permaculture

["Robert Waldrop" <bwaldrop@cox.net>]

When I think of this, I often contemplate how 
plants can take root and grow in the most 
astonishingly inhospitable places.  I am familiar 
with a location here in OKC, concrete everywhere, 
yet its owners must wage a constant battle against 
green growth breaking through in places where you 
wouldn't think this possible.  These seems to me 
to be a good metaphor for what we are doing.

I think this thread sprouted off another thread 
where the latest prediction of impending economic 
disaster was posted.  "Run for the hills" is 
common advice, but I am sticking with the city. 
As the situation degrades, personal relationships 
will be very important.  I think whatever the 
future brings, that I will do better in an area 
where I already have trusting relationships, 
rather than moving to an area where I don't know 
anybody. I am active in spreading rhizomes in any 
way I can, and it seems to me that many of them 
are taking root and spreading.  I want to be as 
persistent as the Bermuda grass that I am 
replacing with more productive garden and 
perennial food production here in central Oklahoma 
City.

Our house is just 20 blocks from downtown, and 
located near the center of a quadrangle of 
interstate highways, so we are in one of the 
nation's crossroads.  The low roar of the freeway 
sounds is never absent, even at 3 AM.  This may be 
an unlikely place for permaculture to take root 
too, but here we are, and here we will stay.

Bob Waldrop, tadpole in training in Oklahoma City
www.bettertimesinfo.org

PS.  This coming weekend is our first weekend 
permaculture workshop, taught by Dan and Cynthia 
Hemenway, using our property as the design site. 
It has been hectic getting ready for this, and we 
aren't finished yet, but we are really looking 
forward to the experience.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sean Maley" <semaley@yahoo.com>
> Ultimately, much of this comes from Daniel 
> Quinn.  More directly, where I picked it up 
> from, would
> be Jeff Vail and his memetic theory of power. 
> Somehow, all of this seams similar to 
> understanding
> the Tao Te Ching.  We have text after text 
> saying these things, giving words for the 
> concepts, yet
> it sometimes takes making a nuisance of oneself 
> to finally get it.  From finally understanding 
> the
> nature of the problem, so to speak, the 
> conundrum of "what to do" posses itself.  On 
> this, few
> agree.