Farmgirl Solar Oven Buddhist Silence

I am just learning what it means to be 'on the farm.'

You yourself might wonder just what this means.

The men came tonight to cut the silage. Just as the sun was sinking behind the Blackwood trees with their sprays of foliage atop spindly sky-reaching branches, the sweet smell of freshly=cut grass wafted through the evening air, and I knew, I understood what all the stories of growing up on the farm are about. I remembered a story about a boy who would catch mice that ran out from behind the cutter and sold them to the farmhand, who tanned their skins.

Not vegan!

Was that Roald Dahl in Boy? Farley Mowatt? Patrick F. McManus? That could be it! Oh, the Grasshopper catcher was the best story! Anyone who hasn't read (or listened to it) should.

Now I've been initiated into farm life. Planted potatoes, gathered some silage this evening to dry for a hay cooker, and, we made a pot stand for the parabolic solar cooker. The sun was too weak this afternoon to do much besides heat water to very warm in the teapot, but it's a start! I found myself to be the orchestrator, and Tyler the executor of this, with S-man standing by, offering commentary and suggestions in between narrating our every move.

I find myself talking to fill the silence before S-man can cut in with his own 'didja know?' or “can I have ...?'

Mmm, silence.

Today I read in my newest Terry Tempest Williams book, Finding Peace in a Broken World, about the start of Buddhism – people turning inwards to find peace and solitude in a very busy, noisy world.

This is a skill I'm developing. I still especially cherish my mornings when no one is quite awake yet and it's QUIET. No talking! Then I can turn inwards and acknowledge and attempt to sidestep my inner dialogue. Oh, it's strong in me, that continual conversation, and new things keep coming up as well.

Just as our plans have been topsy-turvied for the weekend, I know it's all for the best, whatever happens.

Yep, our plans have changed. Instead of a leisurely 4-hour drive to Deloraine, we're headed on a marathon drive to Franklin, just south of Huonville, which is South of Hobart. Should be interesting...I'm bringing my ipod for in the car, and we'll see how it goes. It looks to be a lot of driving this weekend, with Della as the DD, since Tyler's license is expired and I have no experience driving on the opposite side of the road with a dual-cab Ute especially! I plan to fully enjoy the landscape and the hypnotic nature of car rides on small children.

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On our weekly excursion into Smithton, I got to talk to Della a bit (always a treatl she's in such high demand!) and our conversation turned to stewardship of the land. She was saying how she develops a relationship with the land, open a dialogue, and asks permission before doing anything to see if it's right. She was saying how hard it is to talk to Tyler (Mr. Logical) about this because of what she perceives as derision and disbelief in his attitude as he silently, condescendingly listens.

I agreed it's hard when someone you care about doesn't care about the same things.

What was remarkable to me about this conversation is how familiar the situation is to me; allowing what I perceive to be another person's opinion affect my behavior, and discussing the connection with the land.

Connection with land? According to Della, everything is alive, and the land, the plants are sentient.

I agree with that, now.

I wouldn't have a year ago.

I would've acted more like Tyler, snorting in disbelief (he's more polite than that, staying silent) and considering it to be silly.

Now I think; why not be silly? Why not allow this aspect of the world into MY world? If I deny the aliveness of the Earth, of the plants and soil, if I deny what has been before me and its impact on the world, if I deny a realm I cannot see, where does that leave me? With a lot less world to explore and experience.

I want a world open to experience, full of the unknown and unknowable, that might one day reveal itself to me and I'll be speaking to faeries or land spirits or asking directions from the ghosts on the street corner. I wonder how many ghosts I've talked to? Astrologically speaking, I've a penchant for communicating with the spirit world. I haven't been aware of it in words, but my experience of the world could be very different from anyone else's, and that's what I consider normal.

It's all in what you're used to.

I remember what we were talking about – the cycle of life and death, and the active role farmers play in this as they till soil, disrupting the soil layers, and plant one thing, kill weeks and bugs, inhibit growth of anything else so that one encouraged plant can flourish.

As a farmer, I am a killer.

As a farmer, I am a plant midwife, helping to come into existence my choice of life.

As a farmer, I manipulate land, I leave an undeniable impact wherever I am.

All animals do. I am no different.

Humans evolved in conjunction with plants and animals.
We are evolving with plants and animals right now.

I am a piece of the evolutionary puzzle, I play a part in this puzzle in what I choose to propagate and how I choose to grow things.

Enter Permaculture and Forest Gardening.