Saturday, December 3, 2016

It's Raining, it's Pouring....

What happened to my last blog?   The last several entries have attracted averagely 60 page-views in the first 2 days, and this last one, 2 (two!).


Maybe "autumn life" in more northern zones is not really a favourite or evocative time - believe me, I have many memories of returning from a colourful cycling or travelling trip in Europe or beyond, to return in October to grim rainy cold Dover with it's hang-dog train employees, and anticipation of a dour (that's pronounced "dooor" in Scotland) winter in some crappy job....

I totally love autumn here.  It stands for revival, release of energy, trees barking (in a tree-type way - they kind-of bark in their roots, but you can't hear it). And every rain event I sit and revel in the ahh-ness of it, and imagine the water of life seeping deeper into the receptive living earth.
Of course, storms are the best,.... 


Today it is raining all day, a lot!  I guess the rain falling on my yurt roof brings out pensive thoughts...

Sinking into nature is what happens if you are open to it, but we humans are a fickle species,  The previous generation quite obliviously tore away their connection with nature in favour of the more immediate stimulation of the blossoming of different elements of the human psyche, as the next generation will be the ones to fully realise the downside of this loss.  

And the revival may just reveal a gaining of a common wisdom   All is to come, though not necessarily not for us to see.

I think of humanity as immature at this stage.  Not stupid, insensitive, etc as some of us critically label ourselves, but just at the level of a child, without the checks and balances of good parenting.   


Meanwhile,  in this present condition,we put our posts in the sand, and those with sensitivity seek out the posts, as oases, and the oases may provide foci to inspire and give release to the energy of those who reject the rush to destruction.


The autumn continues to be a good productive time, with lots of good stuff to come - not just land-work, but we will be doing a lot of re-designing and adding to the area in front of the houses: on the agenda is a vine-shaded area, water-fountain pond, see-saw and trapeze bar for the kids' area, and sun-dial.  You will see it all here in the months ahead!



Above are our present volunteer helpers (aka wwoofers), Daniel on the left, Eric on the right, with me in the middle,  mulching our young trees in the infant food-forest.  Feast your eyes on the new goose-nibble protectors / summer sun-shades around the youngest trees (mostly year-old chestnuts)....



.... and here is one of my babies in its sanctuary...







Looking outside the enclave of Várzea da Gonçala for a change, not far up our steep-sided Cerca valley, there's some good social stuff going down too, and a dynamic spontaneously happening. Thursday evenings there's music in the tipi round the bend in the stream, and not just a few hippies strumming and hitting bongos - some great musicianship and a wide variety of instruments. I don't get to go as I don't play so inevitably am on child-duty.  18 people last week, mostly from the valley, all nationalities, one of the stars being Pedro, who, with his brother and mother run the oldest (30y ago the only) grocery shop in Aljezur - also a keen permaculturist and holder of knowledge of the old ways.  



Wednesday evenings we go playing pool at the local pizzeria - bar,  Friday night is Várzea film night -kids at 6, adults trailer (home-made or special interest) 7 to 9, main film (movie or documentary) at 9,  Then there are fire-gatherings and a surprising number of birthday parties, grownups and kids - last Saturday it's Megan's 9th, here holding the parcel in pass-the-parcel...

For years us fledgling ancestors agonised and discussed how to make the "neighbourhood" more interactive, but these things come about through critical mass, common need for sharing, mutual respect - and absence of television.

Snails and slugs love the autumn weather too....


.... did you know....
snails move about at about 45 metres per hour, which means, in a day they can cover a kilometer.

they can survive for over a year without water, and surface temperatures of 60c,  and generally live about 10 years!

and slugs (don't ask me how they know) (or why) evolved from snails

I'll love you and leave you with these juicy ponderables....