My boyfriend and I moved from hectic, overcrowded Southern California to the slow pace and immense beauty of Northern Arizona. At first, we talked about building an eco-friendly earthship in northern California. Yet, further research informed us of the troublesome and toxic out-gassing from building with recycled tires. Then, after alot of packing, re-packing, moving, storage units, unreliable vehicles, hotels and major prayer, we landed south of Sedona, Arizona.

 

After praying voraciously in the powerful vortexes of Sedona for our new home, we had met a couple on Christmas day 2008. They convinced us to consider buying their property: two acres of mesquite and cactus with a well and three basically brand new, small straw bale houses that were built by them. After seeing the devastation in Northern California from drought and over-farming, we took a wild chance and bought the property.

 

We felt this was a great reward after spending the last six years helping my mother brave ALS in her own home. So, in late August we landed in Cornville and happily wandered around in a daze for a few weeks. Then, we had to build a garage because we were immediatlely informed that the desert rats eat the rubber parts in car engines. So, the building began, also some tiling, window adjustment, door varnishing and sealing and a myriad of other things so that the bugs would not overwhelm us. Yes, this is country living and bugs come in all different shapes and sizes in this territory. Now, we have three staw bale buildings and two stick frame buildings. The main house, a workshop, art studio, garage and pump house for the well.

 

When we first arrived up here it was deep in the hot summer. The sun was up early and so was I to express my gratitude for the land, the beauty, the quietude, the wild animals and our new life. This new life is quite a culture shock; no television,temperamental and slow dial-up internet, dirt roads, septic tanks,reclusive neighbors, and weather, startling weather. Monsoons, flash floods, vivid rainbows, roasting heat, frost, sudden torrential rain, windstorms,  lightning that you can smell before it hits with rolling thunder and the white desert wonderland of rare snow and that is just summer, fall and winter. Who knows what spring has in store for us?

 

I am a walker and two neighbors have graciously given me the run of their properties which border Oak creek. At this time of winter, the raging creek looks more like a river. While in escrow, we looked at maps of this area and discovered that this creek winds around the large plateau, where our property sits, in the shape of a whale’s tail. I was relieved to see this, as my main concern about living out here was water. Coming from the beach in Southern California to the high desert is risky for an ocean dweller yet knowing I live up on the Whale’s Tail comforts and assures me daily. I have eagerly survived many mosquito bites to sit quietly at the edge of the creek very early in the morning. I have glimpsed beaver, elk, gopher, coyote, fox, and seen mountain lion and javelina tracks. Javelina (resemble) wild pigs with huge, sharp tusks native to this area. Apparently, they are scared of me and hide. What a relief!

 

Priorities differ out here. We bring food we have prepared ourselves when we are invited over by neighbors. There are roughly twenty five families up here and everyone knows each other yet respect each other’s privacy. Simple things become important like good shoes for walking, honesty in all relationships and lving lightly upon the land. Recycling, composting, growing food. Having fewer bills so you work less and have time for more important things like gardening art,making music,writing, loving your family.

 

Living up on the Whale’s Tail is not for sissies. Flimsey people don’t make it out here. I pray that I become grounded by this land and become substantial like so many others I meet here. Time will tell. Meanwhile, we have more stuff than we need so the process of unloading and recycling is at hand. We romp in economical, super-warm, straw bale houses during freezing

temperatures and have two small monthly bills for phone/internet and electricity and one small quarterly trash bill. My goal is to be completely off the grid soon and use electric cars. The economic and practical vehicles are coming out soon because Detroit has no choice anymore. The public has voted with their dollars. Also, our yearly property tax is kind, which makes this whole project affordable in these distressed times.

