Sinagua Rising

by R. G. Andersen-Wyckoff

  Travis and Jack made sure the heaters in the greenhouse and henhouse were working, using solar energy in the daytime and battery power at night. After a period of three days, when the sun never peeked out from behind the heavy snow clouds that hung like a blanket over Duwa, they used the generators to run the heaters. The same was true of the heaters in the Meeting Hall, where everyone spent as much time as they could, after finishing their chores, heated by the fireplace and the standing heaters. It was a drain on their gasoline supply but was worth it. They didn’t use their vehicles the entire winter, thus leaving the gasoline for the heaters and the cooking stove.

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  Celeste retrieved her antique spinning wheel from the storage tent and began working with the cotton from Hauptman Farm, spinning the cotton into heavy thread that could be used on a loom to make fabric. Tina and Tess were intrigued by the process and they spent hours learning the technique from Celeste and chatting. Jorge built them a loom and once they had spun all the cotton they had available, Celeste taught them how to set up the loom and how to make cloth. There wasn’t enough in this first batch to make much material, but there was enough to make some soft diapers for Storm. Now that they knew the process, once they were able to get a larger quantity of cotton, they would be able to make fabric for many uses in the future. They were already far more proficient than the Hauptman farm women could ever be because of Celeste’s professional knowledge of the process and her years of training.

  Carly and Tara, with Jessie’s help, taught school almost every day. Seven-day school weeks; weekends, and holidays were now a thing of the past. Every day was a good day to learn was Tara’s mantra. They mixed recreational time in with educational time so it was almost a seamless program, but they left enough time for the children to do other things as well. Reading was a popular pastime in the Meeting Hall for the children and the adults alike.

  Because the Activity Tent was still available for use, Bishop and Bud used it to teach self-defense classes to anyone who wanted to learn—and, surprisingly, all the children and many of the adults were interested. They only taught the defensive basics, although Bishop found ready learners in Jason, Tate, and Jaime, and began teaching them the kinds of techniques that would eventually give them offensive skills, as well.

  In the warmth of the new Meeting Hall, Tanner taught anyone who was interested the finer skills of making moccasins and, in the future as more hides were available, he would teach them how to make leggings, breechcloths, skirts, and jackets. He also taught them how to start a fire using a bow and drill. These were skills that were fun to learn now but would be life-saving in the future.

  When the weather was clear enough and not so cold that the children couldn’t hold a bow and arrow and pull the bowstring, Colby taught the children and the teenage boys had to shoot a bow and arrow. He said, “We have rifles and ammunition and can shoot the deer or cattle for meat, but someday we might not have those available, and the bow and arrow will be the tool of choice. In fact,” he added, “using a rifle will scare game away, so you dare not miss. The chances are, however, if you miss with an arrow it will almost go unnoticed. So, using the bow and arrow is preferable.” He also fashioned spears and taught them how to use an atlatl.

  The smaller children had difficulty pulling the bowstring but to them it was a game and they laughed at themselves and each other as the arrows barely left the bow before dropping to the ground. The older boys, however, once they were taught how to properly hold the bow and arrow and draw the bowstring, progressed rapidly in accuracy. Colby set up targets against the bluff on the west side of the valley and concentrated first at 25 yards, and then at 50. That was the ideal distance for deer hunting, particularly around the Horse Mesa Tank.

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  Two shorts and one long blast on the horn. And then repeated. It caught Matt by surprise and he had to scramble from working in the pueblos to his sleeping tent to retrieve his bugle. Two shorts and one long, he answered and then fired up one of the ATVs and headed for the Ranger Station. Mattie had kept her promise, returning to Duwa to have her baby.

  Within the next three weeks, two new additions arrived in Duwa, a girl for Hank and Mattie who they named Ruth, after Hank’s mother, and a boy for Philip and Jess they named Paul, after Philip’s father. Both births were attended by Mel and both were without difficulty. Each birth was applauded by all and each birth drew the motherly attention of all the Aunts in the village. It truly was one big family. Room for Hank and Mattie had been made in the Thomas family tent, but it was evident that the Duwa family was growing faster than the accommodations—the pueblo rooms couldn’t be finished soon enough.

