New Cave IdeasOctober 25, 2005
Yesterday
I extended the steps of the cave. I raised the opening and dug it much
deeper. I wanted to make the opening high and deep enough that I could
walk in upright, without stooping. I almost got to that point. Just a
few more inches are required. I kept lowering the inside of the cave
too.
I went to the cave for this morning's meditation. While I
was there I had a lot of ideas. I notice that mos
t of the cave is
underground. Only a small amount is abov
eground in the stupa itself.
The underground part is quite
firm.
The walls are made from a hard
material. I am wondering how it would be if I continue the cave
underground, beyond the stupa. I am thinking of doing this.
When
it rains I am not sure to what degree moisture will penetrate the
ground. It seems to not be wet more than a foot or so down. Slightly
moist maybe but not wet. So I wonder if water will enter a cave that is
a few feet underground. If it does will it be just an oozing, dripping
situation? I would like to know what an underground cave will do
in a big rain. If need be a sump pump can be used to pump out water,
along with a generator, since electricity often goes off in a big storm.
I
think I know a good way to keep the cave dry if moisture is a problem.
Place a sheet of plastic on the ground above the cave and cove
r it with
several inches of dirt. Any water will run off to the edge of the
plastic and soak into the ground beyond the cave. The plastic could be
twenty feet wide and as long as necessary. This is inexpensive. The
dirt on top will protect the plastic from the sun and give it an
indefinite life, except that rodents and insects might chew through it
in time.
The cave can run underground as far as required. There
can be as many rooms as needed. There can be multiple entrances. There
can be fans, electricity, and plumbing. Plumbing will require some
tunneling. If I want a leach field for shower or sink it will be the
same as doing it on the surface, except that tunneling will be required
to place the drainpipes. A septic tank could be built, probably by
digging a very deep hole from aboveground. It is all possible. I was
thinking about building a boring machine using an electric motor.
The
cave has gotten deep enough that dirt must be removed in a two-step
process, moving it out of the cave into the entranceway, then throwing
it up onto a pile o
n the surface. It is time to make a trolley. I might
have some wheels. I can make a track and a cart to roll on it. Then
the cart can be filled with dirt down below and pushed or pulled up the
incline to the surface. The incline is quite steep right now, steep
stairs. I will most likely extend the steps considerably to make a more
gradual incline.
The entrance can be build up with a wall
surrounding all the steps, and a nearly horizontal cellar-type door set
on top of the surrounding wall. The wall can be reinforced with a small
amount of cement so that rain won't erode it quickly.
A better
solution will be to build up the stupa or build a wooden, adobe, or
concrete shed with a roof at the entrance, and use a regular vertical
door. This will require a shed of about seven feet tall, but will be
the most rain-proof method.
If I don't make some arrangements
for sheltering the entrance from rain, the cave is likely to fill with
water in the next storm. I could probably cover the entrance with
plastic in an emergency.