We had built a “Cretan style” windmill. With the help of Aurovilians who had the know-how to use these windmills to pump water from a well.
But we needed to learn how to use this windmill. Knowledge alone wasn't enough, we needed to learn how to make it work properly. Just as with learning how to drive a car, nobody can do that for you.
It was a sensitive thing and we needed to learn how to use all its parts correctly: the canvas wings, the peg and the cylinder needed to be balanced, otherwise the windmill would get damaged.
We had to learn how to “navigate” the whole thing. I mean that we had to fully open the wings when there was little wind, close them half with stronger winds, and of course quickly close the wings fully when storms were on their way.
One day Frankie came to warn us to close the wings, as a cyclone was coming.
But it was totally windless, and we thought we were smartasses that would not be fooled by such practical jokes!
A bit later, the cyclone hit us in full force.
Comments