This week’s post is a quiet check-in from the farm. Rather than a longer written reflection, I’m sharing a short video from Piney Creek, filmed while Letty and I walked the creek as winter settles in. I hope you enjoy taking a few minutes to look around with me.

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I came across a new dam on the creek. It was freshly built by beavers whose skill and persistence always amaze me. Their work is steady and deliberate, with every branch and clump of mud placed with purpose. They aren’t just blocking the creek; they’re creating a small world of their own. By backing up the water, they make a pond deep enough to hide their lodge, store food for the months ahead, and protect their young from predators.

As fall settles in, the beavers stay busy patching leaks and hauling small trees and branches from the edge of the woods. They use the heavier limbs and trunks to reinforce the dam, and beneath the water, they will anchor a pile of branches that serves as their winter pantry. Beavers don’t eat the wood itself but the soft inner bark and twigs, along with leaves and aquatic plants.

As the air turns cooler, they spend more time in the lodge and slip out mostly at night to gather food or tend to their work. Everything they do now is part of getting ready for the slower days to come.

When I stopped to look closer at the dam I noticed two cottonmouths nearby. One, a large one, was stretched out across the top of the dam with the water spilling and curling around its body. It wasn’t moving, just resting there like the dam was built to hold it too. The other was off in the grass, just a little ways away from the edge of the creek.

The video above shows the dam and the life moving around it. You can see the trail the beavers have worn from the water up into the woods and out into the corn stubble. They’ve been using it to gathering their food and building materials. Even the leftover corn stalks have found their place in the mix, being woven into the muddy walls of their new construction.

Seeing this feat of engineering brought back memories of how, for most of my life, the beavers have been a nuisance. They’d back the water up into the field until it drowned the crops, so we'd use traps to exterminate them and dynamite to blow out their dams.

These days, I’m trying a different approach. The goal isn’t to kill or destroy. It's to see what coexistence might look like. The dam can stay for now, even if a some crop is lost along the edges. If it ever grows too large or floods more of the field than can be managed, then it can be taken out, and the beavers will simply rebuild or move farther down the creek to begin again.

For now I’m leaning into the rhythm of living with awareness and allowing what is.

Keith Rowe is a breathworker, teacher, and founder of Vital Healing, a nonprofit that helps people reconnect with the wisdom of their heart through breathwork, somatic practice, and walking meditation.

He is co-creator of the upcoming Walking Pilgrim app, a 33-day journey of mindful walking and presence. Sign up to receive updates for when it is released at walkingpilgrim.com.

The animals seem to be getting ready for winter. Deer linger at the edges of the field, moving through the remnants of the corn we left behind, taking advantage of what is there. Squirrels move quickly from branch to branch, storing what they can. Even the creek feels different and I am seeing fewer beavers and turtles as the season shifts.

Walking and breathing through these changes feels like a reminder that autumn belongs to the body as much as to the land. Just as the fields release what they have held, we are invited to let go of what has run its course.

UPDATE: Schefflera Cutting

Here’s a quick update from the garden. The Schefflera cutting still looks healthy, though it hasn’t put out roots yet.

The first photo shows the stalk just after we took the cutting on September 1.

Now, about 25 days later, a fresh shoot is pushing out from that same spot.

The plant is showing signs of recovery and resilience, even as it takes its time.

Cottonmouth Encounter

On a recent walk along the spring branch, I spotted a Northern Cottonmouth sunning on the bank. After I disturbed him, he slipped into the water and swam across the branch.

Encounters like this carry a charge, a mix of adrenaline, respect, and awe.

Cottonmouths are often feared, but they are also part of the balance of life along Piney Creek.

A little healthy respect goes a long way.

Learning to Know Our Neighbors

Every now and then I come across tools that genuinely make my life richer.

I have no connection to these apps. They have simply added value to my journey, and I thought they might do the same for you.

As far as I know they are both free, and they have helped me notice and name more of the life that’s around me.

Merlin Bird ID App

I took Merlin out on the farm and recorded for about a minute. In that short time it identified six different birds.

What I love is that it shows in real time which bird is calling, with a name and photo appearing on the screen as the sound comes through. The more I use it, the more familiar those voices become, and what once felt like background noise now feels like neighbors.

Seek by iNaturalist

The Seek app has become one of my favorite ways to explore. I can point my camera at a plant, insect, or animal and it quickly suggests what I’m looking at.

If I snap a picture, it saves the record and gives me details about what it is. It’s a simple way to learn more about the world right around me, and each time I use it I feel like I’m getting to know my neighbors a little better.

Both of these apps are free, and both encourage me to slow down and notice. The more I learn their voices and names, the more I remember that I am part of this shared place.

As the days grow shorter and time outdoors feels limited, they offer me one more way to stay connected with the living world. Even a short walk can become a chance to listen more closely, to learn, and to carry that sense of belonging into the season ahead.

Thanks for joining me in noticing these small changes. I’d love to hear what you’re seeing where you are as the season shifts.

Keith Rowe is a breathworker, teacher, and founder of Vital Healing, a nonprofit that helps people reconnect with the wisdom of their heart through breathwork, somatic practice, and walking meditation.

He is co-creator of the upcoming Walking Pilgrim app, a 33-day journey of mindful walking and presence. Sign up for updates at walkingpilgrim.com.

Welcome to the first post in a new weekend series I’m calling From the Farm.

These will be simple glimpses into everyday life around here. It’ll include short videos, photos, and small updates about what’s growing and what I’m tending.

Schefflera Cutting

This week I took a cutting from my Schefflera (umbrella plant) and started it in water. Here’s a look at how I did it.

Ficus Transplants

About six weeks ago I started some ficus cuttings. Today they’ve taken root and been transplanted into soil.

Mystery Plant

I don’t remember what this plant is called.
These cuttings rooted beautifully in water, and I’ve just moved them into a pot with potting mix.

And Then…a Special Guest Appearance

While I was working with the plants, I noticed a praying mantis clinging to the kitchen window. I caught it gently and carried it outside to one of the ficus trees.

We shared a brief moment there before it settled into the branches.

That’s all for this first From the Farm update. I will keep sharing little moments like these on weekends as part of the ongoing work of growing and tending.

I hope everyone had a great weekend!!!

Light and love,

Keith