CALDERS COMMUNITY GARDEN, WHAT A COOL PLACE. LOTS OF KIDS RUNNING AROUND AND CATCHING BUGS AND GENERALLY HAVING A GOOD TIME. IT TOOK ABOUT AN HOUR TO GET THERE BETWEEN THE WALK AND THE BUS, SO I GOT TO SEE A PART OF EDINBURGH I HADN’T BEEN TO BEFORE. WE HAD A FEW DIFFERENT PROJECTS TO WORK ON. I STARTED OUT DIGGING A HOLE. NOT JUST ANY HOLE. THIS HOLE HAD A GREAT DESTINY, IT WOULD ONE DAY BE A THREE-TIERED POND FOR BUGS AND ANIMALS TO CHILL OUT IN. I’M KIND OF A FAN OF DIGGING HOLES, ANY SORT OF REPETITIVE MANUAL LABOUR REALLY, AS IT GIVES ME TIME TO THINK. SINCE THIS WAS A GROUP ACTIVITY IT WAS ALSO TIME TO TALK AND GET TO KNOW THE GROUP OF PEOPLE I’D JUST MET THE DAY BEFORE. WORKING TOGETHER ON A PROJECT IS A GREAT WAY TO FEEL CLOSE WITH A GROUP OF NEW PEOPLE AND I QUICKLY BECAME COMFORTABLE. IT’S A VERY WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT AND I’M REALLY GLAD I DECIDED TO TRY IT OUT.
FREE FOOD IS ANOTHER THING THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER. THE LUNCH WAS GOOD, WE IMRPOVISED THE USUAL SANDWICHES AND THERE WAS ALSO SOME CURRY OR STEW OR SOMETHING WITH SOME REALLY GOOD BREAD. AFTER LUNCH I TOOK A BREAK FROM THE HOLE AND DID WILLOW WEAVING. THAT WAS PRETTY COOL, YOU FEEL LIKE A FORCE OF NATURE BY BENDING AND TYING THE TREES. PLUS THE END RESULT WAS REALLY PRETTY. WE FORMED AN UNRULY HALF-RING OF WILD WILLOWS INTO AN INTRICATE, ALMOST ORNATE CIRCLE WITH TWO BEAUTIFUL GATES. BY THE TIME WE WERE DONE I WENT BACK TO CHECK ON THE HOLE, AND IT HAD ABOUT DOUBLED IN SIZE SINCE I LEFT. WOW!
I LOVE THESE PEOPLE.