The Yurt Is Up

Full slideshow here

by Sara Sacksteder  - June 23, 2010

Shortly after the summer solstice of 2010, an excellent, skillful crew assembled the large yurt at our hermitage. Many thanks to Kemanthi, who gathered her friends for a pizza party fundraiser to buy and offer a 27 foot diameter, well insulated yurt. For now, this will be our main indoor space for Dhamma talks, meals, and meditation. It can seat up to 30 people comfortably for meditation and up to 50 for a talk.

It is impossible to state how important Jill has been. She has been stewarding the land and spearheading and doing so much of the development work. On this day she had arranged to have Tina, Charles and Michael available to provide the expertise and the wonderful good cheer necessary to put up the yurt. Tina and Charles found a way to be available to answer questions and give guidance all day long. They also kept us right on track until the last nail was in place. Michael found answers to problems repeatedly throughout the day. He spent a lot of the day hoisting things up to be placed on the central ring of the Yurt and then helping with the placement of the yurt ceiling beams, ceiling liner, ceiling insulation,and the roof.

Dominic and Brian were invaluable. Dominic spent much of his day at least 12 feet above the ground with Michael supporting and inserting beams into the central ring of the yurt, placing insulation and installing the roof. Brian found a way to be in the right spot to help with his height and strength all day long (on one occasion he was in the wrong spot, I clipped him on the head with a beam as I swung around). I saw him help with placing the ceiling beams, the side walls, the side wall insulation, and the external walls of the yurt.

Jurasri provided transportation for Sister Suvijjana on the way up and for Ayya Tathaaloka and Sister Suvijjana at the end of the day. She gave us wonderful food in large quantity. She helped with every stage of the raising of the yurt. She also donated much needed plates and silverware to the hermitage. Jill Zwicky arrived just in time to infuse some fresh energy and effort. I saw her doing whatever was needed and spent the most time with her as she was helping to install the insulation between the inner wall and outside wall of the yurt. Sister Suvijjana arrived on Tuesday. Ayya Tathaaloka arrived on Monday evening with Sister Adhimutta.

Sister Adhimutta will be staying on the land from now until at least the end of the Vassa. Marcia arrived on the land last week and is also going to stay and help with the many hermitage projects that we would like to complete before the Vassa actually begins. All worked all day to complete the yurt.

Warm welcome and thanks for all the efforts of the newest arrivals and best wishes for a wonderful time leading up to and during the Vassa. We started the work day, paused at lunch and ended the day with chanting led by Ayya Tathaaloka.

The hermitage is on the way. None of this could have happened without your help. We continue to need your contributions for the development of the hermitage. Thank you.