On the Potency of Music
I love music. I spend a lot of time learning about its design and production. Despite my hearing loss, I try to play it. A question that has followed my […]
Plastic, Rocks, and I
I’m having a crappy day, so I indulged in a bag of chili-cheese fritos. I usually keep a bag on hand since they are out-of-this-word fantastic crumbled on a salad, […]
A New Enlightenment?
There’s been a hiatus in my postings. I had a mastectomy and have been slow to get my energy, and perhaps more importantly, my focus back after a summer of […]
Late Summer 2021
The oak leaves have their mature deep green, leathery appearance. The fog has a gray cast, rather than the golden hue it somehow gathers in the spring and early summer. […]
Looking green!
Greener and greener! The garden is beginning to produce! I started most everything from seed, so it lags behind other gardens a bit, but the wait has been worth it! […]
When it breaks down
The repercussions of overdoing it this Spring have trickled down well into Summer. This Spring, the busiest time of year for my gardening business, I also bushwhacked and established a […]
Last day of Spring, First EVER National Juneteenth
I wish I had kept up with the blog better this Spring. So much happened, but working so hard, I would be up at 5:30 and in bed by 7. […]
Rehumaning
Yup. After about a week of being eaten alive by bugs; shredded and impaled by raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, Devil’s walking stick, locusts, and greenbriar; endured thousands of demands from hungry […]
Under Dinosaur Skies
Much about the times is difficult for me to accept, process, reconcile, and so on. The politics. The environmental rape. The selfishness of maskless morons. Racism. Nationalism. It has all […]
Feral
The dynamics of isolation are complex. As an extreme outlier on the introversion scale, as well as a practicing hermit, I’ve found myself alone for some significant time. I can […]
The Efficacy of Ego and the Dissolution of Self: Part 2
See Part 1 Considering humanity through history, it’s a big thing. What we call History- it’s characters and narratives- is a thin, subjective braid of what events and people have […]
The Efficacy of Ego and the Dissolution of Self: Part 1
See Part 2 When I grew up, I was most strongly influenced by my father. He was a thoughtful, quiet man, who believed his children were obligated to be the […]
A busy busy spring
I took on too much. I foster baby wild birds and release them back into the wild each spring. This is the fourth year. The first year, I had 6 […]
Final touches on the garden
Today, I installed some black 2″ polyfence on top of the field fence, and also formed a groundhog-befuddling flange along the bottom. All 20 yards of compost has been distributed, […]
Eastern Phoebes and a Black Cat
I have a pair of Eastern Phoebes nesting in the eave of the shed. I will take this as a sign that parts of the compound are being integrated fully […]
Starting the Mountain Garden
Work began on the monastery garden this week. A lot touching a corner with mine had been clearcut by its previous owner. The housing association didn’t like that, and prevented […]
Improvements to the grounds
Gardening! It’s been a hectic couple weeks with soil and earth deliveries, the fencing contractors, and moving garden to the new site. The current location of the garden is the […]
Reintegration Blues
The COVID pandemic has killed, caused economic and social carnage, and continues to spawn variants with difficult to define powers. Yet, it has provided a near-obligatory opportunity for those who […]
Vandals
Differences among people’s world views can be challenging and enriching to overcome. Some individuals take their worldview seriously, others float through life in a less anchored way, perhaps not even […]
Growth, Reflection, and Sharing
Happy Easter! It’s a holiday rife with far flung symbolisms, but it’s a certain recognition that Spring is upon us in the Northern Hemisphere! Today was particularly special for me […]
Steaks and Lollies
Organisms have an intimate and complex relationship with food. We not only literally take it into our bodies, but also we assimilate it into our own being. Additionally, it triggers […]
Rooting
Plants have a distinct quality from people that is shared with more strictly segmented life, such as some worms and some invertebrates. In many cases you can lop a limb […]
The Ever Present Suck of Media
You’ve reached the bottom of the rabbit hole’s gravity well; midway through your night’s journey, you’ve found yourself in a hermit’s blog. The internet has its pull. It preys with […]
The excitement never ends
March 22, a gorgeous Spring day. Cloudless clear skies, rapidly rising temps, and some outdoor work to do, but not much to worry about, so I thought. The much anticipated […]
Spring Equinox, 2021
Ahhh. Feels wonderful. Longer days. Temperatures hitting T-shirt numbers. Horus and Odie (two of my dogs) accompanied me for walk in the woods. My GPS reported about three miles. Crystal […]
Tender spots
Lately, I’ve been experiencing a bit more of people than I like. I’m finding that solitude makes each exposure more saturating and evocative. A dim LED shines brightly if your […]
A tentative step out of the plague.
