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To The Woods
Evelyn and David Hess aren't the first Americans to deliberately retreat to the woods. Nor will they be the last to search out a new life in the wet hills Oregon's Coast Range. (Click here for the story of a young couple from Brooklyn who landed 30 miles from Evelyn and David after a cross-country trek.) Still, the Hesses blazed their own path with their move.
In their mid-fifties, Evelyn left a horticulturist job at the University of Oregon, and David left work as a private practice architect. They moved to a small trailer on 21 acres near Lorane, not far from Eugene, to pursue their dream of starting a nursery business.
Economic stresses and hopes of reigniting their relationship also drove them to the woods. They lived with little electricity and no running water, managing a major health crisis and a steep learning curve about Mother Nature.
Seventeen years later, they're still there and planning to stay for the rest of their lives. Evelyn has written a book about their experiences. What have she and David learned?
Have you ever retreated to the woods? Do you deliberately spend time out of "civilization"? What do you gain? What do you lose?
GUESTS:
- Evelyn Hess, co-founder, Lorane Hills Farm & Nursery. Author of To The Woods: Sinking Roots, Living Lightly, and Finding True Home.
- David Hess, co-founder, Lorane Hills Farm & Nursery. Retired architect.
If you are interested in more: Evelyn Hess will be reading Wednesday evening at Broadway Books in NE Portland and Thursday evening at Third Street Books in McMinnville.
Tagged as: books · camping · environment · senior
Photo credit: David Hess
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Besides, folks think you know what you are doing when you are older and living on the earth lightly
http://additivesfoods.weebly.com/
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I started out "in the woods." Two miles to the next town and it had 7 people and two gas pumps. Twelve miles to a sort of grocery store and 26 miles to "civilization." It was wonderful as place to grow up.
Then college. Then 30+ years in the center of the belly of the beast in Portland. Now, back to three miles off asphalt. Folks go "why?" And then they come to the farm and their answers are right in front of them. Animals give the cycle of life every year. The wood stove gives me warmth twice: once as I cut it and another as a I burn it. When PGE puts us on the long list of power out folks, we are at the bottom because there are so few of us for so long of a wire. That's ok, we've stocked up on oil lamps and books. The fire makes wonderful stews. Neighbors check on each other, even if they live miles away. That is because folks out here know you can't make it by yourself all the time. And we share surpluses.
It is easier for someone who has grown up in a place where one has to be one's own best friend to go to the City and yet turn around and go back to the place where one can't see its light or see its traffic. You know what? Mars is really red when you get away from City lights. And there is depth and width to the Milky Way. And I feel whole, over rushed, hidden, in the groove or just coping.
Besides, folks think you know what you are doing when you are older and living on the earth lightly. Can you say that living in the City past a certain age? We show up once in a while to sell folks backyard chickens, as many are trying to bring a little of our life to the City now. The only thing I miss is the connection speed...rural dial up sucks. But the rest, ... heaven.
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There is a difference between living in isolation and/or solitude to escape modern society or civilization; and, living without modern conveniences and/or living off the land. Heck, you could buy twenty acres in the West Hills, sleep in a tent, grow your own food, and still have the convenience of a burger and shake at the Skyline Diner. Or you could hole up in a mansion, have pizza delivered everyday, and order your material supplies from amazon.com, and never leave the castle. From reading the introduction and links I am not sure what the Hesses were doing or why they were doing it? Does anyone know? It seems like they were living simply, but still partaking in civilization, particularly if they are going to work, or did I misunderstand things?
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Scott,
Hopefully you got an answer — implicitly if not explicitly — to your question. It seems like a blend of moving towards the woods and moving away from "civilization." But neither move was complete.
Dave
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You can not live in isolation in the country. It is impossible, as there are tasks that force you to ask for help. You can't have enough equipment to do the job. You need to learn what animals work best. You can only "Isolate" yourself in the City, as there is an infrastructure that allows you to do this and ignore that this infrastructure that allows you to do it. In the woods, one is naked...and eventually needs to ask for help.
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DM---Yes, thanks! I guess I am taking things a little too literally...
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Any inherent power claimed by 'the woods' exists because of all this, all this we try to get away from. Solitude needs an opposite to be effective, or at least needs the chaos and noise for a contrast. It seems highly unlikely that you could retreat from the noisy world into another, without that choice being one of opposition or retaliation rather then a basic desire for a change of scenery. Leaving it all, to live in solitude, certainly seems appealing, but double-edged. It could be a test of what you are made of, your resourcefulness physically and socially. It's minimal---reducing yourself to the essentials, perhaps hoping to find clarity, but it also seems accurate to say that you needed it, you needed clarity, because things weren't already in focus. From another angle it seems ego driven. I am this special. I am too good for everyone, to live amongst so many. I require solitude. My own china cabinet. I need space to flourish, to figure out who I am.
It is defiant. You are turning your back on the world. It wasn't working! I didn't like it! They weren't doing things right. It can almost echo the view of several religions, that don't want any part of the worldly world. Even though they are in this world, they are saving the real living for some other world, some better way.
