It's hard to believe it has been my second week living on our ecoVillages land. It feels like i have left my apartment life far behind, and I am almost ready to let it go! It is amazing that it is possible to get my basic needs and comfort met so quickly. I sit here typing this in a cosy Yurt, powered by my small homemade lithium ion battery and just one 100W solar panel.
I have spent most of the last week making a compost toilet and composting 'box' that will treat my humanure well enough that in a year or two it will make great compost. I also have a wood burning stove in place and almost ready to fire up for when it gets cold here, which is very soon. I’m told that a yurt with a wood burner is much warmer than a traditional stone house which is very hard to keep warm even at moderate low temperatures.
The most important thing i am waiting for is still Water! I am currently using a nearby local spring, which delivers the most beautiful, clean, cool and perfectly clean water year round. Its been a bit like a game trying to make 30 litres of water stretch for as long as possible, and i have learned some neat tricks to be able to wash myself and my dishes etc. using very little water. My best discovery is using a water spray bottle. I’m able to clean my feet and legs and hands with almost no water at all ;) . I have applied to a water borehole permit, which i have just received and i hope that the borehole diggers will come in around a week to, i hope, find us an underground water source. That will be a great day for me, and just as importantly the tress and garden that I will soon make.
Compost Toilet
The Toilet
The Composter
Making the compost toilet was probably the most exciting part of this past week! For the first week i was scratching my head as to how i would deal with the bucket of poop that was fast filling up. I really wanted to avoid the traditional compost toilet system as i had no experience with it and was concerned about being able to treat it effectively. After the first week i realised i HAD to do something fast, and creating an expensive septic tank and then all the things that go with it seems a task too daunting to take on.
SO i got busy watching many YouTube videos and learned how to do it properly. There are as always many options,. but i settled on the idea of using saw dust from a local carpenter shop, and the grass that is dry and abundant in this land. I was very happy when i visited my local carpenter just 2 km down the road and he gave me a huge sack of sawdust for free.
I have enough for months now. I will also add my kitchen compost to this pile along with layers of leaves. That should really encourage the composting process, and will also add some worms as i find them in the soil. I spotted my first worm today, wriggling right next to the area under some trees. I must say that i can not even imagine how any worm stayed alive in this bone dry climate for so long. There is not a drop of water in that zone, and yet somehow these works are alive and kicking?!
My fist Volunteer, Josh is coming!
Until now i have been working alone, with some help available when it was needed. I don’t know that many people, and most of the people i do know are all busy working on their land! There are so many new comers to the area that we are all very preoccupied. One of my missions is to bring us together so that we can help each other more, and im planning to make a website to help us exchange our time and discover each other!
So im Very happy to say that my dear friend Josh is coming in about two weeks to help and be a part of this ecoVillages creation. Josh is someone i know from India, and has so much to offer and has given up everything he is doing to come and join me. I will exchange many things with Josh, and hope to avoid needing to use money. One of Josh's skills and passion is gardening, so i look forward to nurturing this land and bringing more vegetation and trees to it.
The Yurt Furnishings
As much as I wanted to avoid it, IKEA has really helped me in my mission of furnishing the Yurt as quickly, easily, functionally and cheaply as possible. I have tried to keep a balance between tasteful natural vibes, and i think its shaping up well. The office desk i bought is absolutely perfect, and i cant even explain how happy I am to finally have a comfortable chair, table, with ergonomics all taken care of so perfectly.
I have spent most of the past 5 months sitting on the floor with my laptop on a cardboard box and it has not been easy for me. My Neck, shoulders, back all took a big hit! I also FINALLY have a cooker and enough space to chop food and store some things. Ive not really been able to cook for 4 months and that has also taken a toll on my body. Ive been forced to eat a lot of bread and sandwiches, and Pizza. The local cuisine is not really what I would call good food.
I still need to create a living area some kind of sofa and area to relax and hang out with friends. I am trying to avoid buying a sofa as they are expensive and very hard to bring. I don’t even know if a sofa would fit through the door, which is very small in this yurt! I’m thinking to make one out of pallets and mattresses, which works well and lets me sit low to the ground which i always prefer. Lets see what i come up with!
So all in all im feeling much more settled! Im able to start meditating again, which is something that i have not been able to do for so long. I also have a new guitar so i can play my favourite bhajans when i need a pickup.
The rains are about to hit, literally any moment. When they come i will be able to see if my work on the yurt was good or not, and if it is truly waterproof! Let me just say i have done my best, and have my fingers crossed. I really hate leaks, and especially so when its in a yurt!
I am now SO close to being able to start planning for the earthship build.. I have been waiting for some time to get settled, and now i am able to function somewhat normally i am almost ready to hit the red button and start a planning application!
Much love, thanks for stopping by.. onwards and upwards!
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