The seeds are sprouting out...

This post is just to keep my promise to the ones who participated in the last PDC...

Here´s a picture of the mulch bed you all made... within 2 weeks the seedlings are already quite big ... even though Muxima tried to sabotage it several times ...

you might need to enlarge the picture to see it ... I just took it with my phone from the washing dishes place...

It has been raining like crazy again...but the sun will come soon !!!
Love to you all

Resume of the Permaculture Course in March

Finally I'm having the time to write about the Permaculture course...even though I did write a bit on my blog ...

sorry about that, but after all the work and preparations, I needed a little break afterwards and I was not so fond of siting in front of a computer...

Once again the course was brilliant... the people whom I got to meet are amazing and we had really good times together...

either in the teachings,

around the table during meals,

chopping vegetables,watching mind-blowing documentaries and

hanging out around the fireplace at night...lots of talented musicians I have to say ... It was really nice !!!

I missed a bit of the social aspect because I was also running around doing other things, and in the evenings I was just ready for an early sleep...

I also had to take Christian to the hospital...Oops...he was swinging with a rope on one of our tall Cork tree and hit a rock with his knee... he actually moved the rock out of its place...Ouch!!! he was more excited with it than disturbed... he wouldn't stop taking pictures in the hospital...the nurse was nice too...it looked painful though...

I had really good times with everyone... And it was lovely to be with Lesley again... the more I know her , the more I have to say - She's amazing !!! And all of us here in Portugal ought to be grateful for her teaching and training so many of us will be the future teachers and practitioners of Permaculture here.

It was nice to see the ones I already knew, but most of them I didn't know... so different and interesting people... It's encouraging to see how the portuguese are really interested and involved in permaculture projects, or simply awakening to see the world with different eyes...and willing to do something about it...

The weather was not so bad, but we did have some rain and one day the wind was really annoying...
But everyone was fine with it... at least I didn't hear many complaints...anyway, what could we do?! We are all here to learn how to live with the natural elements, right?

I have to say that I was rubbish at taking pictures... I just forgot about it completely...

If those who were at the course would like to leave a comment with your perspective on it, it would be great...
Thank you all ... I really enjoyed it !!!

getting ready to make the design!!!

preparing the mulch bed... even when the rain was threatening ...

another group preparing for the design...

...and another group...

a nice capture while I was filling up the water containers at the spring...

one of many nice evenings around the fire... I missed most of them, but the ones I managed to be present I really enjoyed...

first group presenting their design... Kin, Filipa and Ana...

really cool structures...

second group...Christian, Hilko, Sonia and Nina...

Each one explaining different details...

after each group presented their design we would all give our opinion... one thing we liked, and one thing we would make different (no negative opinions here...I like that )

After lunch the sillyness came...really fun!!! the sun helped the mood !!!


the third group...Silvia, Valter and Susi...

nice ideas... lots of recycling bins 

and the final group... Ulli, Catarina e Irene...

lots of ideas for the garden and all sorts of plants´ combinations.

sunday night, we all went to the village to have dinner... it was really fun...

Kin brought the guitar and played some nice tunes... we even had a dance hall

Anyway, it was a really pleasant week for all of us I believe... more seeds spread... more hope to see what will come out of it ... I'm already looking forward to the next one in August... 

and the Strawbale workshop, very soon, from the 27th of MAY to the 3rd of June...

LAST PREPARATIONS ...

Soon we'll have around 20 people coming for the Permaculture design course and we still have some last preparations to be done... 

So far all is going well... we finally have hot water coming out of the solar water heater, but I'm still making sure every junction is well sealed ... here's the picture of the final look of the solar heater, but you can see the last details ...





the box finally finished and the inlet and outlet pipes in place...

making the edges with lime for the glass to lay on...and putting a wooden structure all around every edge...

checking how the drum would fit inside and making a wooden structure for it...

And finally ... putting the insulation , fitting the drum, making the last pipe connections , and at last laying the glass on top, sealed with silicone... we just tried it out to check if there were any leaks inside before sealing...and for our amazement, the water does get very hot ...

