Hardcore Bargains - Sunday 27/02/11

Have given up on the boiler. All looked promising until a drip developed and increased in frequency at an alarming rate. So far just having cold running water is luxury enough. My proposed alternative water heating project is on hold due to lack of funds. Costed the entire job and it came to £72 odd. That total was a combination of eBays cheapest and ScrewFixs. Hardcore bargain hunting. Still, £72 is £72 more than I can afford. I could buy the parts solely off eBay in dribs and drabs, but of course it would cost more overall.
I could save, however life finds a way of presenting other expenses of seemingly more importance.
The weather has been poor but forecasted to improve. Will be refreshing to return to the numerous outdoor projects requiring my attention.

The Hub, steadily progressing.

Life emerging all around us.

Garlic - The first of our seedlings poking through.

M Jones

Saga Of The Boiler - Tuesday 22/02/11

The boiler saga continues. Monday, I gave it a test. Tap sprang a leak again. Ok. Ditch the tap. Shoved in a stick to bung the pipe. Turned on the water, fired up the boiler. Lots of splurting and judders but hot water came through. Success? No.
My repair soon failed and once again the boiler began to leak. This time if silicone and milliput don't work I'll bypass the damn thing. My ideas are as follows;

A coil of black pipe on the roof will serve as the first stage primary heating, this I plan to then run to a section of copper piping behind the wood burner. In theory that should suffice and provide hot water all year, but as a back up I hoped I could run it to the gas boiler. This whole circuit will be closed i.e no header or expansion tank, protected by a safety valve.
One thought was to re-use the cistern of the redundant WC toilet, but this would require an in-line 12 volt pump due to the pressure loss it would cause.
I have a vague idea how it will all come together and Simon D assures me that what I propose could work. I hope so. I want that shower.

M Jones

A Shot At Competence - Sunday 20/02/11

Thursday was the second day of the consensus training. Took some time in the morning to cut and chop wood whilst the sun shone and the sky was blue. Sometime in the afternoon, after many coffees and relaxing, Emma and I planted some more hedging.
Friday I hung around outside helping Kit assemble another woodshed for most of the day. In the afternoon we mixed a small amount of mortar and built up the corners of the house. That way, all I have to do is join them up ensuring they meet the levels.
Saturday morning I hitched a ride with Nick into Crymych and bought £15 worth of water pipe and fittings. Between sorting and moving our little caravan for another volunteer, I rigged up the pipe. All connected, I opened the valve up and sauntered back to our static dreaming of running water and the luxury of a hot shower.
As I opened the door, my dreams evaporated. Emma was combating a cascade of water erupting from the boiler in the kitchen. Balls. As I'd feared over the winter  and suspected after we took delivery of the van, the boiler had blown a pipe. Consulted Ayres on his recent repair job, and followed his advice of J-B WELD
and Milliput . This meant a 24hr wait for it to cure.
Today I waited patiently for the repair to set. I busied myself with some track way maintenance for a neighbouring house, and Kit prepared to leave. After his departure, Nick and I murdered two more cockerels.
The first one was a beautiful dispatch. One shot to the back of the head and he was obviously dead. The other cockerel was none too happy and attacked Nick as he advanced to stick a knife in his dead chums brain.
The second was not so easy. Again, a shot to the back of the head followed by cartwheels, but he needed two more after that. Not good when Cassie and her son Davey were watching. Still, was all over very quickly and I think she was satisfied by my competence.
By now it was time to test my boiler repair - Boiler fixed, but now there's a leak and a crack in the pipe under the hot tap in the bathroom. Have got to wait another 24 hours whilst the silicone sets.
Will I ever get a shower?

Cap'n Van Winkles Walking Stick

Katy and Leanders Roundhouse, minus tarps!!

M Jones

Bricks and Hedges - Wednesday 16/02/11

Free reign for Nick and I today due to Kits absence. Began by planting up the hedge bank that divides Kits from Nigel and Cassies. Planted Hawthorn, Hazel, Crab Apple and Field Maple. This took us barely an hour, after planting more along the perimeter bank, we knocked up a privacy screen in front of the compost loo using two fence posts and the ground sheet of an old tent. Again, to shield the neighbours.
Nick left after lunch, leaving me bricklaying solo. Delayed due to both the weather and another volunteer enquiring about the availability of our old caravan. When he told us it was to enable him to stay with, and help Ayres, it was a done deal.
Eventually I summoned up the strength and motivation to do two hours of back breaking brick laying. I couldn't have done it better. Two rows in two hours using and only requiring all of just one mortar mix. Perfect!
Proud, but exhausted.

