Its been a fantastic autumn. Our wettest coldest May has helped us appreciate a warmer June, and when snow closed the northern motor-way on the 16th I had a most enjoyable walk on it all the way into town. This is something I had long wanted to do but never thought I’d be able until there it was with no vehicles on it. I left footprints along the centre strip to surprise the first vehicles through. Walking gives a whole different perspective to zooming along in an overweight metal box on wheels; and sure enough it was half an hour quicker than walking down Leith Valley Rd, which is the official walk/cycle route.
What’s more I got a nudge to call in at the Dental School as I was walking past, and to my surprise within 15 minutes I was in a chair having my sore tooth attended. The 2 ½ hour walk to town was repaid with saving up to 6 hours in their queue as most city folk weren’t able to come into town.
Thomas, Yannick, David and Tim all smiling at their new cob wall
In early Autumn we held two Earth Building workshops and I got another inner nudge to utilise the obvious enthusiasm of from left to right: Thomas, Yannick (at window), myself, and Tim and build the wall you see us at here. Stephanie did a great job of catching all our smiles! The wall was stabilised with about 5% cement so that it could be built in a week without splooging, and would not run away in the mist and rain. Splooging occurs when lower layers, which haven’t had time to harden, are pushed out by the weight of new layers added above.
The rim on the left and around the wooden window and sill were cobbed with pure breathing cob (no cement) so that moisture can escape from the timber and the cob oven. The oven will grow upon the rim when it is built at the next workshop on the 1st and 2nd of August, weather permitting.
The wall is doing a great job blocking the cold winter southerlies from coming round in front of Danaa. The red on the right is the edge of a 300mm board that fills the gap between the wall and Danaa.
After the workshop two ecology and permaculture enthusiasts arrived independently from Devon, England and discovered that they both had the same surname. They did a great job helping in the gardens and clearing the trails until rained out in the continuous rain of May.
Soon as they left I started putting in pure wool batts (www.latitudeinsulation.com) and lined the ceiling, and just completed this just before the snow mentioned last Tuesday. Cold days have been 1 to 4 degrees C so I am pleased to be able now to heat Danaa easily with the gas (LPG) heater so that I run the computer will run, I can be comfy, and I can see Rebirthing and other clients wanting to connect to Harmony within the embrace of the lovely earth building.
Copies of earlier newsletters of fun at Harmony may be found by clicking on “Harmony Farm” at www.gemstonetherapy.info/newsletters
Love,
David
