KW-13 The beast needs a name

and it won't be Choppy McChopface

This has been a week full of blessings.

On Monday, the Forester turned up and we had a lovely chat about trees. We don’t talk about much else, a little on the state of the world (but usually as it related to trees) and maybe, because this is the countryside life, a little catch up on what people around here are up to (and this is exclusively related to trees!). We spoke a bit about Germany’s Tree of the Year for last year (Baum des Jahres) which was the Holly (Stechpalme / Ilex aquifolium), and he brought me a not inconsiderable quantity of wood. It fell over in the storms, right next to the barracks.

120m in length, dragged in by a tractor. When it’s all chopped up, this could be almost a year’s supply of firewood. i’m keen to get started on it to give it a good year to dry out.

Year four at the barracks is about the community that should develop here. I’ve been giving it a lot of thought, so much that I almost got distracted from the fact that there is already a barracks community. All of you.

My post last week triggered an outpouring of support for what I am trying to do here. I do think that what I am doing is important. The style of my existence is supposed to be a reminder that we live on a fragile planet, and the skills we are going to need in the future are not the same as the skills we have now.

Thos who follow me on Instagram, who take the time to read my blog posts, or subscribe to this newsletter, you give me the support and encouragement that I need to keep going with this. Heaven knows, it’s not the pigs! I feel like I know some of you really well, and others hardly at all, but I value all of your support. Just opening this email helps.

I’ve said it many time, bare fruit trees and bushes do not make great photos. However, here are the raspberry canes transplanted into the soft fruit bed.

Some people are in a situation where they want to and are able to support also in material ways. And they have all asked to remain anonymous! Three people this week have made significant financial contributions. It’s amazing and wonderful. Thank you all. With this, I am finally going to fix the roof and the water. Which is probably the most significant step forwards in building the in-person community. I totally understand that most people thing “running water” is more or less essential! I do!

One of these donors also asked for money to be put towards improving the orchard, and with much thanks, I will do that as well.

And, you have no doubt seen, one person sent me a Hecht 7100 cultivator / tiller.

This is not the 200m of new ground. This is Plot 2 in the potager. I completely turned it over in less than 15 minutes. This would usually take 3 days with a fork.

It’s an absolute BEAST of a machine. It took me two days to assemble it, a good two hours to work out the best way to use it (turn everything up to 11 and let’s go choppy choppy seems to be the best), and then maybe another 2 or 4 hours (I lost track of time, I was having so much fun) to bring 200m2 of new ground into production.

This week, I’m not sure what the plans are. I’ve put my back out. It’s slowing me down a lot, but will be 100% in a couple of days. Believe me, I’ve done this before!

But, needs must:

• Lots more choppy choppy with the Hecht

• Edges on the potager

• A roof for the toilet block

• More seed sowing. I fancy doing all the gourds this week

And talking of “people I know, people I don’t know”. I think I know most people who subscribe to this newsletter, but if we don’t know each other in real or virtual, or haven’t spoken in a while, why not drop a cheery hi into the comments?

All the best, me hearties!

The Pirate Ben

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