 

We are also interested in starting a garden up here. Another neighbor is building a huge greenhouse for tropical trees and plants with its own damp atmosphere. All this is built out of recycled materials that he salvages from construction jobs as he works on them. He is very inspirational for us. We have also gone to a seed saving seminar, held right here in our small town of Cornville, given by local seed savers, gardeners and visonaries. Thunderfoot is a rarity, a man with a natural reverence for the land who is now teaching his magical and highly sucessful ways of growing food in high desert climates. Bill McDorman is the creator of Seeds Trust. He has a vast catalouge of seeds and a vision that he is putting into action. He is teaching us all to garden, we find out by trial and error what grows up here then we save seed from our successes. He then holds a potluck or two each year where we all share our stories and our seeds. This is something he learned in Siberia. I am looking forward to his next workshop, coming up at the end of Febuary in Flagstaff, where he teams with a soil expert. Bill McDorman’s website is www.seedstrust.com  The land out here is not full of rich soil yet many things grow in abundance and he also is well seasoned in high desert gardening which is challenging yet doable! We are vegans so our diets will change as we incorporate more indigenous, local foods and eat a high desert diet. Luckily, our well water is high in minerals and iron to offset any imbalances.

 

Just as I was wondering what I would be doing out here, besides spiritual counceling, finishing my book trilogy and new set of paintings and newbie gardening something else appeared. It magically combines all of my interests; art, music, storytelling, sacred ceremony, self-empowerment and spiritual pursuits, nature, ecology, sustainability, recycling, new green technologies and gardening. It is called Eliphante; latin for elephant. Not only are elephants wise, family oriented and gentle, they have longevity and wide open hearts. Elephants never forget and are never forgotten once encountered. Also, in many cultures the elephant is held sacred yet is endangered.

 

All these things appy to the eco-fairyland called Eliphante. It is a well known big secret here in Cornville, Arizona. A magical eco-art installation encompassing three lush acres of natural wonder, it is hidden behind a rolling creek on sacred Indian land. This super-imaginative eco-site, ala a sophisticated Hobbit land in the film ‘Lord of the Rings’, was established in the 1970s. It was created by visionary artist Michael Kahn and his wife Leda over the next few decades. Eliphante has been in the care of Alna Laurel since Michael’s death two years ago and Leda’s retirement to New Mexico. Alna, a good friend to the couple, in now the director of the non-profit which was established 23 years ago for Eliphante. Her vision for this beautiful fantasy-land is for it to become a center for teaching because it is so inspirational. She envisions classes in art, sustainability, gardening, passive solar architecture and personal empowerment plus residencies for those interested in a period of sustained focus on their own creative potential.

 

I, personally, cross the creek and imagine children of all colors, races, genders and ages roaming the land with wonder, excitement and true inspiration under the care and guidance of their equally inspired mentors.

 

Eliphante is an amazing creation which needs many things and lots of funding to realize Alna’s vision. Basically, a small circle of big-hearted people have come together to plan a fundraiser to celebrate Eliphante and the Spring Equinox. That is Saturday March 20, 2010. This effort is actually a race against time now because the gracious and highly spiritual owners of the vast amount of property surrounding Eliphante are about to put it all up for sale in April. We pray the new land owners appreciate Eliphante’s sacredness so many are gathering to call this into being. That said, please cross the creek and immerse yourself in magic. Infuse yourself with childlike wonder. Virtually will do if not physically! It is time for us all to realize our dreams and sustain the dreams of our children. If you are like me and are interested in being part of Eliphante in some way, please contact Alna at: alnalaurel@yahoo.com  She would love to talk to you! Also, please take a tour of Eliphante at www.eliphante.org and please hold the vision for us. In 2010 things manifest more rapidly when we hold inspired visions for each other.

 

Meanwhile, my eco-journey up on the Whale’s Tail continues. Our environment is changing. We can no longer deny it. We as a human race are evolving and our planet is changing and evolving also. Mother Earth is in need or our assistance now. She has to be a priority now. Yes, we are to blame for much devastation and destruction. Yet, it is not too late to turn it around. We can do it in whichever ways appear for us or that we consciously choose. We are powerful beings with powerful minds and working together in groups to vision what we need is not the future. It is the NOW!!

 

Lindy Anne Nisbet, storyteller and writer of ‘Outrageous Detour’, sacred singer,artist, astrologer,crystal healer,sound therapist,spiritual councelor,future film maker and fund raiser!     spiritjam2003@yahoo.com    www.amusinglightbrary.com