Saraswathi Devi puja

We had a lovely puja this morning for Saraswathi Devi, the goddess associated with education and work.  All the work tools were cleaned and laid out under the peepul tree in the middle of Buddha Garden. 

Later Vivek, Rajan, Giri and myself also sorted out what we are going to do about the two volunteer cabins that need repairs and eventually rebuilding.  We decided that we will patch them up so they can be used until February.  After that we should have the money to build something more substantial which will last for a long time. 

Beautiful colours

Did a lot of work on the computer today.  While I was walking around taking a break I came across the beautiful colours of these flowers which someone had put by Ganesha.

Busy time ahead

Had a talk with Vivek today and we must find ways of getting more income.  I have had some ideas for courses etc but if they go ahead it will mean a very busy guest season for me……

The picture is of one of the cabins that we need to raise money to repair.

Cleaning together

Spent some time this morning cleaning the toilets with Vasantha.  It helped me realise the physical difficulties she has.  She’s rather overweight so moves slowly and she also seems rather stiff.  I found it difficult not to keep leaving her behind as we went around the place.

Made me see how lucky I am to be able to do the yoga and so on which keeps me reasonably supple.

Visitors

A group of 47  farmers who came to Buddha Garden today to learn about organic farming.

They taught me a lot about the gulf between ordinary and organic farming.  A lot of them were very wary and didn’t feel that organic farming was possible for them. 

It was interesting to think about how such attitudes might be changed.

For the beginning

Have spent a lot of today working on the podcast and sorting out the posters.

There is still quite a lot of work to finish it but I feel I have got the overall structure and organization of it.  This poster is where it will start under the neem tree at the entrance of Buddha Garden.

Poster picture

Spent a lot of time working on the podcast again.  At last I feel it is progressing.

It involved looking at a lot of old posters that have to be updated.  I came across this ‘arty’ picture that I think I originally intended to use on the poster about the new land, but as far as I can see didn’t do so.

Second session

We had to have a second planting session in the garden today.  Otherwise the sweet potato cuttings we made yesterday wouldn’t have lasted over the weekend.

Glorious red

I was sorting out some seeds this morning which included taking some ripe snake gourd seeds from the bed.

When the seeds are ripe the snake gourd goes this wonderful colour.  Because it is full of seed it is completely inedible.

Green

Working very hard these days and the colours seem very intense.  The photo doesn’t really do justice to the bright green of these glyricidea leaves.

First roccolla

Planted our first roccolla bed today which means that we are now into the next season when we can start growing things like roccolla and salad.  It also means we are going to get really busy in the nursery.

Went to a Farm Group meeting where I didn’t have to take the notes.  Lovely.

Students

This is a picture of half of the group from a school in Kolkata that visited us this morning.  There were 37 students in the group but they were very good natured and responsive.

Made me laugh how some of them had rather impractical ideas about how to dig a hole to plant a seedling.  They learnt fast though when I showed them how.

Last March....

I wrote to Vivek today about an idea he had for a small tractor to bring the leaves from around Buddha Garden to the compost bins.  I brought out this picture from March of a device they use in Udavi School.  It carries a lot more than a wheelbarrow, seems to be easy to drag around and doesn’t need costly petrol to make it go. 

It is also a lot cheaper to buy than a mini tractor.

Sunrise

For some reason my kindle started working this morning – am SO pleased.  Don’t know why it suddenly sprang into life.  I kept resetting it and in the end just left it as nothing seemed to be working.  Then this morning I thought I would just try and hey presto it suddenly worked.  Maybe it just needed a rest!!

I took this picture yesterday of a wonderful sunrise.  Rajan got a picture of a small plane flying across the bright sky, but I prefer it au naturelle – just nature.

My favourite technology failed

Yesterday my Kindle stopped working.  Have tried a variety of resets but it is still frozen.  Am amazed how much I miss it.  I can read books on my tablet but it is much harder on my eyes and I cannot read for so long.

Am doing a lot of grass cutting and so far more or less keeping it under control.  I’m finding it hard work.

