OR A BIT OF ZEN KUNDALINI MUSIC AND A DOG, GO A LONG WAY TO HAPPINESS AND TRANQUILITY.
Since writing this, sadly it appears the sale will not go through after a long weary time of yes, no situation as laws and catastrophes have occurred and misunderstandings and recriminations. I will however never forget my magical time in my garden. I am heartbroken and desolate so am going on a road trip to try to calm myself. I’m still trying to fix this as eternally an optimist! I’ll keep you posted x I’ll also be adding photos and final hammock film
I’ve worked like a dog in that garden of mine, meanwhile Doggo the dog chilled in my new musical setting like he was a goddam pasha.
Days drift on in the magical mountains and the garden has already changed so much that I feel like a character in a book who makes a dream come true in front of other peoples watchful eyes.
My almost daily ritual has become an almost spiritual journey, some days wonderful and rewarding, others frustrating and exhausting.
Yesterday however was a real landmark day and so magical and rewarding that I fell under its spell.
On arrival after my two km walk up the road (actually I lie I got a lift from the junction yesterday) I sat on my stone seat that I have made and changed into my socks and big old work boots and got out my tools and gloves from my rucksack. While doing this a delighted Doggo leapt down from the wall having searched me out after a few days of absence. He was ecstatic as was I, and our reunion was very bouncy and cuddly and lovely. We gazed into each others eyes and I cooed to him while he grinned and wagged his tail furiously. Our love story gives me a huge boost of positive energy and happiness and although he’s not really my dog I have named him Doggo and he is mine whenever I’m here. I put on my music for the first time and felt peace wash over me as I went to tackle my grim job.
I had finally managed to procure some old pliers that I had been nagging for at the fish restaurant that would have to do for cutting down the old wire fence that was enmeshed and cutting into my two lower olive trees and covered with ivy and all sorts of rubbish. It was a vital but tough job to join the sections of the garden and give it a new landscape and dimension. I walked down and sat on the good earth by the tree and started. The first bit of wire was so tough that I felt like I could have chewed through it quicker but when finally it snapped I hurrahed and Doggo seemed very pleased for me. From then on it was very hard with some bits having to be left behind forever as part of the tree trunk. However I gritted my teeth and finally had a break and kicked down the first part with plastic and all sorts of old rubbish tumbling down to the lower terrace. It was a great moment of victory.
On I went, slowly dragging out ivy and snipping away at stubborn roots and pushing away general debris. Doggo by then decided to lie down next to me generally hindering me and making me laugh wildly. Gradually down came the bloody fence to the other side and as I pulled it across to see how far it would go before cutting more wire and big boulder came free and rolled down along with more plastic bags and even an old shoe and socks. By this time Doggo decided to go with the music and lay down for a kip. With a huge rubbish bag filled and ground ivy cleared I went into the other side of the fence wrapped around the other tree. Here I encountered a huge problem with the wire and dealt with it by craftily unweaving the tough wire from its mesh and finished a lot more quickly by doing this. Then suddenly, bingo, I had freed the trees and dragged the fence away with some stubborn bits of ivy to its new place for the rubbish man.
The transformation of the vista was amazing. A new landscape was emerging. This was the first time since I’ve been here that I thought ‘hammocks’ rather than ‘bollocks’! The last Herculean task I had to perform was moving the massive rocks into a heap over where fence had been to the ground below onto one of a new pile of rocks which looks lovely and rather sculptural. A fountain maybe later in the centre of a pond? Although a lot will be used to fix the crumbling terrace walls I’m sure some can remain as a centrepiece for an homage to my hard work?
Doggo at this point had made a nest in the hollow of an upturned tree lined with pine needles and was looking a bit dead Doggo which was disconcerting, so I poked him with my toe, it was time to go up to the mosque water fountain for a wash and cold drink of fresh mountain water. We ambled up and enjoyed this second ritual that I have, Doggo ain’t keen he stands warily on guard until I finish, and then walked back with many a greeting from various villagers. At least they know him now and I don’t fear for him. I attempted finishing removing vine from around a solitary rose but left a stubborn bit of fencing for a friend who said they would pull it out by tractor. After that I went and picked an apple which technically wasn’t mine but the birds had got one side so I didn’t think my neighbour would mind, and ate it while sitting rather close to the perilous remaining roof tiles on one side of the house. I finished off my mandarins pulled the last of the ivy from where the hammock will be going and called it a day.
