After nearly a week of nervous jitters (life is after all quite stressful at the moment), I sat down with the Westacre soil. It is going to be our partner and ally in creating beauty for this place, so I need to build a good relationship with it. I felt its cool solidity, smelled its rich fertility, saw its dark life-giving texture and tasted its gritty strength. I listened deeply, with all of my being and allowed it to speak to the depth of me. Slowly, all tension crumbled. The feel of my body became as loose and open as the soil. I felt at home.

The Oak King in the lane wearing his golden crown