My Pfizer doses have been complete for 3 weeks now. I’m full ripe of antibodies. I decided that it was time to venture out of the county and learn a […]
Wildlife List Spring 2021
Wildlife spotted at Mons Domus this season. Birds American Crow1 Slate Junco1 Chipping Sparrow1 White breasted Nuthatch1 Mourning Dove1 Carolina Wren1 Black-capped Chickadee1 Downy Woodpecker1 Hairy Woodpecker Tufted Titmouse Pileated […]
On Grief: My father died twice.
My father’s death certificate reads about 5 years ago. I refuse to remember the exact day. It’s in the middle of March. Bloated with a ruptured intestine and with faint […]
My Wren Friend
This Winter has been all about Juncos and Nuthatches. It’s a huge flock. There are a handful of chickadees and three doves that regularly partake in the peanuts and sunflower […]
COVID-19 and Mons Domus
Pre-COVID, I was making terribly slow progress on the main structure at Mons Domus, I’d had a medicore relationship that I finally gave up on, and was terribly disillusioned with […]
Routine and Discipline
Holy smokes, it’s been very hard to keep my routine lately. With COVID’s challenges being dynamic and it being a busy time of the year for my business, I am […]
Life in a Green Commune
Photo credit: Wikimedia Volvox are gorgeous organisms. They live somewhere between the individual, a group, and are a beautiful manifestation of physically efficient geometry. They are often abundant in deep, […]
An Argument for a 5th Season
It’s the end of February and the mountains of PA have seen one of the most generously snowy winters that we have experienced in years. It reminds me of my […]
Technology and Monasticism
… is the title of an unwritten dissertation. In my monastic experience, I’ve taken a tack that welcomes some tech and shuns others. I don’t think there’s a single approach […]
Postmodernism, quantum physics, and the unravelling of purpose.
Physics has been one of my favorite subjects since I was a kid and ignored much of second grade in favor of my science magazines. I started studying Physics and […]
How big is a soul?
I’ve always had an interest in consciousness, self awareness, and how the brain seems to have a sense of where the self ends and where the rest of the universe […]
Digital Bouquets
I enjoy occasions to give. But as I have aged, most people in my circle have all the things they want and to take up more space risks imposing oneself. […]
Joy in Painting
When young, I gravitated to clay in school and the muddy hole that I had dug in the back yard for fun. At university, I studied portrait sculpture and soil […]
Keeping the Routine in Check
Good morning! Today I might just be able to focus on and appreciate my solitude. I’m finding that maintaining my weekly routine is frequently disrupted, and though I can maintain […]
Lessons from Evolution in the age of Media
The term, “meme,” doesn’t only mean a snarky cat photo. The term was coined by Richard Dawkins in his book, The Selfish Gene, and was meant to reflect a much […]
Medical failures and triumphs
Here I go. My long suffering from a pervasive autoimmune disease that’s left me with an arthritic spine from C5 to L5, torn up my gut for 50 years, bouts […]
Chickadee
We did actually get a good bit of snow over the past 48 hours, hard to say how much total because it is fluffy and considerable drifting has piled it […]
Snow Day Prep, and Latin with the Starlings
There was much to do this past Fall. I was getting the main structure ready for occupancy inspection and had to shore up the 250′ fence, in addition to the […]
Mons Domus Deep Space Observatory is OPEN
An important part of my monasticism is the regular observation and appreciation of nature. I’ve invested in a microscope and a telescope to help open my eyes a little wider […]
In Line
