On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 11:49:10 +1100, "Fran"
wrote:

The "slant towards isolation" is an interpretation and was not mentioned as
is the "guy building his own off-grid house".

Andrew may or may not intend to build and he may or may not intend to seek
isolation but he certainly didn't mention doing either thing. It is still
very possible in NZ to have a house built by a reasonably traditional
builder, to be off the grid and collect one's own water off the roof to
have a septic toilet (or even a composting toilet) and still live a full and
active socially involved life.

As did Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond.

He frequently walked into town to see family and friends, and people
visited him at the cabin.

He also would chat with the crews of the trains that passed nearby.

But for the most part, the food he ate was food he grew himself, and
he was able to devote a good deal of time to writing, the point of the
whole exercise.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom