Report From Due West, South Carolina

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One further "must" was to strive toward self-sufficiency in energy . . . and although our solar water heater isn't as sophisticated as some I've seen, its output will scald any unwary bather who uses the outdoor shower after 10: 00 a.m.

In a sense, I suppose we've done about 95% of the work ourselves (and though we've had the benefit of many fortunate happenings, maybe we helped make our own luck to some extent). Just the same, our thanks go to some special people . . . first, to Lois and Walter—our neighbors up the road—who went back to the land à la HAVE-MORE after World War II and have given us more assistance and sound advice than anyone would believe: use of the tractor, lessons in gardening with Dan the plowhorse, lots of food from last year's garden, and an oil heater that warmed the cold winter nights.

We'd also like to thank Lynn and Joe for everything they taught us, and for the use of the mobile home . . . and Dr. Ross Clark for help with the bees (and for identifying the sassafras trees in winter, when this ex-Boy Scout didn't have the leaves to help him). We're grateful, too, to Gary—our Associate County Agent—for literature, advice, and encouragement, and to Bill at the Federal Land Bank for his expert assistance in securing our homestead. Then we mustn't forget our parents, who insist that we're crazy to be wasting our educations by living so deep in the country . . . but still seem to come up for long visits. Oh, yes, and Bink, who gave us 10,000 earthworms and turned us on to MOTHER. And especially MOTHER herself, because without the old gal it just wouldn't have happened.

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