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April, 2010:

Steps, Steps, and a Bed

Today I’ve been catching up on Pure Portugal work, whilst Oli and Teresa finished making the steps for the Pirate Ship Slide.

Meanwhile Matt’s been busy making the shuttering for new steps up to the Mongolian Yurt from the Kitchen Caravan.  We’ve reluctantly decided to make them out of concrete, as the wood and earth ones kept collapsing and so weren’t safe for guests.

After making the steps, Oli and Teresa set to work on a new bed in front of the main house, which will catch rainwater from the roof and provide next-to-the-table herbs and salads for easy picking and the freshest eating! I also want to grow kiwis up the wooden posts and over a new structure out front to shade the dining table.

That’s one wheelbarrow load of manure in the near end of the bed, and we reckon we’ll need a total of 15 loads barrowed up from the muck heap at the bottom of the land – 3 each for the 5 of us!

Death’s Head Hawk Moth

Our neighbour found one of these a few months ago, and brought it round to see if we knew what it was.

Thanks to Zoe for enlightening us – it’s the larva of the Death’s Head Hawk Moth (Acherontia Atropos), more information and photos at:  http://tpittaway.tripod.com/sphinx/a_atr.htm

Pirate Ship Slide

We’ve been wanting to build a slide for Poppy for a while, and today Kirsten managed to blag a great pallet crate which has inspired the “Pirate Ship Slide”!  We’ve decided to build it next to the Kitchen Caravan, so visiting children can use it too.

Pirate ship builders set off on their expedition, carrying the looted crate

Captain Oli digs holes for support posts

Making sure the support posts are level, don't want the ship to capsize!

Putting the ship on its supports, Poppy supervises.

The slide is added and Poppy inspects the progress.

Making wooden steps to board the ship.

Cana Roof

Oli and Teresa renewing the cana roof of the Kitchen Caravan dining area.

A bench and a swale (and some sunshine at last)

Matt made a pallet bench, or “bee observation station” to go up by the apiary.

Oli and Teresa have been digging another swale, for the last 3 apple trees.

Meringues

Meringues