The thaw finally came in Michigan and I got outside to work on my first swale. Hand dug beside the house. More out of eagerness and experimentation than actual legitimate function. I learned some unexpected lessons about working in very sandy soils and was encouraged by my ability to solve the problem before I went to the forums. in the process of solving the problems I also learned first hand the absorption potential of organic material.

Just as I was getting ready to collaborate with my neighbor on designing his place (he owned hi, mine was a rental) my wife and I decided to move back to Australia. 

A spot opened in the October Internship at PRI AU and i took it. As I write I am sitting in the PRI common room on the first day of the fourth week. Really excited about what we are learning from Nick Huggins and gaining confidence as a designer by the day.