Wednesday, August 17, 2011

It's quite useful ...

... being up early in the morning because you can get so much more work done.

And up early I was as well for last night I had an early night. It wasn't planned, but the internet crashed here quite early on so I profited by going to bed early. And that surprised everyone, I bet.

I was tired too on Monday night because I'd been working quite hard. I'd had my usual morning on the computer and in the afternoon I was up the ladder pointing the stonework. You can see how much I did as well, and that ladder is quite high. It's a long way up and down, especially when you keep dropping the screwdriver that you are using as a mortar rake.

But at least I am making a good deal of progress up there. You never know - I might even finish it this year.

Bill and I had a good chat at our meeting on Monday night and then I came back homr to just about an hour's worth of internet.

This morning I was up, breakfasted, washed and dressed long before 10:00. And after working on the website again I was finished by 12:30. It was time then to attack the pointing again and I managed to do quite a lot.

I finished one load of mortar by 13:45 and ir wasn't worth starting another load prior to lunch so I fitted the toilet seat to the composting beichstuhl. It's cut like that for a special purpose and that's why I needed a wooden one.

You can see how the beichstuhl works. There's a huge 20-litre casserole saucepan in there, complete with lid. Inside there is a compostable bin liner. So you lift the white top of the box (you can see the hinges), take off the casserole lid, but in some sawdust (you can see the blue sawdust container behind the beichstuhl) close the white lid, do what you need to do, put in some more sawdust, lift up the white top and refit the casserole lid. When the bin liner is getting full, you dump it in the compost and fit another. It's as simple as that. Recycling, self-sufficiency and closed-cycle environments is what it's all about. The water consumption is zero and I shall have tomatoes as big as your head next year.

This evening the temperature in the solar shower was at 39°:C and so I had a gorgeous shower. That was quite enjoyable too. And to round off the day I was down the garden getting a huge courgette, a pile of beans and a pile of new potatoes and made a huge curried stew that will keep me going for the next couple of days as well.

All in all it was quite a good day today.



1 comment:

  1. Needless to say, the casserole comes out for fine dining for French officials :p

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