Has it really been a full year since Sundance built this Treehouse? Doesn’t seem possible. A lot happened in a few months in late 2010/early 2011. Thinking back ….
Our “oldest” Treeper friends first met at another political blog site in 2009. Some of us were new to the world of political blogs. Many found the way there via an open letter to Rush Limbaugh, which Rush mentioned on his radio show. For me, visiting with my “imaginary friends” became a welcome part of my day (and a large part, LOL), even better than reading the blog posts. I’d usually jump right into the comments on the Open, especially as time went on.
Terrible Saturday in November, 2010. Above-mentioned blog owner has a breakdown of some sort, insulting his visitors, most of whom had been supportive with praise and money. Hurtful words were exchanged, resulting in visitors either leaving voluntarily or being “banned”.
Horrified at the real possibility that we would be separated from our friends forever, a few of us used what information we had to gather the troops together at lucianne.com’s The Connection. Here I am, shouting out to refugees in the wilderness:
After a couple of days of putting out a clarion call to any lost friends who might see it, one of our group set up a WordPress blog. We were very lucky to gather as many of our friends together as we did, and greeting every new arrival was reason for a party. It was wonderful! None of the several administrators had much experience with blogging (except Sundance), so we made our own rules as we went along. 
The shining stars were Sharon’s “Mailboxes and Old Barns” posts, which we all looked forward to eagerly each Sunday morning. You can still read Sharon at her own blog, “Mailboxes and Old Barns”. You’ll find a link in our blogroll on the right side of the screen down the way a little.
Unfortunately, fallout from our previous blog association caused a rift in the ranks, and the founder of our little blog abruptly pulled the plug when it was just a couple of months old, completely deleting our site (with no notice to the rest of us) on February 1, 2011. 🙁
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Once again we gathered at The Connection, and it didn’t take long at all (maybe 3 or 4 hours, instead of several days, like it did the last time) to set up anew at WordPress. I 
remember Finch and Sundance wondering aloud what they had done THIS time!
Finch said “Do you think it’s us? We keep getting kicked out of the treehouse. I’m starting to get a complex ;-)”
and SD said back, “@Finchy, you get a complex? How do you tink I feel? Yikes, I’m like the fat kid in dodgeball.. Whammoo”
Then our dear Menagerie, who we didn’t know as well then as we do now, said: 
“Sundance, I suggest The Last Refuge, or something, anything. We had too good a thing going to let it stop here. I am just feeling like I came home to find a tree on my house or something.” SD replied, “Menagerie, I understand. TOTALLY. Hey I like that name “The Last Refuge” … Missfits R us…”
That Menagerie was always a smart one!
We talked among ourselves for a little while at The Connection – SD, Finch, WeeWeed, Bijou, Garnette, Menagerie, with Ad Rem and Sharon standing by to see what would happen next (I was at a wake in the middle of a blizzard until late in the conversation). Of course, some people knew where to look for us this time. We all offered to help.
Menagerie said, “I can learn fast. I’m willing to go set one up, but I’ll wait until we talk a little more, see what everyone would like to do. We just gotta do something. I need a drink. If typos get worse, you will please understand I am spending time with the Gentleman, Jack that is.”
- Sundance took charge, as he usually does (I like that about him), and said,
“OK, I’m gonna try to do sumptin quick. Hang on. Be back soon. Fix Bayonetts and CHAAARGGGEEE!!!”
- And before you know it (really, 20 minutes) he was back with news:
“OK here we go. Go here and we’ll figure out the rest as we move forward: https://….. theconservativetreehouse….com”
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There were two “official” posts that SD wrote right away. The second one was actually the last one he wrote for our other blog forum. It is called, “A New Beginning…..”, and it has become our mission statement. You can read it here.
