We're sheltering in the piazza of the nearby village, to get through the hottest day of the week.

There's a delicious breeze keeping insects and being-boiled-alive at bay, whilst the bustle of school bus, morning caffés and everyone catching up on the gossip goes on in the background. Vincent and I are taking a moment, thinking through how to better navigate these hot times.

The trips to the river had a great recharging effect, and we fantasise about having land closer to waters... Maybe more floods will come, and our land will slide down closer to Il Trigno....

The raging heat inside and out is on the one hand debilatating, and on the other it is somewhat galvanising: this is Real Life after all, and (possibly) not a simulation. There are consequences to all our interactions and creative responses. This is both sobering and liberating.

Not having - or not choosing - to participate in financial systems for the greater part, means we do not just throw money at a challenge: we think-feel-gestate long and hard about every tweak we make - even longer and harder about big decisions.

For this reason we do take significant breaks to realign, cool down, get perpective. It's a core aspect of successful homesteading; working wisely and efficiently, not wasting energy by throwing it around willy-nilly, or trying to force things our way.

Going with The Flow.

All major frictions have to be approached gently here; I'm learning this very slowly. I am super-skilled at operating in emergencies, resolving crises. But stabilising everything on our land/ in our houses/ with our health and happiness long-term - this is another level of embodied wisdom that I have to master.

In the meantime, we continue to Chop Wood And Carry Water, though now we're more Dismantling Wells And Raking Hay. In the couple of hours that we are able to actually move around outside. It is exciting to excavate and reconstruct such a beautiful handmade phenomenon. Makes us feel a part of the environment - integral forces working to keep the elements in harmony with the flora, the fauna and the folk. We can share more about that soon.

The piazza is even fuller now, mid-morning rush of elderly expats, folks between shifts working locally, and the shopkeepers of the piazza, who leave their doors open whilst they pop over to merrily socialise. We meet new faces, chat about the river, and think about shopping for essentials (that can survive in a house temporarily over 35°).

We wish you all well, homesteading or not, in these warmest months: may your local waters be abundant, cool and clean!

With Love!