Good Morning 🌞

The week did what it does — stretched, surprised, maybe even steamrolled a little. But hey, you're still here, inbox open, making time for the good stuff. Today’s edition is your gentle nudge to slow down, catch your breath, and head into the weekend a little more grounded.

Innovation

Recycling Water

After a decade of planning and a $120 million investment, one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions is transforming its approach to wastewater management. Instead of releasing 500 million gallons of treated effluent into rivers and the ocean, the water will now irrigate thousands of acres of farmland in Queensland’s fertile “Berry Belt.” The Wamuran Irrigation Scheme, led by the local governments of Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, and Noosa, repurposes Class A treated effluent—clean but non-potable water—from the South Caboolture sewage plant. Previously, this nutrient-rich water flowed into the sensitive Caboolture River, contributing to algae blooms and harming aquatic life.

Now, that same water will nourish crops such as strawberries, pineapples, avocados, raspberries, and turf. A new 22-kilometer pipeline will carry the water to Moodlu Quarry, a former mining pit converted into a reservoir. As the region’s population is expected to double by 2040, the system offers a sustainable solution to increasing wastewater and irrigation demands, particularly during dry spells. Farmers are welcoming the change, recognizing its potential to stabilize agricultural output. “We’re in a wet period now, but it’ll be dry again soon,” said Gavin Scurr of Pinata Farms. “When it’s dry, water limits how much we can grow and deliver.”

Beyond supporting farming, the recycled water will ease pressure on natural creeks and dams, reducing conflicts over water access and helping to restore local ecosystems by keeping more water in the landscape. The initial rollout includes five farms, with plans to expand as infrastructure develops. With climate forecasts warning of more frequent droughts in Queensland by 2059, the region’s bold investment in water recycling could prove crucial—not just for agriculture, but for the long-term resilience of the environment and local communities.

World News

3-year-old Finds Ancient Seal

In central Israel, a 3-year-old girl named Ziv Nitzan made an extraordinary discovery while playing at Tel Azekah, a historic site believed to be the location of the biblical battle between David and Goliath. What seemed like an ordinary stone turned out to be a scarab amulet, possibly 3,800 years old and likely brought to the region by Ancient Egyptians. The Israeli Antiquities Authority confirmed the find, calling it a valuable link between modern-day Israel and the ancient civilizations that once thrived there.

Ziv’s sister, Omer, shared their excitement on Facebook, explaining that they noticed the stone looked unusual after brushing off the sand. “I called my parents to come see it, and we realized it was an archaeological find,” she wrote. Experts determined the scarab is either Egyptian or Canaanite in origin. Far from being mere decorative trinkets, scarabs in ancient times served as personal seals and powerful amulets, often inscribed with religious symbols or markers of social status. Officials used them to stamp documents, and they were commonly placed in tombs, homes, and public spaces.

Egyptologist Daphna Ben-Tor noted that scarabs held deep cultural significance, as the beetle symbolized renewal and protection in Egyptian beliefs. Dung beetles, in particular, were considered sacred because they were thought to mirror the Sun god’s daily journey, rolling the sun across the sky like a ball of dung. Ziv’s discovery not only provides a tangible connection to these ancient beliefs but also highlights the rich archaeological heritage hidden just beneath the surface of Israel’s historic landscapes.

Life Style

Living Off-grid

Over the past few years, this couple has been steadily building their off-grid homestead almost entirely from the ground up. Their home, crafted from clay dug out of a wetland on their property, stands as a testament to resourcefulness and simplicity. The well was dug by hand, and all the timber—used for everything from the staircase to the fences—was sourced from within 20 kilometers of their land. Remarkably, the total cost of constructing their house was just around $1,000 CAD, thanks to locally gathered materials like sand, clay, straw, and wood, along with secondhand or reclaimed items such as roofing, windows, and lumber.

The house itself is an evolving experiment in natural building methods. Each section employs a different technique, including cob, straw bale, and wattle and daub, all supported by timber framing. Some parts of the home even feature green roofs and earth floors, blending seamlessly with the landscape. Since moving to the property, the couple has welcomed two daughters, whom they homeschool using an unschooling approach that emphasizes hands-on, real-life learning. The children are deeply involved in the daily rhythms of farm life, gaining practical knowledge as they grow.

To sustain their lifestyle, the family takes on a variety of odd jobs, from catering and seasonal farm work to running a roadside plant stand, while also receiving a provincial childcare benefit. Rather than chasing higher incomes, they focus on minimizing expenses and producing as much as possible directly from their homestead. Their setup includes solar panels for electricity, a hand-dug well and rainwater collection system, wood stoves for heating, composting toilets, and a rocket stove for warming bathwater. Though their wind turbine isn’t functional yet, their way of life reflects a deep commitment to self-sufficiency and living in harmony with the land.

Mind Stretchers

⁉️ 

I wear a coat but feel the brush,
In quiet strokes, I speak so much.
I'm born in tins, I live on walls—
Guess me right, or color falls.

Yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:

I have pages but no words. I count days but never speak. Flip through me and you’ll find time— Past, present, and plans to keep. What am I? — a calendar! Chris Hostetler got this correct first! 🌞 

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]or reply to the email.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.