all's well

big storm came through last week and we were without electricity for several days--lost internet, too. the pigs stormed the fence, so to speak, in fear of their lives: crashing poplar branches versus an electric shock. neighbours' tales of three and four trees fallen, a tree crashed feet from a house full of kids, many, many trees down on the roads. it was quite the twenty minute adventure.
then the awkward days following when it was obvious how we take electricity for granted here at stormwell: a freezer full of meat mostly, and most expensively. but also luxurious piped hot water (how i love it) and a fridge with crisp veggies. at other times in our lives, we have lived without those amenities. i like having them, especially the chickens, salmon and baths. at the same time, it's unsettling to realise that a big investment (the frozen meat) hinges on power lines. eating dried meat all year round doesn't really appeal, though. i'm just not that hardcore anymore. so...power's back on and we continue. a question lingers in the background, a provocation.
the pigs have been joyfully, i think, rooting up our old garden and lawn. last monday they'd been here a week and the land already looked like this:

today, even more. down one pig (the farmer came and picked him up) but the remaining two are bustling away.



they've ignored a centre strip where we have never planted anything. we're scheming to prepare some t-bar holes of grain as enticement. in the meantime, i've begun throwing breakfast there.
yesterday i showed my students a photo and one of them jumped in her seat: "Bears!" she said.

be well,

k.