Giving up modern conveniences seems pointless and simplistic (no pun intended). What good can purposely inconveniencing yourself have? Yes, it makes life more time consuming, everything takes longer, all the rituals of daily life are slowed. But isn't that what humanity has overcome in much of the world. Many say the advancements we have made are useless or they haven't helped, but how does returning to third-world conveniences help? Isn't it a simplistic solution to a complex problem---that doesn't solve things, it just avoids them? Can't you achieve the same 'enlightenment' by taking inventory of the modern world?
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After a very difficult divorce I moved to my family's cabin in the woods in Northern MN. I stayed there over some of the more difficult winter months, the temperatures averaged -10's to teens. There was limited heat and electricity and no running water but it was the most centering experience of my life. There's something so profound about how your life changes in that environment - everything is so purposeful. Chopping wood and carrying in water - all of these things become an essential part of the day. It was a very healing isolation.
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Hearing this recollection of life in the mountains makes me think of the Foxfire book series.
Were there any particularly inspirational tomes that informed these folks or got them through tough times?
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I read the Foxfire series. But it was almost a review of what I had lived as a child. Living out away from "modern" allows you to choose. There are times that a broadfork is faster, quieter and easier to clear and prepare a garden bed than a mechanical tiller. A sharp shovel beats a string trimmer. The ways our ancient ones used to till the land had elegance, to use the term now of great applications in technology. The body feels better using them.
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I talk to my 10 y.o. daughter about cliques, popularity games, and all the typical drama of gradeschool. it seems so real to her and yet so contrived to me. this is the same feeling I have when I can get away from the bustle of modern life. priorities are clearer, perceived but contrived and illusory drama and stress fall away. I'm not denegrating modern life - I'm just not sure we can handle it and maintain much clarity.
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I don't know where else to ask this: I wonder if your engineers can check on the microphone setups, because I'm hearing very loudly a lot of gulping breaths. Maybe it is the mike positions, I don't know. It seems unusual to me.
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Probably just me, I noticed it on WHYS today too. Probably one of those things where some little thing gets the brains attention for awhile and brain won't let go for a bit.
I got to wondering how movies or sound plays avoid that sound, or for that matter use it for effect.
Well anyways, keep on breathing, it's better than not.
My noticing will pass onto something else eventually.
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I love "the woods" which for me includes the high deserts. In fact I love open country with access to wide skies even more than forests, where it can be gloomy and where I tend to get claustrophobic after a couple of days. I spend as much time as I can in nature. At my home in Corvallis I have easy access to many hiking trails so it's easy to get to nature without driving.
Yet, however wonderful it can be to live in the "woods," is that the best way to alleviate the perils of modern life? My solution is to live in a small town. In fact, a simple, non-consumptive life in the city is likely to be the more "green" choice (I have seen research about this but don't have any citations close at hand to offer). Cities have much to recommend them; the availability of compact, walkable and bikeable neighborhoods, and public transportation are some of the amenities not available to those who choose to live 3 miles down a dirt road. To me, one of the major scourges of modern life is the single occupancy internal combusion-powered vehicle. I would never be able to justify to myself living in a place where I had to drive everywhere, for many reasons, the most recent and perhaps most compelling being the gulf oil spill disaster.
Living in the woods doesn't solve the problems of modern life except for a few. Imagine how it would be if more of us wanted to have our 5, 10, 50, 100 acres. There would be a lot less "woods" (in the sense of undeveloped, "wild" land). In fact, I've seen how this works in other parts of the country that don't have Oregon's strong land-use laws. Florida, for example, has many areas of small acreages in the country, but it's certainly not "the woods" anymore.
Another aspect: how are those who don't have the resources to obtain and live on land away from the city, those who are probably the ones who need it the most, to "escape?" Perhaps a long-term solution could be to bring the ameneties of the woods to the city. Dim the lights, quiet the noise, have more green space easily accessible in all neighborhoods. Many problems to solve, but it could be done by creative, involved citizens.
And, yes, sorry, but I can say that living in the city confers no less wisdom than living in the country. Not that I myself at 61 can claim to have it, but there are many wise people in my town. Wisdom doesn't care where you live.
I see the Milky Way on my trips to the desert. I bring it back to my city home in my heart.
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I couldn't get registered to this account in time to connect with the program, but I would like to remind folks that older recipe books provide very tasty ways to make the most of produce you raise. My husband and I have made an attempt to grow everything we eat, adn have come pretty close with the exception of milk and cheese.
If you are confused by the way most recipes are phrased, often without amounts or detailed directions, find an elderly lady who probably grew up with these books, and cherish anything she teaches you. Once you learn a few basic techniques, these little gems will not be so mystifying, and most are truly worth the effort of interpretation.
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Fantastic interview - thank you! David and Evelyn are very inspiring. We really enjoyed hearing their story.
