Working to a greater good

Just as the winged energy of delight
carried you over many chasms early on,
now raise the daringly imagined arch
holding up the astounding bridges.

Miracle doesn’t lie only in the amazing
living through and defeat of danger;
miracles become miracles in the clear
achievement that is earned.

To work with things is not hubris
when building the association beyond words;
denser and denser the pattern becomes —
being carried along is not enough.

Take your well-disciplined strengths
and stretch them between two
opposing poles. Because inside human beings
is where God learns.

Rainer Maria Rilke (translated by Robert Bly)

Desi, Chris, Paul and Heidi came last weekend to Windgrove bearing the offer of work. They, like Rilke, know that the “vision” is just half the equation; the mundane, daily slog of washing windows, splitting wood, moping floors and chopping onions is the other half. They gave of their time freely, willingly and with gratitude.

I offer back my gratitude for their two days of cheerful company. The house shines again.

And, not to be outdone by any human endeavour, yesterday I went to the outdoor, composting toilet and found these little possum turds on top of one of the two holes.

I’m not sure if the possum was trying to keep the toilet area clean (only mistakenly pooing on top of the wrong toilet because its command of English is limited), or, probably more true to the point, its cheeky personality just wanted to remind me that cleanliness is a matter of degree.

Speaking of cheeky, three other visitors came to Windgrove over the weekend from mainland Australia and wanted to baptise themselves in the frigid winter waters of Roaring Beach. One of these visitors is the great grandson of Charles Darwin, Chris Darwin. Can you spot any evolutionary similarities or some semblance of a divine intelligence?