>We are back from a month in Istanbul and New York. I realize now that we timed our return very well; for three days following our return, we were showered with, alternately, drizzle, rain and apocalyptic hail (small stones, but lots of them). The result? The dip in our road is now a raging torrent of water (see visual aid — this was taken today, after the water died down by at least 30%).
This means that for the moment at least, we are more or less stranded. We spent a while tossing rocks into the water to try and make a path for ourselves to get through that will not end up mired in mud, and the weather has cleared up today, so if it continues this way, we should be able to make it down the mountain by Friday for market day in Kumluca. It’s a good thing that we made a quick stop at the supermarket on our way up — I was barely conscious, since I basically went into a coma-like sleep the entire drive down (I think I may have tired myself out a little in NY), but I managed to grab a few essentials, and a good thing too! Also in our favor was that we were showered with enormous butternut squash right before we left (which sounds painful, come to think of it!) and they kept nicely in our outdoor cupboard. We have been eating a lot of squash — I am cooking some in the lentil stew we’re having for lunch. Other than a few greens in the garden, it’s the only vegetable we have right now!
Anwyay, we all had a nice time throwing rocks, and Baki played in the water and on the rocks.
As we worked, I realized that this is what was missing from my life before we came down here, and it is one of the things that makes this life good for me. I need physical work to stay level-headed. I don’t know what it is, maybe everyone is the same. I have always felt better, happier, more in control after I work hard, whether by digging in the garden, or going for a run. Being a lazy person, I tend to avoid physical work, so it is good that I have found a life for myself where hard physical labor is not a choice, but a necessity.
In the end, we seemed to have made a dent in our work and marched home so I could start lunch and Ali could do work in the greenhouse. Did I mention that it is good to be home?