There’s a story about this post that you might not know. In SD’s own words, replying to waltzingmtilda:
“Interesting footnote story to this post. I wrote it on the trail forum and nowhere else so when the trail closed, it was lost forever. The words in this kind of post just kinda comes to ya when writing freestyle…. anyway, ButchCracker had read it and liked it too, when it was lost I was bummed because I couldn’t duplicate the words again, it was an ‘in the moment thing’… I tried to find it in Google Cache but it hadn’t been up long enough for capture…., Anywho, the day got busy and so forth, and well I just accepted it was gone for a reason. Then after supper Butch laughed and said “come here” it was open on her laptop, she never closed it. So I was able to copy and paste it to myself, thereby saving it. 
He works in mysterious ways !! How cool is that? Obviously there was a reason for writing it, and like you said in reflection ‘appropriate’.”
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There are a couple of earlier, getting-it-together, posts, but the VERY FIRST REAL post is called, “Clearing The Literal Air”, and it is here. What SD says there about US is the absolute truth, although I think that SD is our Pied Piper:
“The reason ya’ll are assembled here ain’t because of the likes of me. It’s
because ya’ll like each others company. Each of you enjoys a little community of peeps, and you’ll share your flashlights on the path so each can find their way safely. Look to your left, and your right, and you’ll find a great friend to lean on, laugh with, and cherish. That is what brought you to this place. Remember that. Sometimes things seem weird, and uncomfy, and yes at times a good screamin’ is needed, it clears the air. Like sittin’ on the porch listenin’ to the neighbors have at each other, it can be unsettling. But, if you know em’ well, you know that is just life, and tomorrow they might just be listenin’ to your version.”
Take a look at the comments the first couple of days. All of our old friends gathering together again. Their comments still touch me deeply, because you can tell they felt the loss of community as much as I did. MRM and zmalfoy, Bijou and G8rmom, Ad rem (first in line for s’mores), Menagerie, WeeWeed, waltzingmtilda, Patriot Dreamer, GracieD and RedPill, AFinch and tnwahm, Ytz4Me and ZurichMike, Amsterdam Expat and librarycountess, Hxbuff and Sharon, Michael F and wendyann. I know I missed a few!Here’s a good example:
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We have been so blessed this past year, with the many old friends who finally joined us, and wonderful new friends with unexpected and impressive talents. And so much to say!!! Auntie Lib and Frenchreader, Shalini, Wraith and churchlady (NeeNee), iamdagny(Ann Barnhardt), JRD and redgrandma, richdet and Jennifer H joined or rejoined us in February, TxMom, PhillyCon, Solaratov and Texan59 in March, cjmartel and gypsy in April, Avram, Gruntofmontecristo, gfcandinthatorder and The Tundra PA in May, goodkathie, elvischupacabra and Michelle Hart in June, Pancho (now Coyote) in July, Barnslayer in August, PatriotUSA in October, Brooklyn in November. We welcomed F.D.R. in Hell just this month. (That sounds funny, doesn’t it?)
Do you know that there was a time when we were worried because most of our visitors were women? Now we have such a nice crop of manly men! And for you “lurkers” out there (though I prefer to think of you as dear readers), there are plenty of branches still available. We’re sure you have a lot to say, and we’re willing to listen. After all, we were all “dear readers” at one time or another.
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At the heart of The Last Refuge is our belief in conservatism, a love of country, love for one another, and a belief in the Creator of us all. We are imperfect beings, but with a desire for good, and an optimistic look to the future. The Last Refuge could not exist without each of you in our little community. YOU are what makes this work. And this is About Us.
Auntie Lib said this last Saturday afternoon, “The conversational nature of this whole blog is wonderful. Really – coming here is like sitting down in a room with a bunch of friends. The chatter ranges from serious to silly, from educational and informative to just plain fun and entertaining. We laugh, we cry, we pray, we share. That’s THE recipe for friendship in my book – and I consider you all my friends. I love you all!”
That’s how I feel about it too. And I hope and pray that we can continue as friends, helping one another, laughing, playing, crying and praying together, for many more years.
And, as Sundance said in the very beginning,
I wish for each of you a long chain of bold, strong, beautiful links, polished with the reflective brilliance of Love……..
