Our Cob House
We bought this place in March 2013. No one had lived here for many years and the old house was falling down, which was just what we wanted. Our plan was to build an eco-house, using local, natural materials and…
Rude Health
Self-healing Rude health is generally taken to mean ‘strong and healthy.’ Rude comes via Old French rude from Latin rudis ‘rough, raw’ and is thought to have denoted ‘rough unpolished stone’. Self-healing is a divine endowment available to all – everyone is…
Chestnut pillars
Today was a big day, putting in one of the main supporting pillars of the house. They are local chestnut and Mateu selected the trees from the wood yard and debarked and sanded them here,then cut them to size with…
Making Apple Cider Vinegar
I was given a bag of apples the other day; completely organic but I’m an apple snob. I love a crisp sharp Braeburn, but most red apples are just a bit too mealy. I’m not a fan of apple sauce…
Wasp Medicine
Attracting Wasp Venom A couple of weeks ago (July 2015), I disturbed a wasp nest. Wasps attack immediately when they feel threatened and I was stung 10-15 times on my arm, hand and leg. I couldn’t get away because of…
House Project One Year Milestone
We started work on the house last August, with clearing and preparation and yesterday we achieved a major milestone in getting the main roof beams in place. Mateu has earned his holiday. Putting in the roof beams: And…
Pine Processionary Caterpillar
The Pine Processionary Caterpillar gets its name from the line they form, nose to tail, as they climb down from their candy floss winter nests in the pine trees to pupate in the ground. They can destroy the pine trees,…
Drainage and Waterproofing
Drainage and waterproofing for the house was always going to be a challenge. The house is 500M down an unpaved track which was a knee-deep river when we bought the place. One of the first things we did was to…
Laying the Foundation for the Cob House
We have finally started on our house renovation and hoping to get enough done before the rain sets in. We’ve done lots of clearing, laid foundations and dug a huge pile of clay for the cob. It will be mixed…
Nature Healing
Nature heals and Nature grows and Nature is in us, but are you in Nature? In 2008 we crossed a threshold; for the first time in our history more than half the world’s population now live in urban environments. As…