  As the spring runoff diminished and the creek level dropped, the men and women not working on the pueblos went to work digging clay and cementing the main dam, as if it were being done by beavers. They started at the top and moved down both sides of the dam as the water level dropped, each layer of clay hardening in the bright glare of the sun. They would never make the dam watertight but they made it stable enough to retain a good-sized lake behind it. They also added more rocks to the upstream dam but did not use clay to bind it. Its primary purpose was to reduce the flow of the water and debris as it entered the lake so the force against the main dam would be diminished. The weather was warming more each day and working in the cool stream bed was refreshing for all.

  Colby, Bud, and Jorge, who had been working tirelessly on the pueblos, joined the entire village population every afternoon, bathing in the pools and basking in the waning sun on the sandstone shelves above the creek.

  When the dams were finished, Travis and Philip brought some of the largest trout from the greenhouse and released them in the lake. Their hope was that a native population of trout would take hold in the lake, spawn, and provide good fishing and eating for the village. That night they celebrated.

  Following dinner, as they talked about their accomplishments and things yet to be completed, Jason and Kathleen informed the group that they wanted to wed. Jason was now 17 and Kathleen was 19. Storm was now a toddler and the three of them had really been a family since her birth—now it was time to make it official.

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  Following the marriage of Jason and Kathleen, whose honeymoon was spent in the motorhome, “planning,” the months marched inexorably forward, each season coming and going in unending succession, as life in Duwa became the norm, rather than a temporary adventure in their lives.

  Each fall they would turn the residue of the corn fields into the earth to fertilize the field and then plant winter wheat, which they would harvest in late spring and turn under before planting the coming season’s crop of corn, beans, squash, and watermelon. Under normal circumstances, the winter wheat would not be harvested until July, but under the constant warmth of the sun on the mesa, it ripened earlier. Once the tents were removed and the entire valley could be used for planting, they would use a portion of it to allow the wheat to go to full bloom, but for now the early harvest would have to do. At first they used the tiller behind the backhoe and then gradually began using the plows Matt had fabricated. The ground was getting softer and more manageable with each plowing and most of the rocks had been removed from the large field. Travis and Matt wanted everyone to get used to the idea of hand-plowing the fields because, once the tents were removed, they would need to start the entire process over again of preparing the rest of the valley for planting.

  Each summer, when the creek flow was manageable, they repaired any damage to the primary dam making it more substantial by widening the base, increasing the height, and adding clay. They also decided that the primary cause of damage to the lower dam was debris that flowed over the upstream dam, a problem they worked on solving by installing a stout chain link fence just above the dam to catch the boulders and flotsam that were carried by the monsoon rains and spring runoff. Matt used his welding gear to cut down a large section of the maintenance yard fence and galva
nized pipe posts, taking it from the far south end of the yard where it would be the least noticeable by its absence.

  The pipe stakes were driven into the creek bed as deeply as they could with sledge hammers and were spaced only three feet apart across the entire width of the creek. The chain link fence was then stretched across the poles and wired to them with heavy gauge wire. A cable, taken from a telephone pole near the Ranger Station, was woven through the fence, welded to each post, and then anchored to the mesa walls on either side of the creek. Each year following the monsoons and again following the spring runoff, they cleared away the wooden debris, cutting it into manageable pieces and then hauling it up the trail to the cave where it could dry and be available for firewood in the future.

  And each spring they would open the control valves on the septic system and flush it out with fresh water. This was a task that no one volunteered for and almost always fell to Bud and Matt to perform.

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  Over the two and a half years since the Scorpion War, the pueblos were finished and ready for occupancy. It had taken a lot of work finding the additional red rocks needed to rebuild all the walls, a task made into an adventure for the children and many of the women, as the men did the rebuilding. There were now a total of 22 units: 14 single story and 8 two-story, giving them a total of 30 rooms.