The music had stopped with the batteries drained and then I heard again the sound of water. It was odd as the stream has basically dried up so was I hallucinating with a bit of sunstroke? No it was there again. I looked cautiously over the rather junky part of garden and heard it more clearly. Then I saw a wet bit and was curious but by then in flipflops so didn’t venture nearer. Do I have a natural spring on my land my friends, or is it merely a leaky pipe? To be investigated.
Doggo walked me home like the gentleman he is.
HAMMOCK TIME.
Today I went into Tire with my pal Irem to buy a hammock. Sure I wanted my organic dried apricots and almonds, some honey, coconut oil, sumak, fresh mackerel (for my dinner tonight) and turmeric but mostly I was lusting for the first furnishing/embellishment for the garden. We found one for a staggeringly cheap six quid which is big, natural and sturdy. I bought an evil eye and a cow bell for good measure to hang over it in the olive tree. I will set it up tomorrow as I’m whacked still after yesterday. It’s nice to be planning something pretty and useful for the garden. A milepost if you will, that will go down in this history of a tough but amazing beginning of my new life in the village.
Next morning. After a bad nights sleep I have had a long casual breakfast but still feel weary. I ate my lovely mackerel last night and drank more wine than good for me. It is the weekend I suppose but I still wanted to go put up may hammock. I’ll wait and see later, a torpid lethargy has crept over me. However it will be busy here today with people coming in from local towns for the mountain air and the green beautiful garden that the fish restaurant is. Waterfalls, fountains and lush greenery from the natural springs here make it a perfect weekend retreat. I selfishly like it when it’s quiet. Let’s see later if I make it up the mountain. I don’t want to get too tired as I am going to Selcuk tomorrow to make a Sunday roast with the family. I want to make garlicky roast lamb and roast lemon potatoes. A nice change from the regular fare here.
Three days later: After the Sunday festivities and a hysterical family gathering , I had stayed that night in a nearby pension at a kind of Hammer House of Horrors. A grim stairwell has finally led me up to very basic and scary room when I turned on the room lights two orange light bulbs glowed placed there to infer that this was a sexy room if indeed not a room for just sex. I was appalled I had stumbled into what seemed to be an hotel of dubious distinction.. The lock didn’t work on either the terrace or the main doors and the terrace was joined to another room who’s door was open so I presumed occupied. This was indeed a pickle I found myself in. What to do? A strange coat-stand on the terrace was moved to outside the terrace door and a chair placed inside my room door would have to do at least making a noise if I had an intruder in the night and my bumbag was placed under the mattress by my head was all I could muster before sleeping. Strangely I slept quite well. I had after all had quite a few drinks during the day, but my hammock in the garden seemed an elusive dream still.
The next day bright and early I went to grab my cousin and get a lift back to the fish restaurant. I was pleased to be home with my extended family and after a huge breakfast and buckets of their delicious tea my cousin left and I nursed a hangover for the rest of the day. Hammock would have to wait again.
The following day: Well I finally made the usual pilgrimage up to my garden and my lovely Irem staggered down carrying my hammock and rope for this milestone job. Doggo had already arrived and looked very dubious about the unwrapping of this big parcel. With trembling fingers I opened it and imagine my delight, inside was not just one hammock but two!
I went about with the help of my pal sawing the rope she had brought into the right sized pieces and tied it between the trees. We both looked at it dubiously. It hung over the beautifully cleared upper and lower shelf section of harden earth exactly over my rock and boulder mountain. This was a no! She had to leave and took Doggo with her for a bit of breakfast declaring he looked hungry and I was left with a conundrum. Clearly it would have to be untied and the rocks moved further away.
Gruntling and mild swearing ensued until finally I was satisfied with the new arrangement and tentatively sat do on it checking the safety of my unprofessional knots on the holding ropes. Yes! It was fine and sturdy! My perspective of the garden from my very comfortable nest was amazing. The songbirds sang their songs as I finally lay back and I was delighted to see two blue-tits above me and finally relax musing and pondering my achievements thus far. Doggo was back licking his chops after his meal and laid gingerly next to me at eye level due to the higher shelf. He gazed into my eyes and seemed satisfied about this new member of the family but resisted the idea of getting aboard. I put our Zen music on and he closed his eyes and we rested peacefully . This is the life I thought. This is paradise.
A while later I roused myself before nearly drifting off into a deep slumber. I cleared more rocks and pulled more ground ivy until my cousin came by to pick me up for a day at the Buyuk Menderes National park for a bit of sea air and a bonus of some tamed down wild boar and a delicious refreshing swim in very clean, clear water.
Old Bird Travels Solo! 