Wow, warm showers from now on... it was a lot of work and I could learn and experience working with different materials and tools...but it was fun and definitely rewarding !!!
Now I just need to plaster it well with lime... and I have to finish the last connections to the shower place ...

speaking about it, here it is... it has been the hard and creative work of Joe who is visiting us from Germany...he's leaving today, and it was another angel coming at the right time... Thanks Joe!!!

here he is , around with the lime and sand ...

digging, digging, digging... in order to bury the pipes from the solar heater and cold water drum into the shower and bath place...

Lyna is working on the creative details which makes the place more pleasant...

all the walls from the bath and shower place are made with recycled pallets... which gives lots of room for creativity in order to make it look a bit nicer... it's becoming really beautiful and cute I have to say...

We still have a long and hard working week ahead before the course as we need a big shelter for it... I got a 10x8 meters tarp, and that would make a pretty big shelter... so, we need to go cut some mimosa trees for the structure...

I believe it will all be fine... I can't wait for next week !!!

And here's Muxima enjoying her restful sunday morning... I couldn't help but take this picture :-)

Ok, now I go for a nice warm bath :-)

Despite the rain... we got some progress in our work...

Bonanza after the rain, right? I'm looking forward to that...

Do you notice in the picture that our pond is overflowing? 

the smaller one below is also overflowing...and there's water coming out from the ground in our kitchen because the soil is super saturated with water...

It's been 3 weeks now with rain... some little brakes, but not enough... I have to be honest that we are getting a bit tired, and longing for some nice sunny days... I know many people at the moment are suffering serious damages and losses because of the weather, so I don't even want to complain... we're thankful, but tired...

Especially when I have in mind that the permaculture course starts in 2 weeks and I still have some things I'd like to finish... Around 20 people will be coming to stay for 9 days, so I'd like to offer the best conditions possible under the circumstances...

we were a bit stuck for a few days because the rain destroyed the only public road that gives access to our land...but thank God for angels... Miguel and Rute passed by for a short visit and they had a jeep that could easily pull our van out of the land (so we could go shopping for food for instance or buy the materials we need for building)... a neighbour came with a tractor and spent the day helping Willi remove his van from the road which literally collapsed...and another time that Willi went out with our van to get some stones to fix the road, he got badly stuck as well... he came to the land so I could go help him, and as we got there, some other angels have already taken the van from the hole... Thank God for Provision!!!

despite the rain, we kept working as we could...

Willi fixing our entry road below... carrying tons of stones (and I mean literally)...he's the kind of guy that refuses to see problems... he knows there are solutions... I'm so thankful for all his help and volunteer heart...

I also kept myself busy...between the solar heater (in not so rainy days) and the shower place (in heavy rainy days)... this friday I was also carrying stones to fill the "canions" on our track... and digging trenches for the water to run to the sides... I got soaked wet, but it was also fun ...

 

here is another angel, Joe, who came from Germany to help us for 2 weeks...

he's doing amazing work at the shower place... an amazing person to get to know as well...
Lyna keeps doing an amazing job in the kitchen, cooking beautiful and tasty food everyday for all of us... it feels like family again... she also helps here and there, but it's hard at the moment with Nolan...he needs attention..and he deserves it !!!

this is my first experience with blocks and cement...I have to say that is not my favorite option, but that's what works best for the job... it's not looking so bad so far...

O.k, and now I'm out, because I'm tired of being in front of this computer 

Have a PEACEFUL week...

Second PERMACULTURE Design Course...

Just to let you all know that the second PERMACULTURE DESIGN COURSE this year is confirmed...

It will be from the 28th August to the 5th September...

Just a little advice... this one that is about to start got fully booked quite quickly and I keep receiving e.mails of people who would like to take part in it...that's why I decided to make a second one this year... 

this is the only time it's possible both for me and for Lesley who's going to lecture it...

SO, DON'T TAKE SO LONG to confirm your presence, or you might miss it ...