I Never Shall Forget

Wherever I go I shall remember
The sweeping glory of Palomar
With her forested slopes of pines and fir;
The sun-basked valley of Pauma Creek,
And the tailored rows of orchards sleek
In their flossy, dark-hued greens;
The slanting meadows where neat holsteins
Seek the shade of the live oak trees;
The freshening coolness of the breeze
Seaborne. I never shall forget
The adobe house on the wooded hill,
Nor the candle that waits on the windowsill.
I shall fancy its light like a low star gleam
Calling me back to my fond heart’s dream.
Over the sea and through the air,
As straight as an arrow, as sure as a prayer,
Wherever I roam—I shall come back home.
— Ione W. Lyall

My great grandmother wrote this poem about the house that she and my great grandfather built. They put down roots in a sparsely populated area north-east of San Diego called “Pauma Valley”. They built an orange orchard there and built their own house out of adobe. By “built their own house” I mean that they got out the tractor and started digging. Then they formed the bricks out of adobe and placed them one-by-one. The only part they contracted out was the cabinets, which were made and installed by a friend.

I wonder if the days of pioneering are over? To do the same thing nowadays, the land would have to be purchased (the same land today is certainly worth millions), permits would have to be applied for, inspectors would be brought in, building codes would have to be followed, and most likely during the middle of all this, you’d find out you couldn’t build because the squirrel dens you’d be unearthing would be protected by federal law.

Certainly there are still a world of opportunities for all in America still but it seems like we’re generally forced into the same path: work for someone else, draw your paycheck, and buy a tract home. Is there still room for pioneers in America?