John was concerned about his spring, or rather the fact that he shares it with a holiday cottage, that has just been renovated to include three bathrooms. The source is up on the mountain, across a sheep-ridden farmland, and he has to filter and treat it for ecoli.
He has a large concrete tank that holds a week's supply, which secures them from occasional interruptions in flow, but has just had his granddaughter and family to stay, who each had three showers a day, and that has made him realise what the neighbours might use.
Urban habits do not encourage recognising finite natural supply.
We have had a dry year. The Spring was alarmingly so, but even since, the soakings and drizzles have done little but dampen the surface.
When I was back at Fachongle, with broadband access, I looked up whether I could download the films, Manon de Source and Jean de Florette, so that I could show them. Water and its absence dominate these brilliant French films.
The main character is an intentionally blocked spring that results in a death and heart-break.
This land feels as wild and peasant as that portrayed. No cicadas though, and a bit greener.
For now.
It wasn't on the iTunes store, so I looked to see if I could download a copy elsewhere. The only available source seemed to be a pirate Bit-Torrent. (Copious flow of information)
I left the tap on in the garden here last night. A mistake.
So my first task when I came here this afternoon was to go up to siphon the pipe to my spring to restore the flow.
I was shocked to see that the water left in the spring is a meagre, muddy puddle.
I feel this knowledge resounding through every thought that I have now. One part of me plans future strategies like storage tanks. Another just feels completely shaky and insecure.
Who knows what is to come. Freezing, dry winters followed by late, dry springs maybe. That's what we have had recently.
There is an occasional stream, that flows onto the land, then sinks away into the ground. This land is porous.
I wrenched my back recently, and feel weak and wobbly from that, and now the lifeblood of my greater being, this land, is in jeopardy. So both my bodies feel challenged.
Maybe I WAS feeling a little too comfortable!
Maybe there is a greater source, some deeper spring in my life, that I need to acknowledge.
And learn and to tap.
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