evan's ant village log

Day 33

I've almost got all the logs staged near my building site, being sure to leave enough space for excavator access and whatnot. I know I just started, but I'm glad that I'm as far along as I am on this building project. I've built a wofati once before, out in New Hampshire; this time last year I was just barely starting to look at potential sites and hadn't even started gathering materials. I felt like I was rushing through everything then, and even though I did end up getting the roof on and covered with dirt before it started snowing, I'm hoping to be more ahead of the game this time.

I'm also pretty excited about the site I have selected. While being on the top of a hill as opposed to on the slope may technically disqualify it from being a true wofati, I'm thinking the superior drainage it affords is worth the downsides. The southern exposure is just awesome, too. It seems to get full sun almost all day. And the views of mountains in every direction... well you can't beat that.

What's a bull pine?

Day 34

Took down some saplings for the fence around my garden. Been hacking the limbs off with a hatchet. The limbs will double as mulch too.

Brian and Matt arrived this afternoon. It's nice to have some company. After dark we hung out in the ring of fire, an outdoor rocket mass heater / cooking stove with some sweet fire-viewing windows. Check out that sideways flame.

Julia Winter wrote:What's a bull pine?

Also known as "Ponderosa Pine"

I think the bug is a cricket. They are beneficial insects that eat grasshopper eggs.

Day 35

I've been thinking a lot about an ant alliance lately. Matt and I have been brainstorming potential plans for how to make ant village even more awesome. I think I'll be starting a new thread soon to get my thoughts organized and to bounce some of these ideas off of all you lovely permies.

As I write this, we're sitting around the rocket stove eating chips and salsa. Aww yeah.

Day 36

I feel like I've been moving at a fairly snail-like pace so far. But taking time to observe before making any drastic changes has been giving me lots of ideas. I have a fairly good idea of how I'll be slicing up some of the paddocks now.

It rained today. A real good soaking. And it even hailed for a minute. All the plants seem happier. There was even a nice rainbow.

I started eating into some of my excavator time too, now that the ground is a bit easier for digging. I'm digging a duck pond in the first paddock, and building a big hugel berm along its north and west borders.

Let's see, today y'all get a snail, a rainbow, and an excavator. Bases covered.

Day 37

Focused on the southernmost quarter acre today. I've taken to calling this first paddock here Téjas. Made some progress on the hugel berm along it's northern and western borders.

Also, since I had the excavator down in there anyway, I roughed out a spot where I'd been planning to build a little earthen structure. I'm thinking a debris hut I can throw together in a few days. Could be a shelter, or maybe a tool shed, or kind of a cellar. I just really like the spot. And it should be good practice before I build the bigger octagonalish structure.

To the untrained eye, it might look like I'm all over the place with my efforts. And that might be a fair way to put it. But I'd like to think I'm just giving nature and my projects the time and space to evolve and develop together into a coherent whole. The vision is coming together with increasing clarity in my head. In the meantime, please excuse the mess.

I am guessing your growie is very very small? it looks like you have moss and fringed edge lichen on the same scale, so they would be less than a cm across?