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A Dome - Friday 27/08/10

Got a trailer load of logs on the way today. Should see us through until Spring. Not bad for £35! Went to get the cash this morning in order to be back to erect a dome. What type of dome, i wasn't told. All i was asked was to report to a certain field at 11:00 in order to help erect a dome for an hour. Went to the field at 11:00, no one there. No Dome. Hung around until 11:20. Not good as logs coming at 12:30. Eventually Paul came by around 13:00 after the logs had been delivered to ask me to go back as Will and Jam had arrived. Had got the kids building a log wall at the back of a tent I'd put up. Doubt it'll take long before the novelty wears off.

Reported back to the field and worked until 17:45 building a "geo-dome with a Bedouin twist". Basically a dome with marquee canvas thrown over and pegged down. The dome was a '3 frequency' dome with plastic piping melted onto the ends of three different lengths of pole. Short Medium and Long. These were laid out in a specific pattern and then bolted together.
As this was done it pretty much built itself. So impressed am i, i reckon i'll build my own. Far better than a yurt or bender in my opinion.

The finished dome. Four hours after start.
Internal view of the geo dome
Close up of the geo dome joints.
Fran in the geo dome.

Heed the Gods - Thursday 26/08/10

Got the car booked in to get the fuel filter changed. Picked up a new filter on the way to the stove shop yesterday, so just a case of swapping it over. Attempted it myself but broke a neighbours filter strap in two places, so i heeded the gods warning and paid a professional.
The morning was spent against the clock and the weather, but now we have a properly installed and fully functioning wood burner.
Might need to buy a smaller kettle....




This evening was the opposite to last, was absolutely roasting! A fire truly does turn your shelter into a home.

M Jones

Poorer - Wednesday 25/08/10

A trek to the nearest stove shop, a good 20 miles away. Explained the situation and came away £104 poorer. Bought cowling, flashing, a 'storm collar' and a 4" to 5" adapter. Wet and windy today so will wait for a lull before attempting anything. Sods law this evening has been bloody cold.

M Jones

GoThrough The Roof! - Tuesday 24/08/10

Our new 'Wendy' Wood burning stove

Wood burning stove arrived today just as the family we're helping left for the beach with some friends who are visiting.
Without help or instruction I set about ripping out the gas heater and punching a hole through the caravan wall for the flue. This is in spite of advice to go through the roof. The wisdom of this advice became apparent when i lit a small fire and got a thick stream of smoke billowing into my face.
When Ayres returned he was exceedingly concerned with the whole set up which i already knew to be unsatisfactory, but to have a respected friend voice it really left me down about it.
That said, after dropping off Kit and Sara at Clynderwen station and some fish & chips, I've had a rethink.
Patch up the damage and follow everyones advice. Go through the 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

Deliverance - Sunday 22/08/10

A break in the weather should have meant a window to catch up on some work outside, however Frances is being delivered back today and despite the warm sunshine not much has dried out properly.
My 'eco' washing machine...
To that end much of the day was spent doing very little aside from add jobs until 15:00 when we were due to meet my parents in the village and guide them in.
Car unloaded, mostly filled with my brewing equipment, YEY! Followed by a coffee, a chat and a guided tour. Unfortunately my parents had to backtrack a fair way to stay at a travel lodge near my sister, so they only had an hour or so with us.
They were very impressed by all thats happening here and hopefully will come again and stay longer.

M Jones

Slugs And Lee Evans - Saturday 21/08/10

Another wet day. Useful in the way I find things that need doing that would otherwise have been forgotten or plain ignored. The slug population appears to have exploded! They get everywhere. Before, I was at ease with their existence. I accepted their presence and unless they were befouling something I held dear we enjoyed a harmonious relationship.
Not anymore.
They're in my wellies. They're on the walls, they're on the awning zip ready to ambush you with a film of cold slime. They even hitch lifts in/on the car when you try and escape. Have dreamt up a new pastime and it contains just two ingredients. Slugs, and my nice new air rifle...
Aside from developing an irrational hatred of lower life forms, I also spent some time sorting out my overdue phone bill, watching the great Lee Evans, and typing up my diary onto the blog. My good deed of the day was in the form of helping another volunteer, an Icelandic chap who'd managed to puncture the tyre of his A reg VW camper on a screw. The trouble was, as we used the foot pump, it sank into the ground and sucked up mud, grit and water rendering it useless. I tried anyway...

