Living on the Edge

View from the edge of Melstone, MT - July 2013

"If you're not living on the Edge, 
you're taking up too much Space."

Anonymous

I think walking less-traveled highways off and on over two months fits the idea of Living on the Edge. (You can catch up on the end of my recent journey by reading previous blog called Back from the Edge.)

But, I have taken the Edge adage for my own and expressed it for many years regardless of walking expeditions. I believe more people should make it their own motto, or at least spend some time pondering on its possible meanings. It may be useful and important because more and more of us surely will be living on the edge in the coming months and years.

Like the Edge of

* Credit Limits
* Financial Stability
* Social Comfort
* Physical and Emotional Safety
* Western Superiority

Some are there already. But overall, thanks to a plethora of government generosity, most of us don't appear to have suffered too much. Still, it seems clear that government handouts - bailouts, stimulus programs, quantitative easing, welfare, grants - and many other gifts are about to run out or be reduced.

The recent government shutdown and impasse on raising the debt ceiling should be clear warnings of things to come. The whole scenario will be revisited in just a few weeks and remind us again that the days of living "high off the hog" are coming to an end. The "chickens are coming home to roost," as my old Mother used to say.

Many of us will have to learn to live much more frugally than we have since the Depression Days of the 30s. Anybody remember the 30s?

We also may have to learn to

* Cooperate and really work together - the era of rugged independence may be over, time for group effort may be upon us. The Age of Aquarius which is slowly evolving will be one of Group Consciousness.
* Share more freely - we are used to buying all we want and more than we need. When we run out of credit or the store shelves are depleted, we will be forced to share with friends and neighbors.
* Care for each other - mercenary days of paying for all kinds of so-called expert services will be replaced by DoItYourself options which will ultimately be for our betterment.

I find it interesting that the Richest Country in the World and All Known History worries so much about lack, poverty, and "not enough." How much is enough? Those who live in 21st century America have MORE than 99 percent of humans living on the planet past and present.

We are standing at the Edge of the unsustainable Past, worrying about living with less. But, the real abundance lies within waiting to be drawn forth. Within our world and nations, communities and families and our very selves.

We all can prepare a bit for the Trying Future ahead. Let's give a little more, share of our talents, and make the coming change not just more palatable, but also a real Adventure.

Get ready to Live on the Edge.

Comment below or send a note to theportableschool@gmail.com.

Visit http://theportableschool.com.

Amity and Unity to you, Robert

Back from the Edge

"What Edge?" you might be wondering.

Well, there are a number to recount, like -

* The Highway Shoulder might be thought of as the Edge. The Buggy, Flag and I covered nearly 700 miles of it. That was a lot of miles, though just a bit more than last year. Still, only half way to Arizona.

* The Borrow Pit might fit Edge as well. We spent several nights - not worth counting - resting in the highway borrow pits. The Buggy couldn't jump fences, so we generally just looked for a flat, maybe grassy place along the highway to rest at night as well as during the day.

Resting under a tree was a preference. But, highway planners have decided in many western places that trees in the right-of-way are too much trouble.

Miles and miles of western highways have no trees for miles. The sight of a tree along the highway was sometimes a real thrill.

* How about the Edge of Civilization? I have to say much of eastern Montana and western Nebraska are still pioneer country. Miles and miles of space - real big sky country. Lots of territory, sagebrush or grass, occasionally wheat or hay country.

Fortunately, we didn't meet the desert this time. Detouring to South Dakota kept us out of the worst of the heat. But, there was still plenty.

I might also make mention passing through a few ghost towns. Ardmore, SD, and Angora, NE, come to mind. Ardmore - on the extreme southwestern edge of SD - was once a busy spot on the railroad. Now, there are still many - dozens - houses and buildings standing - or leaning. Although there was traffic passing through the town, I didn't spy any residents. I was told later that there may be one of two occupied houses in the town. It was a bit scary.

