“Surviving is enough. Then slowly, we grow stronger.”

My friend Tom wrote those words to me this week, and I love them so much. They’re such healing word, validating and comforting and hopeful all at the same time.

I’ve been thinking about how so many good things in life happen slowly: gardens, relationships, education, physical strength, art, they all take a long time, but are well worth the wait.

Today the temperatures plummeted, clouds rolled in, and fierce winds are tossing trees about in a wild dance that sends leaves skittering across the farmyard.

I love it.

The wind woke me early so I bundled up, grabbed a few blankets and hot cup of tea, and snuggled in to the couch on the veranda to watch the wildness.

It was wonderful, laying there, cozy and warm while the cold winds blew, watching the day wake up.

The goats are not fans of wind, so they hung out close to the house, nibbling the leaves tumbling from the trees. A pair of crows soared back and forth, building a nest in one of the gum trees. Our windmill twirled madly, filling our water tanks beautifully so we can keep watering gardens, orchards, and animals in spite of no rain.

I’m so thankful for our orchards. When they were decimated by three back-to-back hailstorms this year, I didn’t know if any of them would survive. I did a severe pruning then waited and hoped. Many of them came back to life this week, in a flurry of buds and leaves and ethereal blossoms. They bring me much joy.

The weather folks have warned us that it will be a dry, hot summer, so we’re putting helpful things in place that will make the most of our bore water, save the rainwater tanks that keep our house going, and enable us to keep our gardens, orchards, vineyards, and animals thriving no matter what the weather does.

I’ve been setting up drip hoses for my veggie gardens that are gravity fed so I can keep everything alive without spending hours each day wielding a hose.

We set up a sprinkler system in the chook palace to keep several pens lush and green with an assortment of wild grasses. The house paddocks are cracked and dry, so we need to employ other means to provide the birds with green feed and bugs.

I’ve been spreading thick layers of soy bean mulch everywhere to keep the ground damp and cool and give the fruit trees, grapevines, and plants a fighting chance.

This week, Bear is going to set up an outdoor shower for us in the elderflower hedge. I’m so excited about that. Not only does it make me happy to think of showering whilst surrounded by flowers, it will save the rainwater for drinking, cooking, and dishes, and the water from the shower will keep the thirsty elderflower hedges and asparagus patch in fine form.

As difficult as weather conditions can be sometimes, it does make us quite creative and resourceful, and I like that.

Today we are doing a medieval demonstration at a local high school, so we’re bustling around collecting medieval swords, shields, knives, medicines, food, helmets, and clothing. This wind may blow us away before we even get set up, but it should be a jolly time.

Our happy thing this week was the arrival of 6 newborn chicks, maybe more since I haven’t checked the nest yet this morning. They are so gorgeous and adorable and hilarious. A lovely distraction when life has its difficult moments. In fact, I think it’s time to head over there for another cuddle and crooning session.

What is your happy thing this week? xo