Life in the farm

Our idea of rural life is typical of a city dweller, romantic and adventurous. These are often based out of the small holidays or little time we spend in the wild, mostly to satisfy our curiosity and to talk amongst friends

Staying and making a rural home is an unique experience. The challenges are daunting (or interesting), The rural setup challenged the past 40/50 years of our day-to-day city existence.

We made our own water supply arrangement, our own grey water and black water management system. A constant need to be environmentally and ecologically friendly, means less wastage and more sustainable food management, less ecologically harmful material, more environmentally friendly soaps, and less plastic packaged goods. Each of these a tough task in its own way

It would be another year before we can expect full scale food from the field.

Our primary objective was taking care of the earth, and if that delays the growing of vegetables and fruits, so be it. That said - started the creation of rain gardens, the compost pits, the mulching of the soil, water harvesting and rainwater and dew management from roof

It is wonderful to watch nature, and the surroundings change with time. The rain brings in the green and the summer bring in the brown, the change is drastic and magical. The orange bloom of the Palash in summer, and then the fruiting of the date palm is breathtaking.

The autumn changes the entire landscape to brilliant white with its kaash phool. Winter brings in the date sap, which is converted to a sweet syrup or solidified as khejur gur. The time of sweet meats and some deserved earning for the villagers

The sowing of rice before the rains, rice field turning a sea of green grass and then slowly turning to golden brown is fascinating. A busy period for villagers - after the rice is cropped, some farmers decide to grow mustard and sesame. Time of harvest is often filled with festivities, celebrations and sign of being alive with nature.

Weather change, changes in the wildlife and insect life. Between August and October snakes rule the roost. Snakes try to keep away from human habitation, and once in while seeing a movement or two, they did not bother us much. Well not exactly, one made a home in the top of our container near the water tank!

Around June and July, mouse infestation increased. We caught one in the trap, we left it in the wild, it promptly found its way back into our container. Surprisingly as soon as the rice ripened in the field, the mice stopped coming

Should there be light or no light is big question, lack of light is scary, but light brings in insects and scares the night owl, the insects come towards the light for the dance of death. Light is also not great for the nocturnal animals. Finally, a suitable voltage was chosen for the solar lights around the house. Rest of the land is dark, to keep an ideal condition for insect and animals.

Life is steady in its own way, yet exciting and changing.  Associations and friendships are evolving the place which was complete foreign to us a year back is now becoming our own place. We are trying to document changes and making adjustment to our pattern of life, where daily excitement is a new normal!!

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