Water in the Sky and Learning How to be a Plumber

Water in the sky! Water in the sky! The first rain of the season is here right now, washing away the dust and soaking into the ground. It is as if I can hear the trees singing in happiness. Joe and I have been busy here at the Refuge at Pudding Creek. We start the day with meditation and blackberries and then get to work.

As many of you know, water is becoming scarce up here in Northern California. Our beautiful spring that we use for drinking water is slowing precipitously, so we are working to make sure that we have water security for the coming years. The vision of this sacred place as a container for retreats, art, and nature practice has not faded. We will need water for you to visit and practice with us.

The 3000 gallon water storage tank that was delivered to us at the beginning of September has found its new home. We pick-axed out a flat (well I say "we", but it really was mostly Joe) spot for the tank above the house so that it can gravity feed into the house and gardens.

Our visiting friends helped us roll this massive tank up the hill. If you come to visit, I promise not to ask you to pick ax into dry earth or roll a water tank up a steep hill. (unless you would want to?!)

In the deep woods above the house, there is a spot that used to have a small pool of water year round. This year the pool was dry by the beginning of April, but there may be water not that far down under the surface. We have borrowed tools from neighbors to dig a narrow hole and can get down about 4 feet with the tools that we have. We haven't found water yet, but the earth is very damp at the bottom of the hole.

In the meantime, we found many leaks in the water line from the spring to the house. The ever helpful and reliable neighbor gave us instructions on how to re-plumb the 450 foot line. Joe and I carried 600 feet of poly piping into the woods and stretched it out under the fallen logs and through the poison oak.

I installed the fittings and connections and we suspended the line over the creek.

There is still so much more to do and learn. Do you have that sense in your life too? It is so easy to spiral down like a leaf dropping off of a tree into fear and stress. What keeps you balanced? I have to remember, to remember gratitude and compassion and maybe you do too. We are held together in mutuality so let’s hold together in love as we navigate these trying times.