There is an all too brief time in the morning where the desert is a perfect place. The nighttime noises of insects, generators, and barking dogs have stopped, while the birds and neighbors haven’t started their clamor. The sun has just started it’s charge across the sky by peaking over the horizon and bathes the world a rosy peach color. The temperature is not too hot or too chill. The whole world just calls to your spirit to awaken and stretch and greet the day.

I’d like to bury my head back into the pillows but I know I need this window to get my work done. To further propel me out of my bed the cat will usually pick this moment to remind me that one of my jobs is to feed and water her. There are buckets to empty and solar panels to clean, 5 acres of land to to scour over for wind blown trash and a constant war between the spiders as they try to cover this place in webbing. Also if you want any contemplative time in the restroom this should be done now before the heat makes it uncomfortable. Add in any repairs that need done and this small space of time passes all too quickly.

By 9 am the sun has been up for 3 hours and is making it’s presence respected by raising the temps to nearly 100F. While that is great for drying the dishes and powering the place it doesn’t make movement underneath of it much fun. Your only recourse of action is to position a fan and a cold drink as close as possible. The caveat is that the fan will blow hot air and if you set that drink down for a few minutes it will become warm or the ants will find it. A large breakfast is called for because as the heat increases your appetite will decrease.

I try to make it to noon before hiding away in the battery container with a book and laptop to enjoy the air conditioning. With no windows it’s hard to see the day pass so every hour or so I need to brave the heat and check on the situation. If we have any visitors they usually show between 1 pm and 5pm, this being the hottest part of the day. At this point I take a couple of cold bottles of water from the fridge and welcome them into the shade of the living room and question their sanity. I still can’t quite wrap my head around the fact that people hear about us and drive for hours to see this place in the desert. But I am appreciative as otherwise I would have no human contact.

In the past months we have shot a professional music video with the English band ‘The Hurts” and several funny shorts featuring our friends who were care-taking the place while I was on the road. We’ve accomplished some more work on insulating the battery container and of course there is always small bits of art being added. Plans have been started for projects and parties for the next season and a few people have contacted us about future endeavors, whether bands that want to play here, artists that want to contribute, people that just want to visit for the weekend or stay for the winter. So it’s really good to see that the work that so many have been involved with is laying down a bright future for East Jesus.

There are so many things that I love about this place but one thing that still disappoints me. We haven’t made EJ self sufficient during the slow summer months. It’s unavoidable that since the tourist traffic slows down our budget shrinks. Luckily our operating costs aren’t that high for such a grand expanse of services. $350 a month for diesel, water, internet, propane and the needed incidentals of peat moss, paper goods, cleaning supplies, and phone service. But when the collection plate only brings in about $10 on a good week it eats up the savings.

So while I can enjoy those perfect little moments of peace and tranquility I know that there is still hard times before us and I thank you in advance for all your help.