Quod Bonum Est Tenate - Monday 20/06/11

Nine days ago I was truly on a high. Presented with a fantastic opportunity to research, gain empowering knowledge and then put it into practice. I crossed swords with my bank, saw off debt collectors and went about planning an ambitious stunt involving a new car.
Then I drank some beers Saturday night and I haven't been the same.
Disconnected. Disjointed. Frustrated and lost. I had known my time here would be challenging. The protection of my well being was at stake. By allowing myself to slip under the waves, I now face an uphill struggle to re-gain what I knew could be lost.
If I do not handle this properly, I face a very dark time ahead.
I am reminding  myself of the logic that brought me back to a world of shitting in drinking water. But the thinking behind the phrase "a means to an end" is flawed. It can be the same reasoning used by governments to justify murder.
I have, under this pretext, returned to a world I know to be unnatural. Even unholy. The road to hell really is paved with good intentions. I came here with good intentions, I now find myself in a hell.
Herein is the issue with which I have wrestled my entire life. I know it is my perception that makes life for me "hell". I could change this perception, or I could change my life.
For now, I will change my perception for, like it or not, my life will change of its own accord. Babies do that. Shortly after my second child's birth we will return to Lammas. My preferred reality. Where life is natural.

Where water is holy and used for drinking.

M Jones

Mouldy Brew - Thursday 30/09/10

More plastering, but only two hours today.
Tasted my hawthorn brew today. Definitely alcoholic but rather watery. Noticed the other day the scum that has been sitting on the top had developed a few patches of green mould. Rather hastily grabbed the sieve and scooped that out. Spoke to fellow brewer Simon D about it and to my surprise he told me he'd brewed a damson recipe that had stipulated to wait until such a mould appeared. Don't think i'll leave it much longer before bottling. Am still undecided whether to treat it as a wine and rack it off into demijohns or, or add 80g/3oz of sugar for carbonation and bottle like a beer. Am leaning towards wine due to the high alcohol taste and wateriness.

My Eco-Dishwasher being harassed by the cat.

The bales go on Katy and Leanders Roof.

M Jones

Psychotropic qualities - Monday 23/08/10

Beer recipe research. Am keen to find homebrew recipes that don't require ingredients i don't have to hand i.e malt extract, hops, barley etc. To that end most of the morning and early afternoon was spent on the internet in the 'clamp'.
The only distraction came in the form of two boys who'd found a jar of vintage 2007 sauerkraut and were eager to make a stinkbomb using that and a crisp packet...
The only promising lead with recipes came from herbalbeers.com but aside from yarrow, i have no idea where to find mugwort or wormwood. Wormwood has psychotropic qualities so am most excited to hunt that badboy down!
Am on taxiing duties so off to Whitland to collect Ayres after his business trip.
Was rather intrigued by what had to say. How he's recently come to realise how in conversation, we all speak half truths. Not that we're dishonest but its also down to the questions we ask and are asked. One of these i personally have always had trouble with is "How are you?" And this is Ayres's point. Relative to what? "How are you?" - Well i'm not dead, so yes i might be considered medically sound. So the answer "I'm well" could be considered truthful...
Ayres's analogy was along the lines of observations or statements such as "It's cold isn't it" You might agree even though you perceive it to be warm. Again this can be measured but the question "Relative to what?" The Arctic? Hawaii? The Sun?!
That conversation has stuck with me and made me think.

I like that.

M Jones

The Reduced Section - Wednesday 18/08/10

Another trip to Cardigan, again with Kit & Sara. This time with the wheel of Ayres' daughters bike, a bag of laundry and a visit to the brew shop. Despite having intentions of exploring a mash tun/boiler in order to make my beers from scratch. I have been dissuaded on two accounts by the shop owner. One, the price of hops £5.11 for 500g due to last years floods wiping out the crops in Kent. Two, the price of Barley and malt, now inflated as a result of the Russian crop failure, this time due to drought and water shortages.
After lots more mooching a trip to Tesco's and the reduced section yielded venison steaks!
An evening meal at Kit & Sara's wrapped things up nicely.

M Jones

My Invention! Friday 13/08/10

When you immerse yourself in a world of green building, it won't be long before you here mention of reciprocal roofs.   Well without experience of building these, i don't know much about them, but by God if i haven't just married that with my favourite commodity.. BEER!

Behold! The worlds first reciprocal fridge!

Manly - Friday 30/07/10

Replaced a leg of the shower as one was too long and bent meaning it was nigh on impossible to wrap a tarp around. Hit upon a small idea. Remove the hose of the solar shower. Its about half a metre long and if you bend it, it forms a kink and stops the flow. It also means that to have the nozzle above your head, is to no longer be able to reach the tap...

Went to Kits plot to grab my machete as it was piddling down for most of the day and got sidetracked helping with his wedding preparations. Started off hammering in pegs for the walls of the marquee, and eventually ended up riding the dumper truck truck to collect the LPG  converted generator.

Have been invited, along with other men folk, to Kits this evening for a manly evening. Basically drinking my homebrew beer selection and various whiskeys. Was good to meet and chat, but didn't get to bed until 09:30 might not seem too late to some but in this physical lifestyle, it takes its toll.

M Jones