M Jones

A Voyage With Cap'n Van Winkle - Tuesday 15/02/11

Up early Sunday morning to catch the low tide at Poppit Sands



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Foraging for Razor Clams - Pinch of salt, wait a few seconds, then grab the fleshy muscle as it pops up. All straight forward in theory, but got very complicated when we arrived...there weren't any.
Limpets and winkles it was. Oh, and a half dead baby octopus. Was fully dead when I placed him back in the water. His limp legs flailing and tangling in slow motion as the waves rocked his soft carcass along the ridged sand.
Stopped at an indoor car boot sale, was jammed full of the usual unloved detritus that clogs most peoples cupboard and loft space. Picked up an old set of Prinz 10x50 binoculars for £6, plus a 3 prong candle stick holder for Emma. Was hoping to find some bellows and a hand grinder/mill. I swear I've seen one or the other at every previous boot sale, but not todays...
Some top up shopping then back home to cook up a limpet and winkle stew. Limpets are rather rubbery when cooked and taste similar to kidney. Sadly, not a taste I like. Frances ate three but once she got one with a bit of grit/sand in it she gave up on the rest. Very please she tried them though.

Brewed up a Rice and Raisin wine I've named Cap'n Van Winkles Rice n Raisin Rum. Partly in honour of the day, but also to piss off nick whose friends think his new beard make him look like a fisherman.

The days catch.

Some sharks eggs aka Mermaids Purses.

The Legendary Cap'n Van Winkle Hisself...

Patience Kitty, It will ferment...

Monday - A long, hard productive day. Whilst dodging showers, some rain, some hail and some snow Kit and I managed to complete two sides of the building. Both the inside and the outside course. Working so low down really takes its toll on your back, but an hour of football and a shower soon cured that.

Today's meeting was very interesting indeed. Lots of emotion, background stories and underlying issues coming to the fore. I would invite all volunteers, visitors and shareholders to attend one of these meetings to really understand the challenges a settlement such as this faces.
I enjoyed being asked questions about my stay, how I view my role and presence. I especially enjoyed answering too! I often feel I talk, but am rarely listened to, probably because I'm just a volunteer. Some are more guilty than others in the same way some are more 'equal' than others. A sad reflection on this so called community comes with the next two scheduled days of consensus training. Despite being arranged months in advance and for the benefit of all residents, only four plots look set to attend. The others too busy with other things such as children's dentist appointments. Yet another sad day for Lammas and Tir-Y-Gafel.

M Jones

An Unavoidable Conclusion - Saturday 12/02/11

Have spent a fair few idle moments pondering the facts over and over in my head. The wind was strong so I adjusted my position. Once fully satisfied I was safe I proceeded to relieve myself against the earth bank. My LED head torch illuminated the droplets of rain that missed the back of my head. A strong lengthy gust forced me to lean back into the wind to regain my balance. At the same time the flurry of droplets increased, and started hitting my face. This was most strange being that the wind direction had remained unchanged. A dreadful thought occurred to me so I stopped mid flow. The 'rain' slackened off. I resumed the flow, the rain increased.
Try as I might to dissuade myself from the truth, the only conclusion I can unavoidably draw, is that for the first time in my life, thanks to the gradient of the earth bank and the high winds, I do believe that I did piss in my own face.

In other less disturbing news my new book and purchase Basic Butchering of Livestock and Game arrived and has been a fantastic resource. Accurately describing and illustrating not only how to dress a carcass, but best procedures to humanely despatch the animal. Also followed by some really intriguing recipes.
Aside from brewing some beer yesterday and gaining permission to hunt across the one thousand acre farm next door. This week has been mostly similar to the one before. Bricklaying predominantly. Nick planted some broad beans, erected his awning with my help (I identified the reason he was having difficulties attaching it to his caravan, was the fact he'd failed to read step 1 of the instructions), helped plant the orchard, then, possibly due to a late last night, Kit reached his limit for the day. Early to bed tonight however, we're hoping to make the 08:00 low tide tomorrow and go foraging for razor clams.

