasovercast all day.  There wereperiodic thundershowers all afternoon and the temperature dropped.  Given the weather I decided not to getshuttled back and do the March to the mountaintop.  The Marchers had to be very careful because there was veryslim shoulder.  I set the solarpanels up, but we got very little solar energy.  The kitchen area behind one of the buildings at the SMUcampsite had a large patio with a roof.  It had room for us to cook and have our meetings.  Immediately before dinner we worked onObjectives.  During dinner a steadyrain began. 

After dinnerwe had a celebration that was intended to be a send-out for Pablo. He’s leavingthe March in Taos. His departure will require finding an alternative forpulling the commode trailer.  Afellow who calls himself CB joined us in Santa Fe. He plans to help us findalternatives.  We had thecelebration but Pablo had left during a rainstorm for dinner in Taos.  Kat, the Mistress of Ceremonies, calledfor volunteer presentations, while we waited for Pablo to return.  I introduced my version of TheImpossible Dream again and invited the group to sing it with me, and theywere delighted.  Before I could sitdown Izzy insisted that I sing my version of Yesterday.  I sang it and when it came to “…one ofus must wear Depends…” I pointed to him.  Izzy and I ride bikes together and he’s labeled us the Elders’Bike Brigade.  Since Phoenix we’veregularly been volunteering to do the enablement of driving the Gear truck andthe Kitchen truck.  It was rainingagain. Some have tents and sleeping bags that are very damp. I spread out myair mattress and sleeping bag under the roof in the meeting room.

Our Saturday, May 24, campsite was at aHindu Temple.  The beauty of thislocation is that it’s so close to downtown Taos.  We put up a big tent, unloaded our gear into it, and tookthe Gear truck to a mechanic.  Quitea few marchers made a trip out of town to Earthship where we toured thesustainable housing they are creating www.earthship.com. They have an enormous taskand are demonstrating what it takes to make housing sustainable.  If we had planned way ahead when Lin andI moved from Iowa, we might have built one in Carson City.  I suspect the zoning regulations wouldhave required us to build out of town. 

By the timewe got back to the Visitors’ Center the rain was turning to snow.  It didn’t stay as snow, but there wascontinued precipitation. The Marchers had a plan to join a Taos Marchdemonstrating against Monsanto for chemicals that are killing bees.  It was a March I should have been on,but I didn‘t have my rain-gear with me so I caught a ride back to the campsite. I had seen the sign for DreamcatcherB&B www.dreambb.comvery near to where we had dropped the gear off.  Given the continued afternoon thundershowers, I inquiredabout a stay at the B&B.  Sinceit is Memorial Day weekend and there was a Motorcycle Rally, they werefull.  

Prudy, theowner, called other B & Bs but they were also full.  She then offered a room that is notdesigned for B&B guests—2 single beds in a room down some steps off thekitchen.  I took it anticipatingthat Bob Cook would also appreciate a stay in the B&B. I was correct and hejoined me.  I went up to the tentsand tarps to collect my luggage—a hundred yards away.  One bag was in the tent.  It was damp. The other bag was under a tarp with otherluggage. The covering tarp was collecting puddles of water.  I found the bag and brought both bagsplus my computer to the B&B. It was a wonderful alternative to sleeping indamp equipment in the rain. The Temple provided us an evening meal.  I slept in a real bed!

Peace, David

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