Houses and landscaping need maintenance, and sometimes fixes.
Visions do, too.
Also nations.
While our nation argues (and argues!) about how to maintain its foundations and what needs fixing, here’s a few examples from Camp Many Moons on Huron Bay – because visitors don’t see the messy behind-the-scenes labor that produces the visual “wow.” And because landscapes and houses are a lot easier to fix than nations! 😉
The waterside landscaping needed a lot of tending after planting new ground cover last fall. The creeping juniper did its slow-but-sure spread with no help except weed-pulling, but the golden stone crop needed more. I divided and spread them further down the pathway, then watered daily until the new roots took hold. That’s the thing about roots; if we forget to tend them, the whole plant (or nation) can wither and die.
Speaking of roots. This haul of tree roots and tag elder branches is the result of pulling or pruning trees that interfered with a calming view. Sometimes a barrier needs to be pulled out by the roots and sometimes it just needs pruning. The trick of outdoor maintenance — and nation maintenance — is knowing which is which. Fortunately for landowners and homeowners, the consequences of getting it wrong are small. One can always plant a new tree.
Walls are more visible than roots, so the need for fixes shows up quickly. Just the act of living in a house causes chips and stains. This kind of fix takes a light touch. A little-dab-‘ll-do-ya, as an old commercial once said. (And don’t forget to protect what doesn’t need need fixing, like a rag on the floor to catch drips. Because, sometimes, the act of fixing one thing causes a new problem that then needs fixing.)
After fixing the walls and cleaning the tools, there’s the messiness of destroying the evidence. Used paint brushes must be soaked in mineral spirits, then sometimes dried with a rag, and then — if you have the right place for it — you can burn the rag. Burning the evidence is a good thing during house maintenance but not nation maintenance. Citizens count on that evidence to know what the government is doing in their name and with their money.
Then there’s the wood piles. About 15 of them once stood on the grounds after cutting hundreds of trees. (The two acres comprising Camp Many Moons was an impassable and messy wood. Thanks to an ultra-competent outdoorsman and his equipment, it turned into a camp.) Only a few piles remain, and tend to fall over if not watched. So I bang them back into place and add a few supports, which don’t work well because they’re not stable enough themselves. Fixes might look good for a time but, if not done thoughtfully, can lull you into a false sense of security until the pile falls down and must be rebuilt.
Camp Many Moons was a vision that turned into a camp and then a home. The vision evolved over time as each next step took shape. It took patience, partners, money and resilience. In the eight years since buying a sad-looking plot of land on faith, I’ve learned a lot. I made mistakes along the way. I sometimes lost faith. Our nation is 250 years old–young by world standards. It’s made mistakes, too. Mistakes can teach us, if we listen. A friend often says “nobody’s perfect.” True. No nation is, either. We can recover from mistakes, but loss of faith is more difficult. Time will tell how it all plays out. I do have faith that there is a purpose in it all. I just wish I knew the next move.
Sometimes, the best next move is the one that takes your mind off maintenance needs and fixes. On an unseasonably warm fall day, in the middle of a long bike ride, take an impromptu plunge into a cold river. Feel the sensation. Revel in it. Celebrate it. Put the mental work aside for awhile. It’ll still be there when you get back.
To read about (and see) the evolving vision called Camp Many Moons starting from Day 1, click here and then chose “Next Post” at bottom.
To read about the building of the house from Day 1, click here and then choose “Next Post.”
The Cabin at Many Moons under the Northern Lights…
… and hidden behind fall leaves. Reminders that beauty is always available, that a vision takes time to evolve, and we we can (usually) recover from mistakes. Faith!
This is a great analogy, stating facts, expressing what needs to be said. We all need to keep faith and do the necessary work of maintaining what we hold dear.
For Many Moons 
This is a great analogy, stating facts, expressing what needs to be said. We all need to keep faith and do the necessary work of maintaining what we hold dear.
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thank you for being one of those who helps me keep the faith..
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