  The lower level rooms were all the same: nine-foot ceilings, raised wooden floors that were set on 2x4s with vapor barriers, topped with plywood and covered with linoleum. Because the linoleum had come from several different worksites it didn’t all match, but it served the purpose. A raised sleeping platform was placed at one end, a window on both sides of the unit, and a doorway. The two-story units had a ladder, more like a staircase from the lower level to the upper one and it was decided that these units would be assigned first to those families that had children. The adults would have a mattress on the raised sleeping platform and the children would continue to use cots on the second level. Storm was still using the crib so Jorge displayed his woodworking talent by building another crib for Philip and Jessies’ son, Paul. The two cribs could be passed on to future babies. A skylight was built into the second level room, as well as windows on either side: one side looking out on Duwa Valley and the other looking inward toward the greenhouse. Some of the units were constructed with a solar tube to bring in more outside light, but there weren’t enough to equip all the units. Colby told them he would look for more when they made trips into the Village, but he made no promises. Each family could determine how they wanted to utilize the space on both floors to suit their own needs.

  No fireplaces were built, fearing the health and safety risks that could occur. The red sandstone walls were a natural insulator in both winter and summer, but most of the villagers hung draperies on the walls that could be pulled across during the winter to help insulate the rooms. Throw rugs were laid on the floors and each family brought in furniture of one sort or another from the vast supply in the living tents, the old Meeting Hall, and the storage tent. They all had their own dressers or other storage cabinets, and there were plenty available to furnish the units assigned to the newlyweds and the Amado family.

  The pueblo units were comfortable during the daylight hours for most of the year, but socializing at night and on extremely cold days took place in the Meeting Hall, where the fireplace and heaters provided a comfortable respite from the cold and light to read by. Each room was wired with one solar-operated light from small solar panel arrays on each of the four sections of the pueblo. Jack informed them they didn’t have enough inverters/controllers to provide each unit with its own system.

  Michael and Ellen were assigned the single story unit closest to the Meeting Hall and Ellen’s kiln, as they had requested; and Travis and Mel took a unit close to the henhouse and greenhouse, as they requested. In addition, the unit next to Mel’s was designated as the medical facility and had the largest solar tube installed in it. Because there were more units than there were families to occupy them, everyone else simply selected the unit they preferred and, unless someone else objected, it was theirs. Interestingly, the newlywed couples selected the single story units that lined the upper side of the village overlooking the creek, between the east tower and the water tanks. Once everyone had selected their units, the remaining units were either left empty or assigned for storage units. Over time, as children grew and left their homes, the parents would swap units with others whose families were just starting to grow and required the second floor as sleeping space for their children. It would be just one big game of musical chairs that no one seemed to mind.

  When the tents were no longer needed for living quarters, and had been stripped of their doors and doorways, they were taken down and carefully stored in one of the pueblos that had been designated for storage—all except two. The last two attached tents were taken down and then re-erected in the area that had previously been the parking lot, tucked up against the side of the promontory. One tent was used for storage, with different types of goods in each of the divided spaces, while the other was set aside for visitors from the other farms. They dubbed it, “Hotel Duwa.” The Activity Tent was then removed and re-erected at right angles to Hotel Duwa. This tent would now provide protection from the elements for the two trucks, two ATVs, and the Jeep. These would be the only vehicles kept in the village. The large tent gave Philip and Matt room to do maintenance on the vehicles, as well, and the containers of oil, transmission, and brake fluids they collected each time they went out to refill the gasoline tanks, could be stored in the storage tent next to Hotel Duwa.

  The area behind Michael and Ellen’s pueblo unit was cleared and the old food storage tent, now the firewood storage tent, placed next to it, making sure not to block the window, so the firewood would be closer to the Meeting Hall.