We're only just over 3 years into our "living in the woods" adventure (in the Coast Range foothills, outside of Eugene), and are still learning every day. We work hard, but one thing that stood out to us in the interview was (I believe it was) Evelyn's use of the the word "luxurious" - that is exactly how we feel about our life here. We get to be outside for a good portion of each day, interacting with both the wild and domesticated plants and animals that share this land with us. And we get to eat the best, freshest food - food that in a store would cost more than we could afford - and know that it comes at least in part from our own labor. We feel very blessed.
Having spent most of our adult lives in New York City, it's a big change - with a big learning curve. But neither one of us would go back to city living.
Thanks again for having David and Evelyn on the show. Can't wait to read Evelyn's book!
Teri and Peter, dingoroo.com
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I am reading a book entitled " Twelve by Twelve A one Room Cabin off the grid & beyond the American Dream" by William Powers, an internationational relief aid worker who stumbles a medical doctor named Jackie Benton (fictional name to protect the privacy of her location) who is a war resister and politically active protester of nuclear arms, who works by choice as an MD at a salary level of $11,000 Annual salary so that she is not required to pay federal taxes which support war and nuclear arms. While she is away from her home for 3 months protesting nuclear arms in Nevada and other parts of the West, the author stays on her permaculture achorage in a 12 foot by 12 foot cabin and gains a perspective on living remotely on 20 some acres near a small community of people who are trying to live and work in harmony with nature and reject the harmful practices in North Carolina (100 chicken factories) and try to survive while implementing sustainable practices on their land. pages in I am only 40 pages of 270 of the book, but it is fascinating. I wanted to ask Evelyn and David whether it was quiet on their land and if their sky was fre of artificial lights at night.
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It's well known about many of the foibles and ego trips one could have going into solitude. Two thousand years of monasticism documents it well, as well as some of our own cultural background, although "cabin-fever" is now used as a trite comment- few of those who use it know the actual meaning (as well as "foxfire" and the like).
I think Evelyn really struck on something towards the end of her talk about the desire to relay information correctly. Ultimately, especially when radically alone, one cannot escape the mystical (for want of a better word) elements that the removal of the chatter of civilization and ego allows. And it's ineffible. People need this. Many claim it prematurely. I feel the greatest need to not disinform anyone- which would satisfy their hunger for "more" and not actually nourish them. Further, i've only scratched the surface. Why sould i presume to try to speak correctly?
On another note (or despite the above- degenerating into the ordinary foolishness i take as my own self!), i might say that after several months of silence, or at least without talking to another human, i found my voice worked in an unfamiliar way. And i actually spoke well and simply! Like fasting, when just a small morsel of plain food is the best thing i've ever tasted, when i don't speak as much as when i'm among people, the first few statements satisfy the speaker well.
Let's leave it at that.
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One of my best friends from high school decided to move to Oklahoma and live off the grid about 3 years ago. My buddy (Jason) had always been crafty and would make paper from scratch and spend most of his days wood carving or leatherworking. He was struggling to make a living selling his crafts and his mother had just retired from being a correctional officer for Multnomah County Jail. They pooled their money together and purchased 40 acres in the hills of OK. The first few months they lived in tents while they slowly built a cabin, mainly from trees growing on their land. After a year their basic cabin was completed, and they started on a 2nd for his mom. The only means of communicating with my buddy was via his pre-paid cell phone which didn't have reception on his land, but he would check his messages when he would drive into town twice a month... Last time I spoke with him it had been over 2 years and they were nearly self sufficient at that point in time, but my buddy was getting tired of the isolation and was ready to move back onto the grid, possibly a rural area with running water and electricity. The reason I am writing about my best bud from back in the day, is the discussion on TOL earlier reminded me of some of the conversations I would have with Jason in the past few years. He had lived in SE Portland close to 122nd, where the neighborhood wasn't the best and constantly had strange neighbors pulling even stranger stunts... I can't blame him for wanting to get out of town and away from people, especially after disasters like the BP oil crisis, because deep down I know WE ARE ALL TO BLAME... If we weren't buying it, they wouldn't be selling it! I sometimes dream of living off the grid, but the modern amenities we all take for granted seem to outweigh the benefits at the time. The best we can do is install solar power, conserve, recycle, and grow a garden instead of a lawn. Once my wife and I are retired we could possibly be moving out to the boonies and try living off the fat of the land, until then I guess it's just hustle and bustle in this little rat race we call society.......
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Comments are now closed.
I have crossed the country, I am originally from SC, to do what Evelyn and David have done. I am seeking to retreat into the woods in order to find my life again. I have found that modern society does not provide us with the time or the space we need to live a true life. We are constantly barraged by work that is separate from us, communication devices, and other trappings of modern life. We have no time to be still. We have no time to learn and grow ourselves as we are too busy dealing with the demands of modern civilization. It has crept into every crevice of our lives. We have banished the night sky and its sea of stars in favor of a pink halogen haze. We have broken our connection with nature. We have forfeited something essential to our very beings in favor of civilization. I am seeking to recover all of these things we have let go of.
I escape into the woods as often as possible. Every available weekend, vacation, or day I can steal from work will find me off escaping into the natural world. There are times when it is the only place I feel free. I am often overcome with a great sadness when it is time to return to civilization. I live, work, and save for the day when I will not have to come back.