January 20022

A less that hospitable meeting with our neighbours along Bincknoll Lane early this month left us considering what our lives here are about and the more fundamental points of living in harmony with aspects of life that seem in direct conflict. A relevant conversation for many living on planet Earth following the events of September 11th last year. Does one roll over and play dead? Should we "fight", if so what for and how? What is "middle ground"? How do we take care of ourselves in all this? Are we missing something? What is this "negative" energy about? What can we learn and how do we move forward?

Our opening seems to be in reconnecting to nature, to sitting quietly, being flexible and creative and allowing learning and opportunity to come forward . Very difficult to do when in (quite understandable) reaction or if you're on the impatient side (like us!)!

So, January has been a month of watching, waiting and feeling our way. The whole of nature is "on hold" awaiting the arrival of spring. Frosts have been heavy but we have learnt from our lessons of last year and now turn the water off in the barns at night! However, one morning during the mid-month thaw we found a ½ inch split in one of the copper pipes when we turned the mains on... so, amidst caring for Lorraine's Ma and Pa, whose overnight stay was prolonged due to 'flu, organising a meeting with some friends about horsey stuff and getting Emily back to London, we completely reworked the plumbing in the barn to bypass all the old copper piping and get water to the troughs before a VERY late breakfast! Not only that, but we spent no more than £5.00 on it to boot!

The Helping Hands weekend (which unfortunately did not coincide with the above event!) was run by Mark this month as Lorraine was finding it difficult to walk too far with a sore foot. Following a visit to the doc and a subsequent x-ray, she discovered there was "a healing fracture" in the 2nd metatarsal... no wonder it hurt!

Anyway, the healing continues on all fronts, we can feel spring round the corner and appreciate the extra minutes of daylight at the end of each day. The mums are still hanging on to those calves, due next month... watch this space...