M Jones

Fire! - Friday 20/08/10

Drifted back to sleep after an early celestial performance of sheet lightning and far off thunder at 04:30. Was happily eating breakfast when Emma shouted, something about fire in the awning! Nearly broke my leg leaping out of the caravan onto the pallets to find my little 150w car inverter

churning out a cloud of smoke (not wholly unexpected baring in mind its intended use). Took the battery to the barn for some topping up and surfed the net checking out inverters, emails, bank balance, then collected everyone's rubbish and recycling to take to the tip on our way to Llaneli and the nearest Maplin store.
Accidentally took the scenic route and on the return leg noticed the car was losing power in much the same way the Galant did the time we broke down at Lammas. This time however i'm pretty certain its the fuel filter after switching to Bio-Diesel. Ideally it needs a full service, but can't afford it right now...

M Jones

Man Boobs - Thursday 19/08/10

My Dads birthday today, left a message... Put in some work on the building site which is now simply a case of filling a barrow of sifted stone and dumping it in a trench. We're about 1/4 of the way done.
By 15:00 the misty drizzle came full on with a severe weather warning issued. Despite this Kit and Sara came down for last nights pudding and to watch '300' . Sara was not impressed. By neither the violence nor the man boobs.
A stormy night meant I was up at 04:30 ensuring the awning and the man tent were still secure.

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

Ultimate Frisbee -Tuesday 17/08/10

Had the morning to ourselves which was spent doing odd jobs and reading. Put in a couple of hours work on the gravel and the drainage trench from 14:00 - 17:30. After a bite of supper we headed over to a field by the community hub (yurt) where a few of us played 'Ultimate Frisbee' led by the American visitors Dan and Bree. Was absolutely shattered by the time i hit the hay at 22:00.
Slugs share my 'spidey' sense for a good brew!



M Jones

Maenclochog - Monday 16/08/10



Set off just after midday with Kit & Sara for a trip to Cardigan. Had a small shopping list from Ayres, but the main aim was to visit the brew shop. Of course it was shut on Mondays... So we filled the afternoon mooching around various shops, mostly charity ones collecting some pretty good bargains. I was particularly pleased with my purchase of Brewing Beers Like Those You Buy (Amateur Winemaker) and Amateur Winemaker recipes
The trip ended with a supermarket shop and then it was off to grab fish and chips in Crymach before us lads went of to play football in Maenclochog.
Had a good run around that saw us troop down to a seemingly near bankrupt village pub, and after another beer at kits it was time to welcome the warm embrace of my bed and sweet restful slumber.

M Jones

Tir-Y-Gafel Brewers Co-operative - Sunday 15/08/10

Absolutely glorious weather. The sort of weather that beckons you to venture out. Emma and I took the opportunity to call upon some other plot holders.
First stop was Paul and Hoppi's where Paul was engrossed in the creation of a family board game. This entailed a papier mache mountain range along with streams, meadows and 'forests' of  gathered grasses. Was Bloody impressed! Would appear to be Pauls calling to create awesome places people enjoy being involved in.


Had a few cups of tea and a good chat with Hoppi (Paul was in his element and far too involved lol) then it was off to talk beer with Kit and Sara.
Kit was extremely taken with my idea of a brewing co-operative and 'Man tent'. So we paid a visit to Simon D's whilst Emma and Sara gathered Rowan Berries.

