"Self-sufficiency does not mean 'going back' to the acceptance of a lower standard of living. On the contrary, it is the striving for a higher standard of living, for food that is organically grown and good, for the good life in pleasant surroundings... and for the satisfaction that comes from doing difficult and intricate jobs well and successfully." John Seymour ~ Self Sufficiency 2003

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Good things are coming...

Forgive my whinging of the past few blog postings.  My spirits have been lifted by a sign from the heavens :)

We've had hectic gale force winds, snow, hail and rain.  And then some more.  And then even more.  This is a pic of our rain gauge after just one night's gift.
A full rain gauge - what a pleasure :)
Our farm roads have been washed away.  Even good sized stones have been pushed along the road with the force of the water.
The power of water...
Great  "donga's" (ditches) have been carved in the "road", and those with 4 X 4's have been the luckiest, for they can comfortably continue to use the "roads".
Hmmm... slap bang
in the middle of the
track
I made RMan drive - I wasn't prepared to risk slipping into any of these holes...
Not easy negotiating these newly-formed
ditches
But, at the end of the day, Mother Nature does her best to uplift spirits - views like this can banish even the most despondent feelings.  And explain exactly why the cold and wet was necessary :)
The beauty of where we live
And, just to confirm Gaia's intention, this was waiting for us when we came back home after a shopping trip...
View from the gate...
Whichever side the view was taken, the rainbow landed firmly on the house / garage in progress :)
View from the (sodden) driveway
A sign from above?  I like to think so :)

26 comments:

  1. Great photos, especially the bottom one. I can't get over what a lovely setting your home is in. Heavenly!

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    1. Sue - Thank you - yes, we are fortunate, aren't we. I am thankful every single day :)

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  2. What a wonderful blessing to see and you were able to capture it.

    What a fantastic place to call home.

    FlowerLady

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    1. FlowerLady - We think so too :) Yeah, as case of in the right place, at the right time... :)

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  3. I could almost smell the good earth after the rain from just looking at the photographs. You do live in such a beautiful area of our world. The rainbow is God's promise .. and it seems to have landed upon your homestead/farm. You are blessed.

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    1. Mrs Mac - I know I'm blessed. God is taking care of us :) Very grateful and very aware - and very thankful :)

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  4. Dani - we feel very much like you...sooo grateful to be in such a beautiful, healthy, wonderful place. i love your new home and i am so glad that you have found it.

    your entire post made me think of Genesis 9:13, one of the most beautiful lines in the OT. i am not sure which version is most appropriate for you - but my favourite translation is the New Living Translation which says:

    "I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth."

    (other translations can be found here: http://bible.cc/genesis/9-13.htm)

    many good things are coming for you, not because of luck but because of good choices. your friend,
    kymber

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    1. kymber - I love that translation. Unfortunately only have a NT with me at the mo' - my (large) OT & NT is packed in a box. So I'll check up what my version says once it's unpacked.

      Thank you - and I wish you rainbows above too :)

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  5. Glad things are starting to get better for you'll. Sure hope that keeps up.

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  6. What a fabulous pic Dani - could be one for the wall maybe?

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  7. Beautiful! Enjoy the beauty and be greatful for the rain, ruts & all.

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  8. DFW - Oh I am. It's just that every now and then one needs a reminder to be grateful for what was just a passing discomfort - and the remaining snow and rainbows were just that :)

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  9. Brave woman. I'm not trying to grow our food, so I dug my heels in and insisted on a tarred road (we live in town) to our entrance gate. We have a buried drainage pipe and 3 swales which solves the stormwater problem on our gravel driveway - unless there are all out floods.

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  10. Diana - I don't feel brave, and I've been whinging too much. However, with that said, I LOVE where we are, and find the "minor inconveniences" a fair substitute for what we now have :)

    Don't think even swales would've coped with the downfalls we've experienced in the past few weeks... The water is literally oozing out of the ground at the edges to the dirt track we call a road LOL

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  11. in time, you'll need a plan, to keep the road accessible in winter. Step by step you'll get there.

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    1. Diana - we already have the process in motion. All we need is the municipality to "lend" us their vehicles - we have sourced the shale to line the road with. That's ALL we need...

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  12. https://plus.google.com/u/1/109783903175191665261/posts/Rjo56mxNcfP
    This is about solar cooking, with a few more links in the comments.

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  13. Thanks, Diana. See she's using a parabolic cooker. I haven't tried one of those - mainly because I reckon it's too windy where I am LOL

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  14. Your house/property is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. But then again, you knew that already. And so did we! Love it!! :-)

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  15. 1st Man - LOL - Yup, reckon it is... :) Thanks

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  16. Such an amazing moment. There's no stillness quite like the stillness in the air after a big storm.

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    1. Jody - You're so right. The absolute stillness is like a breath of fresh air :)

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Thank you for taking the time to comment - it makes my day and removes the "loneliness' of sitting at my screen blogging supposedly to myself ;) I try and reply as quickly as possible so please forgive me if sometimes my response is delayed.