* The Edge of Wellbeing. I gave up the Walk on my 65th birthday when I arrived in Bridgeport, NE. I thought I might keep going. My legs were fine, especially with my Keen walking sandals - which Brother T bought for me to replace the Tevas which Neighbor Loren gave me before starting the journey. Even now, I just put the Keens on my feet and my legs want to get moving and cover ground.

But while my muscles were still in running order, my bowels were running as well. And, I was getting tired of stopping often to hide behind a tree, bush, or hillock to "take care of business."

My intestines and solar plexus are still not quite settled. But, bleeding always stops and "it all comes out in the wash," as my good mother used to say.

I now trade one Edge for another which I will explain in the next blog. That will be based on a saying passed to me by an old friend - one that resonates:

"If you're not living on the Edge, 

you're taking up too much Space."

Dave and I shared a room at the Rainbow Motel in Alliance, NE.

Dave's been living on the Edge for most of his life.

If you want to know more about his story, ask me directly.

Thanks for reading. Post a comment below, or send a note via email to theportableschool@gmail.com if you like.

Robert

Natural Healing

I walked into Crawford, NE, after some tough and very hot days on leaving the Mickelson Trail and the Black Hills of SD.

I remember hearing a dog bark near some new structures next to Highway 71 a mile north of Crawford as I passed by. There must have been a human presence around the dog's bark, but not words. So I just waved as I walked on to town.

I had been low on water, dry in the mouth and ready for a meal. A driver who stopped earlier on the road recommended the Frontier Bar. So I went there for breakfast.

I downed three icy tumblers of wonderful cold water before I even ordered a meal. I visited just a bit with the waitress Sarah who is getting married in October. I walked out the door a bit refreshed and returned to my rig. A man pulled up in his green pickup, moved across the street, and said, "You walked by my house just an hour ago. What are up to?"

John Dinsley and I were soon comparing notes about our interests in walking and healing. John had walked and hitchhiked many parts of the world in his early years. In recent times, John and wife Kimberly have developed a substantial business on the edge of Crawford NE based on a simple remedy which has many, many uses. The remedy is (activated) charcoal and their business is detailed at http://www.charcoalremedies.com/ The commercial enterprise developed and rapidly expanded after John published his book called The Complete Handbook of Medicinal Charcoal and Its Applications in 2005.

John and I had crossed paths 35 years ago but not met in 1978-79. We had both spent a year in western Georgia - eastern Alabama and gotten to know Drs. Agatha and Calvin Thrash at the Uchee Pines Institute, Seale AL. John studied their natural healing methods intensively at the Institute. I visited Uchee Pines a number of times and several more at the associated health foods store and restaurant in Phenix Ciy, AL.

John Dinsley

So, we had lots to talk about. Walking and healing being recurring themes. Saturday brought an invitation to spend a morning studying at the Dinsleys home followed by vegetarian lunch plus peaches and ice cream. Then, I got a tour of the Charcoal Remedies facility next door to the Dinsley home.

Soon after, we drove several miles into the Nebraska Hills to the Ministry of Health center run by Jim and Cindy Hornung. http://www.ministryofhealth.info/index.html. The Ministry of Health uses herbs, juices, vitamins, hydrotherapy, massage, steam baths, organic vegetarian diet along with Biblical lifestyle to promote natural healing. In the beautiful, restful, yet simple setting, the Hornungs have helped many people at modest cost to recover their health and even heal "incurable and terminal illnesses."

John and Kim and I stayed for three hours or so. The men debated Evolution and Creationism. I'm not sure what the women spent their time on. Before the evening was over, the Hornungs shared a tasty repast of fruit smoothies, whole grain bread, and popcorn after a heartfelt blessing.

To me, the best part of the whole day was seeing a Community developing and maturing. Not just a forced one or one composed of people who share the space out of necessity. But people working, sharing, cooperating together out of choice.

I am reminded of the quote (approximate) of psychiatrist Scott Peck: "The pathway to real healing in the modern era is through community."

It seems to me Community put Amity and Unity together. May we all find ways promote all of the above.

