Kia ora from the Wangapeka,
As I write the early morning sun streams a brief misty trail through the green and falls golden into the office. This is nice. The heater under the desk is not warming my legs – note to self – check the settings when starting work.
There’s more to see in this season – unexpected views! The river sparkles from afar through bare branches where in warmer days there was a curtain of green. The ground is seen falling and rising here and there brown brown as she truly is – while blackberry and robinia bide their time.
The boys – as I affectionately refer to them – continue to shed fur, eat, fight, purr and sleep while evidence of their forays outside appears obvious in the house. Trenches to lay power and water to the Teachers’ Cabin have been dug near Bellbird, and while our builder waits for tradespeople to come and lay their pipes the piles of fill lie all around – golden and gritty. The loose earth, sometimes muddy, gladly relocates on furry paws.
Georgia McRory Bowick lives now for a few months in Bellbird. No squabbles so far. I’m very happy to have her company.
The caretaking partnership between Simon Jones and me is working well and we continue to fine tune our cooperation. Simon comes each week for two days with responsibility for the road and trees and water supply and tracks and fence and and … He’s keen on gadgets, (not my thing at all). There’s a camera taking photos of the pigs, possums and pig hunters; a light in the office that flashes BRIGHT red when the water level in the water supply system drops, and voltage monitors on the electric fence. Pigs do remain a “problem”. I guess. Or you could say pigs cause us work – limiting their doings and undoing their doings.
People have continued to come for retreats and other events and left happier. This is good. As Dave Pooch reminded some of us recently, “Our objective is not to attain a perfectly maintained and pristine retreat centre but to enable people to develop their spiritual journey.”
No reira, hoki mai, hoki mai.
(So, do come back soon).
Love, Tracy