Somehow, I managed to get myself a spot on the COVID vaccine list for a shot next week. I’ve been looking all over for a month, and my impression of […]
The Protean Loneliness Machine
Some time ago, just under 4 billion years, relatively early in the planet’s existence, some bubbles gained certain unusual capacities involving the regulated shuffling of electrons and sustained frothiness. Distinct […]
The Lichen Diaries
Lichens are cool. Seriously. They are a mashup of individuals from two different phyla of life: Plants and Fungi. Imagine a whole body merge with a portabella or an eggplant. […]
Savoring Friendships
Hermits don’t get out much. But it isn’t uncommon for a hermit to have to run to the grocer, speak with a utility company person, or actually have a job […]
The Qualities of a Snow Day
Having always lived in the northern tier of states in the US, snow days have been a part of my life since I was a child. After 53 years, I’ve […]
Connections
Social connections do a great service to an individual. Extroverts are happier and healthier than introverts, and often find it easier to integrate into the workforce. Being connected had advantages […]
The Mitochondria Problem
It’s an odd project- developing an iconographic language for science. Science already has its languages; maths, taxonomies, chemistry, geometries, and so on. The issue is that these languages have proven […]
Reused pane of glass
My business had a couple large boarded-up windows. We finally had the resources and time to have them opened up and replaced. In one of the openings were the remnants […]
Sum, es, est; Sumus, estis, sunt.
Yup. Started some intro to Latin texts. We’ll see how far I get. At this point, based on on my readings, most Romans were poets, farmers and sailors, very much […]
Introvert
While examining why I might be be drawn to an eremetic life, it was clear that introversion was a significant driver. I do my best thinking, my best caring, my […]
Small
Nothing that I could write is of an order of magnitude large enough to be visible in the shadows of the grand and foul machinations of our government. Perhaps that […]
Attempted coup and the mouse in my car.
Filters are important in most monastic endeavors. Selectively permitting the passage of information, and selectively permitting the information to be of impact. A matter of scale in the importance of […]
The making of a good habit.
Things at my business are a bit crazy. The business grows, and it’s hard to keep up sometimes. Usually January is dead (It’s a gardening business), but we’re in a […]
Sunday with Dante
Midway through our life’s journey… I found myself in a dark wood. ~Dante, the Inferno I have seen more than a single dark wood over the years. Bad choices, poor […]
It’s 2021
It is no longer 2020. I’m sure the new year will bring its own challenges, but I’ve made some good strides towards effective coping. New Year’s Eve, I was able […]
The mouse in my car
About a quarter century ago. The windows of my car were smashed in an act of vandalism. It took me a good while to scrape up enough cash to get […]
Making room for the rest of the week
Mondays are my days where I clear out business so I don’t have so much to worry about the rest of the week. Today, I picked up meds, took care […]
Resolutions 2021
New Years has always been a favorite time. It’s kind of like a birthday- a fresh start, a new cycle, but one where I’m willing to spoil the opportunity for […]
Gwen
Although Lady Gwynhyvar died of spleen cancer right before Mons Domus was built, she was with us in the Shed as the project started. I met Gwen at the animal […]
Horus
Horus was adopted from an absolutely horrendous rescue in Tennessee back around 2010. His mother was vicious and feral and gave birth to a litter on the way to the […]
Thomas Merton and some Crackers.
