Today is one of the days I can pre-vote in our national election; I just hope everyone else doesn't have the same idea. Usually, these early polling stations are quiet and calm. No crowds. Just go, vote, and go away.
I like doing things ahead of time like writing this blog post over a week before it goes live or trying to stay ahead with my youtube videos. (I can't wait 'till you see the one with the apple - cute chicken awaits you at the end)
The weather is finally starting to cool down, just enough to get outside and do things. Although we had late rains in the spring, there is less groundwater and with the intense heat earlier in the year, making this summer on the dry side of normal (but not actually a drought where I live because drought is 'less than normal' and when normal is zero... we can't technically get drought in the summer here). Just about everything in the garden suffered but we got some great fruit harvests. I've been careful with the water and the well has yet to run dry this year (knock on wood).
The trick to the well is not just using less, but spacing out the water use so that the well has time to recover. I find using too little water seems to increase the time it takes for the well to refill. I think it gets clogged up with sand or something.
A big part of what we do here is re-using water. Laundry is a great way to do this. Last year I got my wringer washer out of storage and put it in the garden for my weekly wash. It is so much fun to use and the plants love the rinse water!
This year, I've been washing things by hand as they get dirty, one or two items per day. It turns out this method uses less water, but it does require being home each day and more physical effort than having a machine do it for me. Both are great options.
There is something about washing clothing outside that transforms it from a chore into a meditation. Mindfulness in laundry.
A lot of this year has been about mindfulness and slowing down. Accepting that I can't do what I used to be able to even a year ago. Learning what new things I can do that I couldn't before.
Being aware of the growing things. Observing how the plants grow, or fail to, when the weather is unfriendly.
And planning in advance. There's a lot of loss with this year's heat and drought, but it is also the time to plan "how can I work with nature to get more trees to grow and make a more sustainable garden?".
Farming is about observing the now. Remembering the past - both good and bad. And doing it in advance to make tomorrow better than today.
If you like this sort of thing and want to see more of it, here are some things you can do to support me on my creative journey.
- go to youtube and give me a thumbs up! Or even a subscribe! That would be awesome
- or pop over to my Etsy shop and support me that way.
2 comments:
Interesting about the water level in the well. It's been a long time since I've lived with well water. I sincerely wish we had a well where we are now.
I think most of the things done outside can be meditative. Such a good way to feel connected.
I love the idea of doing things in advance… and it's very rare that I can implement it: my brain doesn't seem to work that way. Although I did vote in advance this year!
I'm glad you can do it, and that it helps you make tomorrow better than today was. I'll keep this idea in mind as I keep trying…
I also love your wringer washer! There was an old one in our basement (or in the barn?) when I was a kid, but we've never used it; maybe it was no longer functional, but if that was the case, I wish we had looked into repairing it. There's a part of me that would really like to have one now. It'd be more work than a modern machine in some ways, but so much more pleasant in other ways… and, I imagine, much quieter! (she writes, sitting next to the washing machine that is very noisily doing its thing…)
I like that your plants are benefitting, too.
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