A Philosopher's Chateau

Diana and I visit our friend Bushrod in Santa Fe every year or so, settling on special pads he engineered for us. He is a monk-like practical philosopher with a message: Build your own Eden.

This is his Eden—built adobe brick by adobe brick by himself, over a period of 20 years. As you can see, he lives cozily in a custom crafted environment. In the beginning, he slept in a tent, sometimes in the snow, until the first room was complete.

Bush honed his self-reliant skills in the swamps of Louisiana, where I first met him building a shack. A tiny financial toehold was all the help he needed. He bought land near Santa Fe and began building. Living frugally and investing wisely, he won his freedom many years ago.

I’ve been pleased to call him a friend for 35 years now. We regularly exchange views, and he’s made me a member of his philosophy club.

This marvelous woodworking shop explains much—not least of which are the straight seams of my trailer cabinetry.

His collection of toys is as broad as his interests: Hot tub, sauna, satellite internet and TV dishes, sailboat, and camper.


And he uses 150 pounds of sugar a year to keep his hummingbird friends happy!