Unearthing kitchen goods from stored boxes, I found a 4-year old packet. It contained less than a teaspoon of gluten-free sourdough starter. It had been through an outrageous amount of […]
Christmas in Plague
My son dutifully came to visit me for Christmas. He could have visited his girlfriend’s family, or she could have come here, but I suppose they aren’t quite ready to […]
Wildlife List Winter 2020-21
Wildlife spotted at Mons Domus this season. Mammals Whitetail Deer Groundhog Gray Squirrel Opossum Unidentified rodent living in my car. Chipmunk! First noticed returning on March 11 Birds Junco- daily […]
Winter
To celebrate the Solstice, managed a taste of Chartreuse, a liqueur made in an ancient French Monastery. Its flavor is derived from some 100+ herbs, and if anything can taste […]
New Eyes for the World
My eyes have been changing for about 5 years. I shift reader prescriptions every six months or so. The process of getting old eyes has made me more aware of […]
A Guest
For safety during the Pandemic, my son is staying in “The Shed” some of the time, where I lived when I was building the house. He’s a good guest, offering […]
A New Week
The Western week has two types of days. Weekday, and weekend days. The weekdays have subtle flavors depending upon their proximity to the coming weekend, but have similar expectations. In […]
7 Days
There’s this construct that never really made a lot of sense to me, the 7-day week. It seems this hinges upon the Babylonians’ observational talents, astute at the time, but […]
Errand Day
I cluster my errands as much as I can so that larger swaths of solitary time are maximized. Today, Mo went to the vet for his persistent foot infection, I […]
This is for the Birds
I need a lot of windows. I knew this after living in a couple homes that didn’t have enough. When I designed my house, I thought about monastic life, and […]
My First Hermitage
It was in 1991. I was in Lakewood, Ohio with a literally mangy rescue dog. Milton had passed mange on to me, and so we were both in recovery. I […]
A New Winter
Winter feel like it has finally arrived. It’s cold enough out to stoke the fire in the wee hours, and we’ve had snow in several different varieties already this year. […]
Carbon and Celibacy
Monasticism is almost universally earmarked by sacrificing excess. In Christian Monasticism, one of the ‘excesses’ to get the boot is sex. To forego sex is to deny the carnal, in […]
Simplicity, and Stuff
The quest for simplicity is a common thread in the life of monks and hermits. For me, such simplicity is worth pursuit for the clarity that I hope will come […]
A Brief History of (my) Solitude
About 50 years ago, in a well-to-do community near Detroit a child refused to be hugged. She didn’t speak, preferred the companionship of dogs, the confines of a hole she […]
Loneliness Prevention Plan, kind of.
Solitude can be peaceful, productive, and empowering, but there’s little to gain from loneliness, and much to lose. Loneliness erodes confidence, self worth and can lead one to compromise in […]
Grooving without Social Media
It’s been almost a week without facebook. I have to check my work account, but don’t exchange conversation with people or like stuff when doing that. It’s meant a good […]
A schedule? Oops, I mean a horarium?
Most monastic communities have a daily routine (Horarium, ho-RAR-ium) which is strictly adhered to. I have some time management issues. They stem from difficulty regulating focus. If I’m engaged in […]
With little more time.
A few days into the big media reduction shift, I’ve found I have some extra time. And I realize that I should update my routine. Here are somethings I’m thinking […]
Digital Media Reduction Plan
First Iteration My first serious go at Secular Monasticism was in the early 1990s. I didn’t have a computer, cellphone, or internet. Back then, I turned off my radio, cancelled […]
Wildlife List Fall 2020
Wildlife seen at Mons Domus this season Mammals Whitetail Deer Groundhog Red squirrel Gray squirrel Eastern Chipmunk Birds Junco House Sparrow Catbird (released) Purple Finch House Finch (released) Gold Finch […]
Once and again.
Years ago, as a young Atheist, I had a call to monasticism. Sounds peculiar, and indeed, it did at the time, as well! However strange, it was clear and compelling. […]
Main Dwelling Specs
Summary Two-level. 1129 finished square feet interior, total. 954 finished square feet interior ground, floor. Greatest height: ~24′-25′ above ground level at the SE corner of the structure. Elevations Click […]
Studio
The Studio is a small (interior is 9′ x 11′) off-grid structure. Fully finished inside and out, this small building will be used for quiet, creative, and data-free activities. I […]