A fair sized trout fished from the leat.

Half expected him to start singing...

M Jones

Puns a Plenty - Monday 07/02/11

For the past week we have been bombarded and buffeted by relentless high winds and intermittent rain. But just after midday today, as I was bricklaying, I photographed the moment the winds abated, the grey grumpy clouds moved on and the sun emerged.

I would like to think that the turbulent weather was part of natures process of ridding itself of the old season, and welcoming the new.
This afternoon, as I was demonstrating to a hapless piece of slabwood how easily my sharpened machete could hew large chunks out of it, I saw Kit and Cassie having what looked like a very serious discussion. She appeared to be in a 'fowl' mood, her husband had made a 'cock up' and we'd eaten the wrong bird. She wanted £10 in compensation, hardly a 'poultry' sum. Thankfully we hadn't executed an innocent bird. The delicious and full flavoured cockerel in question was indeed on Death Row, but meant for another table. Along with issues pertaining to the layering of a shared hedge bank, and accusations of responsibility for a new resident rat in their roof, I kept my beak out of it... Puns are fun.

M Jones

Farkel n Cockerel - Saturday 05/02/11

Ahh...Saturday. Generally, for me, no different to any other day. But this time Kit, the Boss, hitched a ride with Nick into Cardigan leaving me free to do as I wished. I wished for a wash. Frustratingly my quick fix on the bath plug let a large saucepan of freshly boiled water escape straight down the plug hole.
Stand up wash then.
Being that I washed in front of a mirror, and Imbolc has come and gone, I shaved off my Winter beard, instantly regaining my youth. Such a positive change in fact, I was kissed back into the bathroom by Emma. The kisses also put my ash toothpaste to the test. I was not impressed by the flavour, but its abrasive qualities left my teeth feeling the cleanest they've ever been. A couple leaves of mint sorted the flavour problem.
With all my time off, I quickly got bored. So for the rest of the day I sawed and chopped up wood from the slab wood pile. These are off cuts and waste from milling and only three sawn up 5 metre lengths filled our cupboard and bathroom. Despite being wet with rain this wood is more seasoned than the other crap we bought and therefore burns better. Being larch is also burns hotter too.
Kit and Nick returned around 16:30, and we began cooking the 'cock' casserole.
Slow cooked in red wine with barley grains and vegetables, the meat was exquisite. Served with roast potatoes, it was a meal worthy of an upmarket restaurant.
Our bellies full of food, we passed the evening playing 'Spicy Farkel'. Sometimes pronounced 'Fark - all' on low scoring throws! If like me, you have no idea what this is, broadly speaking, its a game of six dice. A player throws and different scores are tallied on the outcome. The throw has to include a one or a five. One = One hundred points and Five = Fifty. The other combinations of numbers and their values are similar to poker. So you have Three and Four of a kind, a straight, Three pairs etc.
Since Imbolc on the 2nd February, the weather has been dreadful, with high winds and rain, but the cloud cover has kept the temperature comfortably high. Over 13C in the caravan and over 25C inside with the wood burner on. With that in mind, I am reverting back to sleeping starkas. Albeit with a hat on and a hot water bottle, just to be safe.
Will report back on whether its safe for the rest of the population to follow suit...

"We did not receive any messages sir, and Captain Blackadder certainly did not eat this delicious plump breasted pigeon cockerel"

M Jones

Life and Death - Friday 04/02/11

A day of death. After more tree planting and moving piles of wood (during which time Teasel killed and ate two voles) we grabbed our guns and went next door to kill some chickens.
No one was home but after a phone call to Nigel, one cockerel was marked for execution.
Taking his life was an experience I shall never forget. Cockerels are exceptionally tough birds and despite a well aimed shot through the side of the head, I wasn't satisfied. I reloaded and fired again. Blood poured from his wounds as he slowly reared his head, closed his eyes, and died. I know exactly when his life expired. He almost sighed his spirit away.
This has enforced my resolve that should I hunt wild game and be presented with a shot, that shot has to be 100% satisfactory. The old cockerel has shown me how hard it is to deliver an instant and clean death. If that Cock did suffer, I hope he'll forgive me on the grounds his long happy life was far better than millions of his kind. His execution, under the Sun and Sky, on green grass, preferable to being slaughtered in a factory.
In butchering the carcass, I did my utmost to extract as much of the meat, and waste as little as possible, thereby paying the maximum respect to the life I had just ended. I definitely could not do what I did today every time I visited the supermarket. Imagine all the slaughtering and butchery you'd have to do when buying your endless meat based products. Burgers, sausages, nuggets, corned beef, gelatine, steak and kidney pies, etc etc.
Am extremely grateful for my profound experience today. Death has brought about a deeper respect for the miracle of life.

