The Solum timeline begins with their first civilization about twenty-four thousand years ago. They refer to this period as the First Civ, which lasted almost nine thousand years before a catastrophic collapse. First Civ achieved industrialization and averted many wars during this time due to the positive influence of the Five Ways of Community. However, the Five Ways spiritual system failed to prevent conspiracies from undermining essential institutions. Competing conspiracist groups fragmented society, triggering widespread conflict and regression to tribal governments operating in a non-mechanized agrarian system.
Archives and libraries maintained by Five Ways devotees fostered a relatively fast recovery. Sadly, the Second and Third Civs failed along fracture lines similar to the First Civ. The timeline below identifies significant milestones throughout these eras and to the present. The Fourth Civ is the longest lasting of all, but teeters on the edge of another possible collapse.
Solum Timeline Infographic

Xeriscape Year 2: Late Spring
Many of the xeriscape plants are blooming: Blue flax, columbine, Aspen fleabane, Sundrops, Rocky Mountain penstemon, Apache plume and Abbotswood potentilla. Pussy-toes bloomed and set seed in early May. With the open blossoms have arrived hundreds of native bees. Species range from the size of a sidewalk ant to the largest of bumblebees. A neighbor keeps honeybees. They aren’t native, but I haven’t observed any conflicts.
Next month, other plant species will come into bloom and the invertebrate population mix will change. Immigration, diversity, equity, inclusion and seasonal variations are all part of a healthy ecosystem. It’s a huge improvement over the thirsty monoculture this now thriving ecology has replaced.
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