What if...

What if...
19/04/2021

DervisTarlada  When Celal needed to leave, who would water the seedlings?  Derviş, our sesonal worker for the 14th Bahçemiz vegetable produce season, had worked hard all day Thursday then suggested we come again Friday for 3 nights.  

4 uninterrupted hours with Elif, and a series of discoveries. Starting with some maths: we made triangle puzzles, our own protractor for measuring angles and wondered why right angles are 90 degrees. It all goes back 6000 years to the Sumerians, and their choice of a 60-base number system... A bag of twigs, and she wrote Roman numerals 1-10. Then I gave her our new illustrated Güneşköy map and she came to life! Her "Map Game" developed over the next hours. "The map says go North, then turn East... to get to Herkül's kennel. Then.." her narrative continued as the map led her from one point to another. Map reading became more accurate as she explored the correspondence between the drawing and the land.

Map no.3: the Worm Tent! In through the door, let's look at the worms. Its time to harvest a layer from the 5 floor "apartment". From squirming at their sight, she took one in her palm "It tickles!". She rapidly forgot the initial feeling as she helped me relocate individuals to fresher food in a higher level.

Something interesting we found, a fossil? No. 19 more Yes/No questions to guess what it could be. We all saw different symbols in this: a dragonfly, a CND peace symbol... The start of more stories... Map no.7 - the Dome led to biological metaphores: building=skeleton, paths/food=heart/blood, movement/strength=muscles, electricity=nerves. Map reading activities will develop!

Derviş helped Elif to plant her acorns.

Among the growing variety of flowers, the tiny Viola occulta are strikingly beautiful in their details.

...and when you look closely before stepping, what wonders are there, getting on with growing and perpetuating their cycles, oblivious of those who think they rule the planet.

Herkül was free for 3 days (in Celal's absence). He followed us most places we went. This barren Central Anatolian hill (Çeker Tepe) is the nearest we can get any phone or internet reception. A message from Bolivia, so I sent a photo of Herkül, the dog who'd been stolen and mistreated for 2 years before he escaped and came back to us last year, on a very sorry state. The next day, a reply from Bolivia "Could dogs be trained to help people with muscular dystrophy?". It turns out to be possible! Never underestimate your imagination: WHAT IF it could work? That evening the winds were so strong, it was hard to light the stove. Flames blew out of the bed, and smoke filled the room. Opening the window, we could hear Herkül barking from higher up...

Monday morning, no sign of the storm. The clouds were clearing and the sun coming out. Celal, back with Adnan, gave more coaching to Derviş. By midday, he was happy - Derviş was using his spade better.

As spring warms up, creatures are exploring their limits. A curious hoopoe wandered into the glasshouse; I'd heard them earlier in the morning. How was I able to take this ant's photo? Unable to move one of its wings, it couldn't fly. In its struggle, it was losing precious energy...

Sunday evening two hours before sundown, the breaking of the fast, the land bloated with rain and wheat bright green, in the warmer air, bees buzzed in the almond blossom . In 2021, Ankara Ramadan fasts end between 19.30 and 20.00. The evening curfew has been brought forward from 9pm to 7pm, so shops and businesses close by 6pm... Some complain, but think back 12 months: we hadn't been able to come for 65 days! https://www.guneskoy.org.tr/en/blog/claire-s-blog/after-65-corona-days You'll only find out what can happen if you try...

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