Everything

Had to go to a Green Group meeting today which means more notes and letters to write in the next few days.  I then went to Transition School to see about the new vegetable garden.  I have written a project proposal but if push comes to shove will have to manage somehow with the money we have got.

Goodness knows when I can get back to writing the rest of the walk around Buddha Garden.

Keep on keeping on

Spent most of the day at my computer catching up on a lot of jobs. One of them is to write the podcast we are doing so that people can walk around Buddha Garden with recorded information about what they are seeing.  It is taking much longer than I thought it would to write and I fear is going to be much too long.  The picture is of some posters I brought in from the garden so I could take some of the material off them.

I think in the end I may have to put the material on a combination of the spoken podcast and posters.  I may even have to make power point presentation for download!

It seems to be taking ages and I think the best way is just to try and do a little bit each day.  To keep on keeping on until I get to the end.

Auroculture

Had a very busy day with a meeting all morning and another meeting and yoga in the afternoon.  Despite that I managed to spend a few minutes with Auroculture who seems completely transformed.

Before I went to the UK she fell over and fractured her hip.  Ever since I have been back she has been very miserable.  Today she told me that over the last weeks and months she really wanted to leave her body, but then realized that she still has more work to do in Auroville.  There was a real light in her eyes and she positively glowed.  We had a wonderful discussion and I came away feeling very uplifted.

New Entrance

Spent some time talking with our neighbours about a possible new entrance.  He finds the number of bikes going in and out of Buddha Garden very disturbing.

Looks like it will be complicated and expensive to create a new entrance on the existing land.  Best chance seems to be to try and persuade Auroville to buy the plot of land that is for sale next to the farm.  Problem is that this land may not be seen as a priority and may be expensive as it is next to the road.

My teapot

I found the time to paint my dream teapot, the one that was both a teapot and bread.  It was lovely to paint again. This time with my new water colours.

I also found not only the time but also the materials for packing up some things that I want to send to my grandchildren.

Another garden

Spent the morning doing jobs in the rain, one of which was to go and see the Nautrellement garden.  Where they grow food for their restaurant and for their food products.  I have been working with Geeta to get the garden going.  It was lovely to see how well it was doing and to talk about future plans.  This shows a lovely bed of mint which we have never been able to grow.

Rajan and I got really wet but after the drought its a very welcome feeling.  

Happy in the garden

Went to Udavi School and had a lovely session in the garden.  As usual it was a bit chaotic but everything got done and there was a lovely atmosphere.  This was reflected in what the students wrote in their diaries – that they felt happy.

I think the expression on this student’s face also expresses the general feeling very well.

Got it!

At last I have got my Residential Permit and so have completed all the bureaucracy related to my visa. 

As the person at the office pointed out to me, I now don’t have to do anything until I have to renew the visa in 2022. 

Wonderful.

A favourite picture

Today I spent a lot of the afternoon annotating 14 photos of our work in Udavi School for Ravikrishna to send to the Principal.

The picture above is my favorite.  It’s the (quite) quiet time at the end of the session  when they do a bit of reading and write up their diary. 

Sunset on Sunday

Had a very quiet day today which ended with me taking this picture of the sunset. 

I was amazed at how little water was left in the pond.  We have had a lot of rain which has only stopped for a day or two. Which I suppose shows how dry the soil was.

Bugs

Found out today that the pumpkin seedlings we planted yesterday in the research beds have been devastated by red bugs.  Usually our plants resist these pests but the wet conditions are bringing them in abundance to the point where the plants can’t deal with them.

Rajan made a spray this evening but I think nets are the only answer so that plants have enough time to grow large enough to resist them.

Back to school

Had my first session back at Udavi school today.  They have done a lovely job while I have been away and of course the rain has really helped.  Had to reassure them that having lots of bugs and diseases is rather common when you start a growing food in a new place.  Several of the seedings have been attacked by pests but most of them are growing well.

Worked extremely hard this morning in Buddha Garden to plant six research beds all at the same time.  Was rewarded with a heavy rain shower just as we finished.