Comment below or write me at theportableschool@gmail.com. Visit the website at http://theportaleschool.com

The Best to you from the Sandhills of Western Nebraska,

Robert

I've Been Walking on the Railroad

My brother Tom lives in Deadwood, SD, for the last six years. He has been telling for a long time about the Mickelson Trail which starts just a couple blocks from his house and ends in Edgemont - 109 miles to the south. Tom and wife Janet and daughter Megan are among many who take to walking or cycling on the trail from their homes in one of several towns along its route.

Well, the trail sounded like a fine thing. But, Seeing is Believing and Experience is the Best Teacher.

When I stayed at my brother's house for two weeks plus, I got to put my feet on that path once or twice daily. I joined my brother's family several times. On practically every excursion, Molly the Dachshund came along. We became good buddies.

Molly can be mouthy and excitable when first encountered. And her different-colored eyes can also be somewhat intimidating. But, she is a lover at heart. I wished I could have brought her on the trip. My brother said that I am in line to inherit Molly if anything should happen to her present masters.

When the time came to depart Deadwood for southern lands, it was a relatively easy choice to take the Mickelson Trail which was built between 1991 to 1998 on the old Chicago, Burlington and Quincy RR bed from Edgemont to Deadwood. These are some of the high points of the Trail and of my 3 1/2 trip on all but the last 16 miles:



A bit of a miracle in 19th century construction - The trail is spotted with dozens of signs with stories from the old railroad's history. It is both fascinating and impressive to learn that the 109-mile line was built to include 100 trestles and 4 tunnels in 255 days in 1890-1891. That was a time when manual labor, primitive machinery, and dynamite were the only forces available to get the job done. (The Burlington Northern Railroad ceased running the line in 1983 and eventually donated the land to what eventually was called the Mickelson Trail.)

Chipmunks and chokecherries - The little critters were the most frequent animal company on the trail. And chokecherry bushes line the trail by the thousands. My mother would have gotten her fill of chokecherry picking if ever she had visited the area.

Grand and constantly changing scenery - I'm sure that bicyclers enjoy their tours on the Trail. But like my other travels, walking the Trail gave the slow and steady opportunity to appreciate the terrain, the trees, and the rolling trail itself.

Fifteen trailheads are interspersed along the route - Some spots are plain and with modest facilities. Others are more developed. I stopped for the night at two trailheads. I didn't camp. I just unrolled my pad and laid out my sleeping bag at Mystic and Lien Quarry. The latter night seemed almost magical as I looked out across the Black Hills forest under the starry sky. Mystic had its own moments as its name might suggest. Both were isolated and away from traffic.

On the second night, I just rolled my buggy off the Trail and parked myself under some pine trees a mile south of the Crazy Horse Memorial intersection and a bit short of the next trailhead. That kept me some distance away from the highway.

Between trailheads, benches appear every few miles - That came in handy for a walker like me. I find that I can sit for just a few minutes and be rejuvenated. If I lay down, it is harder to get going again.

The Mickelson Trail is extraordinarily well maintained. The paths are gravelled and graded and almost spotless of litter. Users appear to really "pack it in and pack it out."

My only quibbles include too much barbed wire. But, that is practically the case on every stretch of road I travel. My other strange complaint is "too many trees." I am a flatlander and like to see the prairie stand out before my eyes. So, I was relieved when the forests broke for the plains after Crazy Horse and later on. Picky, picky, picky.

I also think that the Trail should open up ways to accommodate Walkers like myself who might wish take the whole shebang on and sleep out under the stars along the way.

I had the good fortune to meet the Manager of the Mickelson Trail just after I finished my trek to Minnekahta Junction - instead of Edgeont. I took a rest in the early afternoon and walked on to Hot Springs later.

Dana Garry, the Manager, was making her weekly check on the trailheads and picking up registration packets. We visited for some time. Comparing notes, we found that Mitchell, SD, had been important in both our lives.

I shared a copy of my Montana book with her and she left me with a cold peach for my lunch.

