New additions to the family, floors and tomatoes

Here is Aragon, our new dog, taken off the streets in our village. He was in a poor state, but is now doing extremely well. Thanks to all who kindly donated.






















And this is the new kitten, who arrived as an Esme, but on closer inspection turned out to be a Ramos (Sergio).


Kitchen is coming along nicely now

So Lisa was able to make her wonderful chocolate self-sourcing pudding. IT´S FANTASTIC!!









































A welcome return to Anne, Karsten and Darius, with Helene, their new baby, who spent some time here last year but didn't see much as Anne was always in the way.





















We had had enough of gravel floors, so we made them all into lime ones, which dry very pale.

Here´s Claire and Tanja preparing for yet another bit of floor











Tomatoes were ripening faster than we could eat them, so we started drying them. YUMMY!!

Winter blues and spring whites

A Shed in 3 Weeks

We had about 50 bales left over so it seemed appropriate to create something interesting with them rather than just feed them to the llamas. 'A place to put things that I don't want in the house', had been on my mind. A space for tools and odds and ends.
Swiftly the shed was designed and wwoofers Charlie and Karie gleefully took on the task of constructing it. They had little building experience and had few questions considering. It didn't all go to plan and a little 'bale frenzy' took place, but a little modifying at the end got it all into shape.
Again, here's the 'car tyre free draining foundation' method, with first bales gleefully being placed.




This building was designed as a straw bale build and as a result was quick and easy to construct. It took about 4 days to complete the walls.







This is the roof plate, that distributes the weight of the roof evenly over the load bearing walls.
That's the main house in the background.








Here's Leigh making some finishing touches.










The bundled cana was a solution to 'no vigas' on site. Using materials I had bought, that needed using before they rotted on the ground, I found a way to create strength without spending any more money. Seems very strong but may be a temporary solution, but the roof is designed so it can easily be undone and replaced with wooden vigas when my ship comes in.






Total cost of shed, so far, is about 160 euros.

The house takes shape

Finally in the last days of June we buy straw. Wwoofer, Leigh, and I took about 3 weeks to get the walls up to full height.










It could have been much quicker if the house had been designed as a straw bale house, but it was long drawn before the straw was chosen as the ideal material for the moment. However, it's rather beautiful with all it's curves and really worth all the extra work.

June jaunts

Earthship style

We (wwoofer Vera and I) have recently created a link from the old ruin wall to the new part of the house out of car tyres rammed with gravel. This means that the whole structure is now well bonded together and more stable. When we eventually get straw (it is not on the market around here at present as last years staw is sold out and it hasn't yet been baled this year) we will be able to build the whole east wing of the house at once rather than in two phases. Waiting for materials has served us well.

Google 'earthship' to find out more about this amazing way on building.

Sacks and Earth

Mathilde here, from France, has worked hard with other wwoofers and myself to collect and sieve the clay rich earth/launa from the farm, mix it with sand, then fill and compact in the sacks, whilst maintaining a perfect horizontal level along the wall (not easy!). This was a long and labour intensive part of the build and has been accomplished beautifully.

Tyres and Earth

Since early December 2007, we have been working on the East side of the house, creatively recyling materials and using the natural resources directly around us. The tyres I have picked up locally (from a tyre replacement garage) and (joyfully!) from the roadsides around the farm.

Our free draining tyre foundations are placed directly on the levelled site and filled with earth around the sides and gravel in the centre.