Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | Spotify | RSS
On this fine Sunday morning, I find myself digitizing more classic vonu publications for free digital release, as well as a special collector’s edition paperback version.
More specifically, VonuLife issues #1-10.
While situations in the servile society differ quite substantially and the technocratic coercion ramped up a thousand fold, if I removed the date, switched around a few words/details, you could rightly believe that this was a letter submitted to, say, the P.A.Z.NIA Self-Liberation Diaries in the year 2021.
Published in May 1971, in this inaugural issue, you’ll find people justifying their ascent into liberation with statements like, “…the people of this country abandoning reason,” to name one example. My initial reply?
May 1971? My God, you haven’t seen anything yet.
Anyway, as usual, I found a really awesome Vonu Resistance Report, courtesy of Neil, Lorraine, & Kyle, a small family who remained flexible and open to unique opportunities; this took them to spending time in mining towns with other self-liberators, wilderness vonu in the mountains with a dairy goat, and more.
I’ll read the short submission with Rayo’s reply, provide some brief closing thoughts, and leave you to the rest of your day.
Thanks for your time today, and always remember, vonu is yours for the making.
[BEGIN LETTER]
Friends: We’ve really enjoyed all received issues of P-I – first actual manifest key of hope (reality) that’s come along in, well, too long a time – since we were on the road. That’s been about two years. For 6 years previous to coming here Neil lived pretty much nomadically and/or as divorced from outside society/reality as was practical – rarely living in any place for longer than a few few months. Since we hail from the east most of that travelling was in and around New England. But also back and forth to Canada, S. America, and points west.
Met Lorraine in Vermont where we led a conventional existence for six months to get some $ together. Split for Calif. Bought an old plumber’s truck for $275. Built on a camper and took off. After 9 months ended up in Idaho, really dug it, and because Lorraine stabilized. Had no $ but found this old mining village with many good people and managed to rent a home – an old miners’ boarding house, huge and empty, like a dormatory – “on credit” until we could find a way to bring in some income, which was not to be for about two months. Thanks to a lot of wild foods and a lot of dry food laid in in Calif. we made it quite well. Having a kid didn’t change much. Everybody helped – gave us diapers, etc.
Like it here so much – country so beautiful – mountains – weather out of sight (except long winters – we didn’t know then) – when a house in our little town came available we took it (super cheap, NATCH). So ended our nomadism for awhile.
Living out here – 12 miles from town, QUIET, no hassles – we really dug it. Found that by working just a little we could go for a few months at a time without working and could just dig on the countryside, etc. Since we were really into good food we got into ordering food for people and friends and neighbors. Here – you can see it coming – we really blew it. A friend (we didn’t know him then) got out of jail – had a lot of bread – wanted to do something with – thought a Health Food Store would be good for area. He didn’t know we were really into it. We volunteered. He put up $. We got into it – but just to start it off you know. That was a year ago. We got it together and think that by end of this summer it’ll take care of itself and we can drop out – and let things happen from there.
What we should have done (and are also beginning now to do) with those same friends and neighbors, was start a direct charge cooperative. This works: get items needed at wholesale (food, gas, clothes, whatever), sell to members at wholesale (plus shipping and/or transportation charges, if any), and if there are any other expenses, these are levied (per month, week, whatever) evenly, per member. Thus enabling all to get things necessary for living much more economically and with as little hassle (with capitalist retailers) as is possible. Sun Valley is a super tourist area. Local merchants take great advantage of that – at the expense of the local populace!
Anyway, soon we’ll be able to live in the mountains around here (we’d like to go for as long as possible.). Friends have laid a horse on us and we have a goat. Goats make fantastic pack animals in mountains – can go anywhere – will carry Kyler and give milk! Will also breed with mountain goats – might be a real good thing.
We have friends who live 3 ½ miles from here in two sheep camps – have to ski in. It’s a good trip. Also many people live in (some abandoned, some not) cabins, trailers, etc., which are accessible only by skiing in. However, when the snow goes, so does your privacy and easiest mode of transport. But when snow goes, you can move back into mountains. Usual season for mountain travel – late June or July through Sept., Oct. This winter was long and heavy but last year was okay. Entirely possible to live all summer in mountains away from anybody. There are quite a few who spend weeks and months doing so – and occasionally run into each other. Mountains are pretty rugged though and running into usual run-of-the-mill camper/tourist is pretty rare. (Except for the occasional helicopter-dropped camp – you can’t win it all.)
So, if we stay here, and we’d like to be here for a year living free of all society’s encumbrances – give up our house, etc. – we’ll probably do something like that. In summer the fishing is great. We’re presently making all our own packing gear, etc. – we didn’t have anything when we came – and are hoping/planning to spend quite a bit of time away from it all…
We’ve often thought of living around SW Oregon (Cave Junction) but somehow we never made it over there. What’s it like?
–Peace, NEIL, LORRAINE & KYLER near Sun Valley, Idaho
~~~
Reply: Much thanks for the info on your area – which trades for a renewal next time. SW Oregon has rather mild winters with much rain/snow – snow doesn’t last long except at higher elevations. There are creeks running the year around in even the smaller valleys. Great variety in topography and vegetation. Coast Mountains quite different from Siskiyous which are different from volcanic Cascades. Woods range from relatively open park-like forests of the southern Cascades, to dense coastal forests, to trees plus heavy underbrush, to brush alone on some southern slopes. Summers are hot except along the coast. I haven’t been east of the Cascades much. –RAYO
[END LETTER]
2 Replies to “TVP Intermission #56: Old Mining Towns & Liberation in the Mountains [Vonu Resistance Report, VonuLife #1]”