I recommend others to Take a Walk on the Railroad - the old Chicago, Burlington and Qunicy which is now the Mickelson Trail. Great scenery, lots of history, good exercise, plenty of greenery, fresh, fresh air, etc.

For more info, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Mickelson_Trail or just do a google.

Comment below, if you like or contact me at theportableschool@gmail.com. Website http://theportableschool.com

Article in the Forsyth Independent Press - August 8 - by Chaun Scott

"Dr. Bob" walks to spread the word of Amity:  
Vietnam Veteran takes his third journey cross country 
with a message of love and community

Forsyth - With the rest of the world racing for the finish line in a blur that runs from one day to the next, one Harlowtown man has decided to take an 1,800 mile walk to Arizona in order to share friendship with those he meets along the way. Physician and Vietnam Veteran, Dr. Robert McNary (Dr. Bob) has set out on a summer journey to talk about "Amity," a word, according to Dr. Bob, not many understand in today's culture. So, on June 30, with his companion Fannie, a red, white and blue flag fashioned with a heart and one star, and a push cart, he began an 1,800 mile trek south to Arizona to spread the word.

"How long should we wait for things to change?" Dr. Bob asked. "Who do we think will make things right, better, wonderful? Must we wait for government or God to act? I'm walking to bring awareness that we need to care for each other, our family, neighbors and fellow citizens. We all belong to the human race."

When we caught up to Dr. Bob in Forsyth, he had already traveled from his hometown of Harlowtown, walked along Montana Highway 12 passing through Melstone, Ingomar and 

miles of country until he arrived in Forsyth where he decided to a nap under a shade tree. After spending a few hours in Forsyth, Dr. Bob packed up his bed-roll and head south towards Colstrip to continue his walk. His plan is to walk to South Dakota to visit his brother and then journey to Arizona where he plans to arrive in the fall.

The journey is nothing new for Dr. Bob; 11 years ago, he set out on a trip that took him from Lavina to New York City. The 2,100 mile trip took five months and four pairs of boots. He wore out the soles of his shoes but not his determination to complete the journey to the feet of Lady Liberty. 

The focus of his first adventure was to share his inspired version of the American Flag and encourage love and good will to those he met. And then last year, he set out on a 900-mile walk from Harlowtown to Reno, Nevada. The trip took him approximately 40 days to complete.

Dr. Bob hopes the symbol that Fannie represents will bring the message of love and goodwill as it waves. He believes that in order to heal, the nation must overcome divisions and love our neighbors and our adversaries, and extend America's goodness and wealth to everyone. "It's time we take care of our neighbors and quit relying so much on the government," said Dr. Bob. "Let's all pitch in again and again. We are never too old or weak to do a good deed and make a difference. Let our little lights shine."

If you see Dr. Bob while you are driving down the highway, stop and say hello. A friendly smile and good conversation is the first step to making a change. "A bottle of cold water is good, too." 

Dr. Bob is the author of Montana Made Me Do It and People Medicine.

Rescues and Rescuers

Oooops! I just lost a page or more of blog immediately after changing the title of the post. I was working on the idea that problems typically have remedies waiting for us when we are open to them. And, those remedies often come in the form of other human beings.

Two of my recent dilemmas resolved themselves very quickly with help from strangers who became friends - or were they friends I just hadn't met yet? 

The first happened outside of Colstrip when the front wheel bracket suddenly felt off my buggy when we were about to take a break in front of the Rosebud Power Plant. I put my right thumb out and held the wheel in my other hand for all to see. The second vehicle passing towards town stopped.

80 year-old Annie Purdon didn't pull over. She just put on the brakes, stepped out of her van and invited me to ride to town with her. We quickly got the rig settled in the back of hers. I was a bit worried about her parking in the middle of the highway. Annie thought nothing of it.

She drove me to her favorite tire shop looking for assistance, but the only regular mechanic there and in town was getting ready to make a towing run to Spearfish. We considered options in the middle of which Annie took me to the local supermarket.