Simon is no stranger to brewing and is in possession of a recipe book of all sorts of weird and wonderful brews Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers: The Secrets of Ancient Fermentation
His suggestion was to try using yarrow instead of hops or perhaps meadowsweet. He also allowed me to take one of his brewing kits, a Caxtons Best Bitter and some sugar and go off and start brewing! Yey! The Tir-Y-Gafel Brewers Co-operative has begun*. I'm interested to see how the brew pans out without the aid of my trusted 'Brew Belt'.

Kit invited us over for dinner, a potato curry. Most delicious. Have decided to go to Cardigan with Kit tomorrow to visit the brew shop.

M Jones

*afterthought: not sure how 'co-operative' the Tir-Y-Gafel Brewers Co-Operative is. Being that its now just me... :-(

Classic - Saturday 14/08/10


A very pensive Ayres...




Birthday party! Celebrated Ayres' son Ellians birthday with a visit to the beach at Poppit sands. Weather was brilliant if a bit windy. Topped the day off with a rare luxury - Ice Cream! A Magnum Classic. Classic.






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!

Handing over - Thursday 12/08/10

A day off, of sorts. Meeting my parents up in Llandovery to hand over Frances who'll be going on holiday with them to Devon until Sunday next.
Whilst there, will need to run a few errands and visit the laundrette. Evening was spent chatting to Ayres and his in laws. Another Meteor shower meant to be going on...

M Jones

Poor Old 'Connon' Coal - Wednesday 11/08/10

Foundation pad with toe crushing tamper
Pipe in trench alongside polypropylene sack that will be used to create a silt barrier, Sacks obtained cheaply, due to typing error, poor old cannon coal...
More tamping of foundation pads and now the perforated pipe has been laid. This is the basis of what is known as a french drain, Essentially just a rubble trench, as with anything, there are many ways of achieving the same effect. The simplest is a gravel trench the most elaborate being with a pipe sock and geo textile lining.

M Jones

The Evolving Pond - Tuesday 10/08/10

Put in a good solid days work and completed digging out the drainage trench. The layout has now evolved so that the two channels join to a pond. This will not only serve to be an aesthetic garden feature, most likely housing fish, but will also reflect sunlight up into the house in accordance with permaculture principles.
Damn good thinking I say.
The evolution of the pond  feature iterates the advantage of not building with architectural drawings and blueprints. The build is allowed to flow with ideas, which can manifest as and when circumstance allows. The end result is invariably unique and all the more beautiful.

Marianne's friend Edward who was 'just visiting' PUT TO WORK! - whilst Matilda watched
These visitors just can't hack the pace.
That's it... BACK TO WORK!
Evening was spent around a washing machine drum fire and very quickly bedtime pounced.

M Jones

Leisurely starts - Monday 09/08/10

A very leisurely start to the day. Up around 09:00, finished breakfast and admin around 11:00. Still quite a novelty. although this will inevitably change when Frances returns to school and we effectively end up back in a weekday 9-5 routine. More tamping and foundation work. The slow start has been tolerated due to the weather. Started out grey and drizzly but at times unleashed some glorious sunshine. Rain returned at 17:15 which was convenient. Perhaps not if I end up going with the guys to play football.

M Jones

My Big Toe - Sunday 08/08/10

Took the rifle and headed out a beautiful, clear and sunny morning. First off, I came across a small rucksack, upon inspection I found a child's change of clothe, a sleeping bag, and a y shaped stick. I think i know what the owner has in mind....







Next discovery was that of a camouflaged caravan nestled almost impossibly amongst the trees.













Was a useful exploration of the surrounding countryside.

Being a Sunday, the day has been pretty slow paced. I wandered over to the building site to break up some of the larger stones in the foundation footings. Not 5 minutes in, I managed to drop the whole weight of the tree stump I was using on my (formerly) big toe. Still haven't finished 'walking it off'.....
Helped out Kit whose wedding we attended with the clean up of the Marquee from 17:00-19:00, but aside from that chilled out.
A rare luxury was our pork joint for dinner, as meat has slipped down the menu as courgettes have taken over.

M Jones