Old Cousin Covid finally found us this past spring. Maybe we’re the last people to get it? We were quite sick but not in danger and the aftermath of fatigue was a wonder in itself. It took the wind out of our sails for much of the summer and might excuse the lack of correspondence from these parts.

A lot happened anyway. The big news is having success with drilling a new well. The drilling rig arrived in late April timed perfectly with our Covid adventure. In the midst of an unusually dry year the drillers hit water right where the water witch predicted. We need not have been surprised: the water witch, a young woman from a local ranch family, arrived to do her dowsing and was greeted by a large bull snake that seemed to appear out of nowhere the moment she arrived. In many traditional cultures snakes are considered guardians and harbingers of water. The dowser dowsed, the drillers drilled, the water flowed!

We also had an upgrade to our solar array, bringing the system up to the maximum allowed by the local utility. This will generate close to all the electricity we use in a year.

Since the onset of the pandemic, it seemed wise to avoid hosting group gatherings at Mountain Water, while throughout we have been welcoming individuals – sometimes several at a time – to take advantage of the fine opportunity of creative retreat practice here. This has set a trend that seems to work well. We are now expanding that to include in-house tutorials in drawing, painting, watercolor, and general creativity, all in the context of contemplative inquiry. Both of us have many years of training and teaching in studio arts and mindfulness meditation and can assist you in designing a retreat that includes instruction and lots of studio time. Your retreat could be of any duration of your choosing and could be solo or with a group of like-minded friends. Let us know if this interests you.

Fall and winter here are beautiful seasons here. Our cabins are winterized and cozy. Do come for a stay before too long!

 Joan Anderson & Robert Spellman