I needed some cold liquid refreshment. While in line, I asked around, "Does anyone know a welder in this town?"

Immediately, JoAnn Kofford spoke up from another checkout line. "I do. What do you need?"

Annie Purdon & JoAnn Kofford

Within minutes, the buggy was transferred to JoAnn's SUV. She then drove us to Josh Clark's CTA Performance in Colstrip's industrial park. Josh was out, but his helpers assured me that they could fix the problem.

We left the Buggy and JoAnn drove us to her home. There I met her husband, Dale Kison, and two granddaughters, Chalon and Deja. I was made entirely at home, like family, and joined the four for chicken fried steak dinner.

Life in Colstrip revolves around coal mining and coal-fired power generation. Dale works for power company. JoAnn used to.

Around dinner JoAnn and Dale and I talked about Colstrip and coal and power. Later on, JoAnn and I discussed life and philosophy as well as her Mormon heritage. Eventually, I got a tour of the Kofford-Kison property and several gardens. 

Before the evening was out, Mr. Clark appeared to repair the fuel pump on Dale's truck. He had welded the Buggy back into working order dropped it off. "No charge." I have been wondering about that ever since. (JoAnn told me weeks later that Josh is also a Mormon.)

In any case, my Colstrip benefactors took kind and generous care of me. I slept comfortably in the house's storeroom - no spare bedroom. JoAnn supplied me with goodies and a map to find my way out of town and Dale got me started in the morning as he went off to his shift as operator at one of Colstrip's power plants.

Thanks to a mishap, breakdown, and problem on the road, I got to know some Colstrippers, spend an evening with family, and make a friendship. JoAnn and I have traded a number of emails over recent days. Thanks once again.

From Colstrip, I was off to Lame Deer. That stretch was relatively uneventful. I met many friendly people there, especially at Dull Knife College.

During the middle of the day, a former US Marine stopped to visit as I was approaching Ashland. He was supportive of my "mission" and offered to lift me into town where he was to meet an old friend. If he had twisted my arm, I might have taken him up on his offer. Before long, I thought, "Maybe I should have accepted. Look what I got myself into."

Around six o'clock, I approached Ashland with rainclouds building on the north. I thought nonchalantly to myself, "When it starts to rain, I will have time to get my poncho on."

Well, I was overly optimistic. As soon as the first drops began to fall, hail followed immediately. A lot of hail and even more wind. I barely got the poncho unfolded from its pouch. (I hadn't used before.) 

The wind was BIG. It very nearly tore the poncho out of my hands. With supreme effort, I got it over my body. I couldn't manage to get my head into its covering. But, maybe that was for the best. 

The hail was pounding down. I decided to sit myself on top of the Buggy. The welding job held, thanks to Mr. Clark.

I sat there with the wind and rain and hail having their way - mostly - with me for what seemed like a long time. It would have been totally unnerving had I not remembered, "Hailstorms pass quickly."

And, that one did. The whole episode was only ten or twenty minutes with the hard part lasting half that long.

I was soaked to the bone. But, the sun slowly returned to assist the wind in drying me out.

I marched the last few miles into Ashland. I hadn't a clue what to do with my wet and bedraggled self.

A convenience mart appeared and I headed toward it. I parked my rig and moved to the front door. A young woman, filling her SUV with gas station, addressed me saying, "Were you in that storm?"

"Yes, I sure I was."

Koyatu Jorden took charge and decided she would make room for me and my rig in the back of her vehicle. She was heading for Riddle on the other side of Broadus to her second job of the week working as a flagger on a road construction project.

We traded stories as she barreled down the road, making calls and texting much of the while. She was a multi-tasker, to be sure. Koya cranked up the heater to help me dry out.

By the time we reached Broadus, we had become friends. Koya insisted on taking me to the local motel office. But, all three plus campgrounds were full up. Against resistance, she eventually dropped me at the local park. She did insist in leaving me with a blanket which has already come in handy. 