One of Emma's Bill Bailey Look A Like Dolls...

M Jones

Alone I Sit - Thursday 03/02/11

Each morning, I get up, empty my bladder and smoke a cigarette as I survey the sky and earth. On this occasion a cloudless night allowed Jack Frost a rather weak return. Next I clean out, reset, then light the wood burner, grab my rifle, and sit at the bottom of the field in hope that the canada geese will take off within range. If the Mill Pond weren't off limits, or more accurately, if I and my family needed feeding, I'd shoot them on the pond if they ventured near the bank. Once again I was empty handed but not disappointed. Sitting alone, quietly on a beautiful morning is rewarding in itself.
Arranged with Nigel next door to execute four cockerels tomorrow, his wife want it done simultaneously and we just have enough guns.
Planted 50 Italian Alder trees, had lunch, then completed the first course of bricks just before 17:00.
The clouds have rolled in on an unsettled and turbulent wind. To me this is an indicator of the seasonal change taking place. Nature shaking down and getting ready.
Not sure I'll hunt the geese tomorrow, not if chickens need murdering...

The first row of bricks completed.

M Jones

Just For The Love Of It - Wednesday 02/02/11

Insomnia struck last night. When I could take it no longer, I set out into the pitch black night, mist swirling in the light of the head torch. The spinning invisible drops of water caressing my cheeks as I walked to the barn.
Overloaded my brain with information. Read up on the Freeman movement, Common Law and the Magna Carta, joined justfortheloveofit.org (Mark Boyle's Freeconomist website), bought a share in Lammas and analysed the rules governing an Industrial and Provident Society. By 02:00 I had had enough.
We look after Nick's dog Teasel whilst he's volunteering, and this morning he brought along his copy of his 'Sovereign Declaration'. This is the first step to becoming a 'Freeman On The Land' as I understand it (and also completely different to the freeconomy movement!). All his learning has come from research on the internet, but also from a book titled Standing Under Freedom: A Foundation for Personal Empowerment. This book intrigues me greatly and I'm itching to exchange The Moneyless Man for it.
The late night really sapped my energy but thankfully the weather has been wet and windy. This not only signals winters demise, but just as importantly gives me a day off of sorts. Still moved large piles of wood and pushed a Volvo around but did less than usual.

M Jones

A Funny Five Minutes - Tuesday 01/02/11

Meeting today. After reading Robert Harris' Lustrum, a fictional account of the life of Cicero, I assumed my imaginary toga and set out to join the senate.
I resolved to no longer sit in the shadows and watch, but to take an active role and voice any concerns or opinions I may have, with very interesting results.
At one point, after I had said my piece, the meeting had to be halted and silence called to allow one of those present to shiver and shake out her anger in the corner. This being to same person who had visited us on Friday as Volunteer Co-Ordinator to spread deceit and half truths. She even asked Emma why she was here and what she contributed.
I feel no remorse at angering this woman as she angered mine. Aside from this funny five minutes, all slid along smoothly and Kit and I occupied ourselves laying bricks until the sun set.
Imbolc is nearly here and hopefully so is Spring. It can't come quick enough. There's the usual reasons, but my personal one is I have resolved to cut my hair much like a sheep is sheared. I have cultivated a wild mop of insulation with a notion of it with wool to make something. That should gross people out.
Not shaving my face has been cheap, and I do kind of like my beard. But I feel it needs to go.
Diary intervals have slipped to around every three days which isn't acceptable for my memory nor my patience when writing. I put it down to getting slack in the slow winter with nothing to report or recount. Will be better I promise, yet again.

The slowly forming woodshed (1 of 4)

A lesson in brick laying

Dogsitting Teasel, whilst his master works on the Hub.

M Jones

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