Intriguing Exercises - Thursday 27/01/11

Progress on the woodshed has been sporadic to say the least. This is mostly down to welsh time keeping. Kit has a list of jobs to be done with heavy machinery. So far the contractor has never arrived when promised, even missing entire days. By his behaviour one could believe conventional working weeks do not exist and when working days do arrive, they never start at 09:00. In fact, working before midday is positively rare. I have a theory the welsh are governed by the moon and decide working days/times by inspecting sheep entrails - just a theory.
To fill in the hours/days of suspense we have carried bricks to the building site. Until we tire of it. Or build the woodshed. There is very little else we can do when you add in Welsh weather...

Not paying insurance or running the car has meant that for the first time in a very long time indeed, I have spare cash. Enough in fact to enable me to splash out on some choice novelties. So far I have splurged on a Hawke Sport HD 4 X 32 Mil Dot Scope (watch out geese), a Stovepipe Thermometer, 2000 air rifle pellets, a Camo Padded Rifle Slip and I have £40 with which to buy more. Am currently torn between Fireside Bellows or going tactical and buying a Deben LEDRAY GL2 RED Tactical Air Rifle Light or some warm slippers... Alternatively I can leave the surplus to accumulate.

Another caravan has arrived, adding to our row and fast becoming a terrace. The owner is another volunteer called Nick. A very likeable chap. I'd met him previously in November but completely forgot about his plans to return. have helped him overcome the same obstacles we encountered upon our arrival. Namely decoding the solar panels and caravan electrics and cracking the enigma of installing a woodburner. Next on the list will be introducing him to gas bottle supplier and general Mr Build It/Fix It, Nick The Gas, but all in good time.
During our stay with Emma's parents over Christmas and New Year, I made a few observations that I have pondered over. Most of these are from drawing comparisons from our previous lifestyle and that of most. Often it is preached that households need to engage in certain practices to save money and be 'efficient'. There are so many buzzwords they almost lose all meaning. 'Carbon Footprint' 'Eco-This-n-That' 'Low energy ratings' etc etc. Then it hit me. The pieces slotted together and the answer was revealed. If a household were to follow these 'Green' practices to the full they would simply unplug as we have.
Water. Brushing teeth for example. I collect all our water by hand, and its heavy work consuming my bodys energy. I don't like doing it too often. A cup 1/4 filled is all we need and use.
Gas. I physically have to get it. The bottles require manhandling and now cost over £50. Therefore filling the kettle with the amount of water you need saves gas and boils more quickly. The Pay As You Go system lets you keep tabs so no £300 surprises!
Electricity. No Sun, no lights. We use paraffin lamps and candles. I admit its not ideal in certain instances, but for the most part it suffices and costs little. By only switching on the inverter when we need electricity and by using low energy bulbs to extend the battery life, we have free electricity. That's with only a 60 watt array. To be uber efficient, we could reconfigure the electrics and run 12 volt LED bulbs.
Heating. Wood fuelled and therefore needs manual processing. When its cold we wear warm clothes and warm bed clothes. If you're like me, the two are nearly the same. I merely shed a couple of layers.
And there you have it. Disconnecting utilities and taking responsibility for your consumption and existence is the answer. Realistic? No way. Not in an urban environment. Possible, most definitely, and would be a most intriguing exercise.
Has been a feast for thought.

M Jones

Olde Winter Time - Sunday 28/11/10

The nights are long, and the days are hard. This is winter, Olde English, or should I say, Olde Welsh style.
Last night was cold, temperatures dipping below -4C. Over ground pipes frozen. Roof vents sealed by the elements. If you're not checking your heat source through the night, you will invariably wake up to a frost bitten duvet at the very least.
Our wood consumption has rocketed to two overflowing buckets a day. This is opposed to one lasting two days. Our stockpile is diminished and in urgent need of replenishment.
Thursday the 25th saw our first flake of snow, with more forecast.
I've managed to contract a cold and a cough. This has meant me being relegated to light duties for fear of triggering bouts of rib crunching, ear popping, coughing fits.Throw in a strained back muscle, and existence gets miserable.
This modicum of discomfort has gone a little way to illustrating how challenging winter was to our ancestors. I recall reading books containing the phrase "might not survive the winter". Experiencing what I am, perhaps those words were not the melodramatic exaggeration I once thought them to be. Is it any wonder why, only in the last 100-200 years, the life expectancy of the average man has surpassed the age of 40? One of the reasons that, at present, I might reach 60 can be partly attributed to the fact I can pay some bloke £40 and VOILA, another few months of processed firewood appears...

In other news. Our little family has acquired a 6 week old feline addition aptly named Eira, welsh for snow. (Despite being a grey slush colour) This choice of label stems from the snowy, bollock chilling day we picked her up. Unsurprisingly her and I can now be found practically hugging the wood burner.

Took Fran to an adventure park called Folly Farm near Narbeth. She had a great time and I got a hot meal that contained a lot of meat. Need I say more.

The Log Store - If I were to store logs in there again, I'd put them on a pallet.

Camera Boredom

The Tasmanian Devil

M Jones

Options Options Options - Thursday 09/09/10

End of French drain that will hopefully feed a pond

Other end of the drain. Blue sacking to prevent soil slipping due to being a high traffic area.

Where dark and light gravel meet to give Sunrise/Sunset effect.

Building site so far.

Was pleased and eager to be outside today. So much so, i was out past 20:00. Worked until I could barely see and a wood chip jumped up and smacked me square in the eyeball. Called it quits after that.
11 hours take the time spent on the school run and taking the children to the language centre.
Parents are invited to learn Welsh too to aid their child's learning. I completely agree, however couldn't thinking "Yeah, but we won't be here that long..." So either we be here that long and commit to all the various initiatives, or we decide on what the hell we're doing with regards to the next place we're going. If its in England, then perhaps its not productive use of our time. Although I'm all for not only us, but Frances learning Welsh, we have so many options and therein lies the problem.
Here are the options as i see them;


1)Leave in October for a place like Tinkers Bubble, where we can settle, or at least stay for the foreseeable future.

2) Stay at Lammas for as long as we're able, risking outstaying our welcome.

3) Buying land locally with the help of parents and replicating what Lammas have done. Either on our own or preferably with a group of others,

4) Buying land in England most likely a derelict farmstead and blazing a trail, again like Lammas. This would require substantial fund raising, but anything is possible.

5) Go WWOOFING

There are of course other factors to consider. Option 3 would be good if done close to Frans existing school which she very much enjoys.
There are 14 acres for sale for around £65000 with woodland, however thats alot to manage on your own. Plus would only support 2 other families max. A very intimate community... The reality is that it would be further away. Slightly negating that option, but leads to yet another. Am so confused am going to talk to Paul tomorrow in the hope he can impart some wisdom from experience to aid my decision.
I guess this has all come about predominantly through an attack of conscience .
Our daughter has no control and is bound to follow us, her parents. I therefore feel honour and duty bound to ensure we still provide her with the best possible life that agrees with all of us. That will take compromise. But one thing i know for sure, the only definite I have is we will NOT return to 9-5's and 'the system' or the 'Matrix' as one guy called it. Hehe.

M Jones