  The pallets previously used for a walkway were moved to form a sidewalk in front of the pueblo units until Colby could lay fieldstones and drainage. The cover from the walkway was removed and the plastic rolled and stored, and the 2x4s stored in the equipment tent for reuse.

  When all the tents, except the storage tent, were removed, the restroom trailer was hooked up to Colby’s truck and pulled up to an area near “Hotel Dura” where it could be used by guests. It would have to be hand cleaned in the future but they figured it wouldn’t have that much use. Last, but not least, the clothes lines were removed from the valley and permanently set along the south side of the pueblos, on the promontory, where they would get plenty of sunshine and a light breeze to dry their clothes. On any given day, clean laundry could be seen on the lines, even on the coldest days when it would tend to freeze. The villagers could be seen regularly cleaning their living units and the grounds within the village. Potted plants and flowers sat on window sills and before long window boxes appeared outside the units. The village now looked like any other well-cared for condominium project from before the CME—well almost.

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  Hank and Mattie had returned to Stenton Farm shortly after she gave birth, but she and the Stentons had come to visit several times over the ensuing years, as had people from Scorpion Meadows and Hauptman Farm. Each group would bring food from their gardens or meat from their livestock and a feast would be held, including a campfire with music by the Duwa Family Band. This was always a welcome diversion and a change from the normal food fare. Though they ate well, they had pretty much depleted the food stores originally recovered from the storage sheds at the Ranger Station, with the exception of some of the spices and larger bulk goods, so having some different foods once in a while was a major treat. The greenhouse provided many fresh vegetables, and Travis had propagated potatoes and onions, but each of the farms had some vegetables that Travis had not yet begun to cultivate. The Hauptman Farm visitors also brought salt and cotton because they knew the Duwanians did not have any other access to them.

  One visitor in particular was more frequent than the others, several times just showing
up by himself, and always with a bag of salt: Eduardo Miranda, from Hauptman Farm. Each time he came he would pitch in with whatever project was underway. It was clear to Bishop and Carly, who had taken the Amado children under their wing, that Eduardo was seeking their favor in order to win Tess’s. Each visit seemed to be longer and longer until he was part of the community and, when the pueblo units were finished, he moved into the Amado unit. To Tess and Eduardo’s relief, Bishop proposed marrying them and did so with the approval of the entire community. Eduardo’s parents had passed away soon after they arrived at the Hauptman farm so, like Tess, they were orphans—but orphans no more.

  The first visitors stayed in either the motorhome or rearranged spaces in the tents. Jonas and Cindy Caldwell, along with Frank Sheridan and a few others from their farm were the first to occupy Hotel Duwa. At dinner one night Jonas asked Bishop, “Have you explored any of the residences on the Jack’s Canyon side of the mesa, besides Pine Valley, of course?” Bishop indicated they had not, though there was a trail from the mesa to that part of Jack’s Canyon from the Hot Loop Trail just beyond the small bridge they had crossed coming up the mesa to Duwa.

  “You know, there’s a horse ranch over there, some high end residences, and the Kachina Point rehabilitation hospital?” he said.

  “I guess I just never thought about that area since this whole adventure began,” Bishop responded, “but now that we’ve finished most of Duwa, maybe it’s time for a little exploration.”

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  Bishop had suggested that Tanner, Matt, Philip, and Jason take the ATVs and reconnoiter some of the properties in Jack’s Canyon, using the trail at the bottom of the mesa. Bishop’s eyesight was beginning to fail, but he didn’t let on to the others his reason for not joining them. They each carried sidearms, though they did not expect to encounter anyone, based on their experience on other trips to the Village, but “better safe than sorry,” Tanner had said. They also carried two machetes and a tree saw, because they didn’t know what condition the trail might be in. And, they carried two walkie-talkies. They left right after breakfast and, within an hour, were in Jack’s Canyon. The trail had, indeed, been overgrown by trees, bushes, and cactus which had to be cleared in order to get the ATVs through. Going back would only take 15 minutes now.