Sit back and watch the sunset

R makes these chairs to order. We test run them. So comfy it's hard to get up once you've sat down.

Meanwhile, down at the site, things are looking up. The walls are high. I need two bales to stand on to reach the top. The windows are getting lintels and the lintel for the door is waiting to go up. It is from the pine tree R cut down in the winter. I have got quite good at making bottle niches. The last one I did I used an old white rum bottle with the image of a big sailing ship embossed in the glass and 'liberte' written along the bottom. Quite cool. And they give a nice bit of extra light.

Yesterday I felt rather furtive as I watched the neighbours cows go down the hill to eat the stubble on the fields. I walked to where they are kept at night and picked up their poo in a bucket. fresh but drying rapidly, if you want to know. I took it down to the site and put water over it and then mixed it with mud. Yes, it makes a fine paste which goes on the wall very nicely. I don't think it smells too bad and when it dries it has no smell.

Isabella came to stay and she did an afternoon's work with the mud. She was very good at it. Wellies on - jump! Splat! Mud is fun! In this photo she is standing on the remains of the big pile of earth I started with. I have a photo of her from January standing in this same place, but 2 meters up. Yup, the earth has nearly all been used up. So far the costs for building this round house has been 80 € for the digger to dig the clay soil and 200 € for the glass doors and windows that actually open. The rest of the windows were being thrown out and the roof poles were given.

I have now got to the point where I have to think about the roof.... R reminded me that I needed to put in 'dead men', anchors with wire, that get put into the mud walls and are for tying the roof poles down. So I have done five, today. Seven more to follow.

Meanwhile, in the garden, we are eating lots of carrots and I am harvesting the onions. They are huge. I think stuff grows better in the winter and spring. But actually, the cabbages are doing pretty well. The soil needs more compst and nutrients. It is a slow process, especially when I'm not giving it my full attention. The straw makes good mulch which means I don't have to water every day.

The chickens are completely free range. They have access to wheat if they want but they eat maybe half a litre a day. the rest is what they find. And the eggs keep on coming.

All in all, it's pretty good up here on the hill. :)