Among the various callings at Mountain Water is caring for the land. Some of this entails repairing historical effects of overgrazing and neglect. There is also the natural and continual phenomenon of erosion from wind and water; the mountains are in a constant state of renewal and deterioration, not unlike ourselves. Working in accord with these forces is a humbling endeavor.
In early March, we received a habitat restoration grant from Bird Conservancy of the Rockies to build a pair of check dams in the deep arroyo that diagonally bisects the land here. The larger of the two check dams was to be a Zuni bowl, the smaller a style called the one-rock-dam. How-to construction literature is available for the two styles, but, as luck would have it, our neighbor Peter O’Brien has the know-how and experience building check dams after years of volunteering with Bill Zeedyk* and his teams to repair and restore eroded stream beds. Zeedyk and team call their practices “thinking like a creek.” The Zuni bowl is a cascade or step pool structure suited to gully stabilization by cutting the velocity of moving water. Zeedyk learned this technique from Zuni Pueblo workers, thus the name Zuni bowl.
Here we are with neighbors and retreatants building our first Zuni Bowl. (That’s Peter O’Brien on the right with the light gray shirt.
Peter O’Brien, who is active and well-schooled in various approaches to erosion control and land restoration, readily volunteered to lead the crew and teach us how to build both check dams. He’s a good friend and generous with his knowledge; he’s also energetic and strong as an ox.
And here is the completed Zuni bowl, a thing of beauty.
Erosion takes its toll on many aspects of life beyond soil. We sometimes find our confidence and humor eroded by life’s circumstances. This condition comes with being alive. The Zuni bowl makes use of materials at hand – rocks, for example – to fortify and beautify vulnerable pathways. The water doesn’t seem to mind, it has a new adventure in its downhill ride.
Engaged without schemes of ambition, artistic practice can be a surprisingly effective Zuni bowl. Arranging simple materials and playing with trustworthy whim is an activity as old as humanity, one that persists undaunted even through the inevitable chaos of the ages.
In addition to self-directed retreats, we offer in-house tutorials in drawing, painting, watercolor, and general creativity, all in the context of contemplative inquiry. Both of us have many years of training and teaching in studio arts and mindfulness meditation and can assist you in designing a retreat that includes instruction and lots of studio time. Numerous writers have also found their way here; they find the simple solitude the perfect thing for concentrated work.
Your retreat could be any duration of your choosing and could be solo or with a group of like-minded friends. Let us know if this interests you.Please feel welcome to visit for a retreat before too long. Mountain Water’s embrace of beauty, space, and conviviality works its magic quite reliably. And the summer nights are deliciously cool.
Best wishes,
Robert Spellman and Joan Anderson
*Should you be curious about “soft” engineering for erosion control, we highly recommended the book by Bill Zeedyk and Van Clothier, Let the Water Do the Work: Induced Meandering, an Evolving Method for Restoring Incised Channels.