Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Two buckets better than one

 The golden summer continues. While clouds drifted through my weekend at the bach, nothing but a fine drizzle eventuated.
 And so, carrying water up the steps to the garden continues. This time, I brought my new bucket, so that I could carry more water with each trip upwards. See, the bucket is smiling.
 And so are the courgettes/zucchinis. They spring to life so fast once I and my buckets have done their work,
and I can almost hear them sighing their thanks.
 With the ground so dry, cutting back weeds just had to be done, and long grass that was dangling all around the garden. So now the garden, with its punga edges, can look pretty again.
 And in the evening, while Mozart concertos play on the old-style record player (yes, at the bach we take a trip back in time), I try out some Celtic design. The Celts took their cues from nature, and here where I feel so close to the land, I am enjoying entering into their world.
And remembering to pause and marvel at the magic of the light. Here it is, catching the nikau palm, while the dark foliage of tall kanuka trees waves overhead.
Tending the earth fosters awareness. I link back to the four years spent living out here, and the many weekends and holidays spent in this place for over forty years. My love for this land keeps deepening, and even after all the years, I see something new that opens my eyes all over again. What blessings.

'It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.' 
(Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince)

15 comments:

Lynley said...

I seem to have magically posted twice.....I hope you can delete one.

Diana Drent said...

With the line 'It is the time you have wasted for your rose I do not agree.

It is never wasted the time you take care of the rose.

The celtic design is beautiful,
like to draw it too.

I love to draw.

Juliet said...

*Lynley, only one comment has come out. I think your first one got deleted somehow.

* Diana, oh the nuances of the English translation! The meaning is exactly as you would wish. The word 'wasted' is ironic (ie it means 'that you think you have wasted, but really of course haven't at all')

The Celtic design book is very methodical and makes the complex patterns relatively simple. Glad you like the design.

Thank you Lynley and Diana.

Lynley said...

In my first post I admired your Nikau palm photo.

Do you find the Celtic drawing is very meditative?

Watering is the name of the game here too.

Juliet said...

* Lynley, thank you for filling me in. The Celtic drawing is meditative. I can understand why the nuns and monks did it. Glad you like the nikau photo - the sun just caught it at the right moment.
Hope you can keep watering.

Hotly Spiced said...

What a great post. I just love how you love NZ. You make me want to head back there straightaway to rekindle my childhood xx

Penny O'Neill said...

Indeed, Juliet, two buckets are better than one. How exciting to see the fruits of your labor this morning. The sun is out here, as well, but, as the old song goes "baby, it's cold outside"! Still, the sun is on my back, our home is warm, and I have your inspirational seasonal inspirations to read. Wonderful post, Juliet.

MandaBurms FarmStay for Cats. said...

down here we are having day after day of sunshine - bliss but the garden and land is getting thirsty. We have very long hoses. Carrying buckets would be heard work, but so worth it for your garden.
Love leanne

RuthG said...

What a wonderful tribute to your amazing bach which I remember fondly. I'm carrying buckets too - saving my shower water each morning.

Juliet said...

* Charlie, how wonderful that my post rekindles your love for NZ. You must be due for that visit!

* Penny, thanks for your appreciation. We are in such warmth still and you are having some very cold snaps - what contrasts! But good that your house is warm.

*Leanne, glad to hear you have long hoses. Buckets would be hard work for all of your land.

* Ruth, the bach has seen many wonderful visitors, and I'm glad that you were among them. Nice to think of you carrying buckets too.

Thank you Charlie, Penny, Leanne, and Ruth, great to see you all here.

Diana Drent said...

What a pity that the google translation again not technically display. I have also problems with it too. In order to read English, I do not need a translator, but sometimes with difficult words and technical I need the translator.

Through the fault of the translator is the poem hopefully better displayed for you.

*********************
Serene contemplation


Language is inadequate
When I search words
for a sunset
with indescribable colors.

An explosion of multicolored light
that when painted with brushes
a false representation
the unimaginable reality
here only fits reverent silence.

*****************************

I hope this is a good translation.

Diana Drent said...

By reading it again, and again,and again, I finally understood.

Thanks for explaining the text of Saint - Exupéry,

Juliet said...

*Diana, thank you for that much improved translation of the poem on your blog. I'm glad you found the meaning in the end, with the Saint Exupéry quote. Irony is the hardest thing to translate.

cecilia said...

what blessings indeed, your bach must be such a glory to visit, do you think you might live up there permanently one day.. I would find it hard to leave.. I like to be alone like that.. however i am not sure I could skin a possum!! have a lovely day.. in your long summer.. c

Juliet said...

* Cecilia, I am so lucky to have the bach. I lived there for 4 years when my son was 2-6 years old, but then we had to move into town so he could see other children and be able to walk to school. The solitude there is just glorious.
Thanks for visiting, and I hope you took some sun with you. We have lots to spare.