Interestingly, Koya - also called Tutu - filled me in during our excursion on some of the details of her Mormon background. I told her about my reading of the Book of Mormon the previous winter spurred by my several interactions with LDS people on my 2012 Walk to Nevada. 

I kept my critique of the Book of Mormon to myself. I will merely say, "There are kind, generous people everywhere. How interesting that I was 'rescued' by two Mormon women in the early days of my latest expedition."

I had for a time planned to walk through Utah on this trek. I may now have already had my Utah experience thanks to new friends, JoAnn Kofford and Koyatu Jorden - KJ and JK.

Koyatu Jorden

I failed to get a photo of Koyatu on that rainy night, so I borrow one from her Facebook page.

Feel free to make comments below or send them to theportableschool@gmail.com.

Seams Right

I have known Janet Ecord for almost 15 years. We crossed paths a few times beginning over a decade ago when I lived in Lavina and she in Melstone.

I helped her get started in Medical Transcription and Janet did the hard part of finishing my one and only quilt. Janet and I also traded services on another occasion. She sewed some curtains for (Ginger Arnold and) me. I painted the inside of her sewing shoppe which sits next to her house on Highway 12.

Those seemed like the right things to do some years ago. And, another course of action seemed right when I presented myself at her door several days into my current Walking Venture. 

It was late morning when I appeared at her house on the east edge of little Melstone. It had been several years since I had last visited Janet while passing through on a trip to South Dakota. Janet was away from town and I missed her when Walking through in 2002.

This time when I knocked at her door, she appeared immediately with her two dogs behind her. We talked for a few moments while I filled her in about my latest adventure. When she invited me into her home, it was clear that Janet was working on a new venture of her own: remodeling the interior of her house.

Much of the floor was bare as Janet had pulled up the old shag rug. She had been busy scraping the old popcorn ceilings clear of their period texture. Janet was also planning to tear down a number of kitchen cabinets which jutted out into her present work area. She was in definite need of help on the latter operation.

I thought, "Wow! This is a big project. Maybe I should lend a hand."
I made those thoughts audible within a few minutes and I joined in Janet's remodeling effort.

I stayed with Janet and her dogs J.D. and Sam for 9 days. During that time, I got to know the grocery and cafe, senior center and church. As well as a number of Melstone's citizens.

But, the main object was to help Janet get her house in order. We got much of her ceilings scraped and cleaned and painted. A couple living room walls got covered with paint as well. The kitchen cabinets were removed from their posts of the last 20 years.

When those tasks were done, Janet put her sewing machine to use and repaired my tattered flag. (She has just now finished a replacement flag as the original Fannie got mauled in a hailstorm outside of Ashland and needs to be retired.)

Janet Ecord spends up to 12 hours a day at her computer keyboard transcribing dictated medical records. In years past, she taught at the Melstone High School.

But, it is clear that her favorite work and talent is with a sewing machine. Janet told me that her mother explained sewing to her when she was a little girl. But, Janet really taught herself and became a seamstress from an early age. She could and did sew practically anything during much of her life.

Alas, Janet has hardly touched any one of her several sewing machines for the last five years. My little projects gave her an excuse to sit again at her Bernina. 

It also gave us a chance to visit the building next door to her house. Once upon a time, it was a grocery store. For a short period, it was her sewing shoppe called Seams Right. While the shoppe has been quiet for some years, it still holds many of Janet's creations some of which I induced her to let me photograph.

Along with her children and sewing, Janet is most fond of her two dogs J.D. (Janet's Dog) and Sam who go with her most everywhere.

Recently, she purchased a Scamp trailer to take her home and pups with her. She can visit her two daughters (Carol and Jamie) and son (Will) most anytime, carry space for her and dogs, and set up her transcription equipment for work while on the road.

Some day, more opportunities will arise for Janet to get back to her first talent. If you ever need help with a sewing project, I'm sure Janet Ecord would be happy to help make your Seams Right. Contact her at  jecord@midrivers.com.

Contact me, if you wish at theportableschool@gmail.com.

Amity and Unity to you.

Robert