Friday 30 April 2010

The Power of Community / O Poder da Comunidade

Translation by Brazilian Ruth - Thanks!
Tradução por Ruth, Brazileira - Obrigado!

Last weekend was our first real hosting of the rede - network - of friends and fellow transitioners: people finding news ways of building, planting and energising.
Fim de semana passado foi nossa primeira vez como anfitriões da rede de amigos e companheiros de transição: pessoas buscando novas maneiras e construir, plantar e se energizarem.

This network or community is a better way of describing it, is mostly from Southern Galicia but is increasingly including us North Portuguesas too. Esta rede ou communidade – uma maneira melhor de descrever-nos – vem em sua maioria da parte sul da Galícia, mas está cada vez mais incluindo os portugueses do norte como nós.

So the call went out: while we wait (forever?) for planning permission, lets build up the Alambique (shown above). We needed to level the floor, point the walls, fix dodgy stones and so on. The people heard the call, and by Friday night waves of people arrived. By Saturday we were up to 23 people! A coincidental visit from English friends Jamie and Sandra drove our numbers higher still. Então fizemos o chamado, enquanto esperamos o alvará para a reforma da casa, por que não restaurarmos o alambique (foto encima). Precisávamos nivelar o chão, rebocar as paredes de pedra e arrumar as que estavam caindo, as pedras não as paredes. O chamado foi recebido e repassado e já na sexta-feira à noite as levas de pessoas começaram a chegar. No sábado já éramos 23 pessoas! Por pura coincidência Jamie e Sandra da Inglaterra vieram nos visitar naquele fim de semana, fazendo os números aumentarem mais ainda.

Brazilian Ruth managed kitchen planning and menus and vegan feasts appeared at all the right times; teas infused from plants and herbs scattered accross the land, salads from everything and just increadible delights. Monica ran the critical flow path stuff: logistics, Nikita managed pizza cooking and oven affairs. The rest of us consumed like giants.
A Ruth, brasileira, cuidou do planejamento da cozinha e dos menus e banquetes veganos apareceram nas horas certas; chás com plantas e ervas crescendo aqui na nossa terra, saladas de tudo e delícias incríveis. Com a ajuda de um super time na cozinha: Cris, Miriam, Frederico e mais voluntários do avental. A Monica cuidou do fluxo crítico das coisas: logísticas, Nikita gerenciou a pizza e o forno. O resto do grupo consumimos como gigantes.

By Saturady afternoon we were in full flow. Ivan, Daniel, António, Juanra, Jamie, Sandra, Frederico and others slogged through hard packed earth to lower the alambique floor another 20 cm at least, nice and level too. Respect also due to Romanian volunteer Petrica who had removed the old distilling structures and cement elements and spray cleaned walls. And also to the Rupert and Alina and many others who, over the past year or so have helped clear that inconquerable mountain of rubble and brambles that have filled the alambique for so long. Sábado à tarde estávamos de vento em polpa. Ivan, Daniel, Antônio, Juanra, Jamie, Sandra, Frederico e outros com a enxada em mãos, cavaram terra batida pra abaixar o nível do chão do alambique pelo menos uns 20cm. Nosso agradecimento também vai ao voluntário romeno Petrica que havia removido as estruturas antigas de destilagem, os elementos de cimento e a sujeira das paredes. E também para Rupert e Alina e tantos outros que ao longo do ultimo ano ajudou a vencer a incrível montanha de entulho e espinheiros que habitaram o alambique por tanto tempo.

Juanra - stone blasting to get it ready for pointing, happening the next day, with a sand-lime-earth mix of 5-2-1.
Juanra – com um jato de água para preparar a pedra para o reboco que aconteceu no dia seguinte com uma misture de areia, cal e terra de 5-2-1.


While this was going on, Miriem, Silvia, Ruta and Noelia took on the three sisters bed. This is the age-old companion planting of maize, beans and squash, taught to the starving Europeans by native Americans to keep them alive in their first years in the New World. Soon enough we found the old stone wall was in semi-collapse. Enquanto isso do outro lado do muro, Miriam, Silvia, Rute e Noelia preparavam a cama para as três irmãs – o jeito muito antigo de fazer uma plantação consorciada com milho, feijão e abóbora, ensinado pelos índios americanos para os Europeus famintos para mantê-los vivos nos seus primeiros morando no Novo Mundo. Não demorou muito para descobrir que o muro antigo de pedra estava a ponto de colapso.

"Lets rebuild this first", Miriem declared, and soon enough we had pursuaded César and Jorge - wall building maestros using traditional knowledge as our teachers. As the alambique team finished with their 5th tonne of earth moving, they joined in. “Vamos reconstruí-lo primeiro”, a corajosa Miriam falou e em um instante persuadimos César e Jorge – mestres em construção de muros usando conhecimentos tradicionais – a nos ensinar. Quando o time do alambique havia terminado de mover sua 5a. tonelada de terra, eles juntaram-se a nós.

Soon enough it was like a team of human ants: some hauling in earth to back up the new stones, others bringing stones that Petrica had moved out of the alambique the week before (a nice coincidence), the rest of us racing against time and each other to build a mighty wall. César all the while advising here and there on stone placement and structure. So impressed was our wall chief with Sandra and Jamie's stone hauling efforts he declared double pizza rations for both ("where are they from these people?" his impression of the English workforce is enhanced forever). In an hour or three, the work of weeks was done! Logo formou-se um time de formigas humanas: alguns carregando terra para segurar as pedras novas, outros trazendo pedras que Petrica havia retirado do alambique na semana anterior (uma feliz coincidência), o resto de nós correndo contra o tempo e contra uns aos outros para terminar o majestoso muro. Com César o tempo todo aconselhando onde colocar as pedras e a estrutura.

O nosso chefe da obra ficou tão impressionado com as habilidades em carregar pedras de Sandra e Jamie que deu-lhes o direito a comer porções de pizza em dobro! “De onde vieram essas pessoas?”, disse César, a sua impressão da força de trabalho dos ingleses ficará mudada para sempre. E em uma hora ou três, o trabalho de semanas ficou pronto!















The finished wall, next day. And Kira joining the Sisters:)

O muro acabado no dia seguinte. E Kira juntando-se às Irmãs J

Miriem - running the wall crew, pounding in earth and smaller rocks behind the facing ones, to make sure it stands forever. Miriam, gerenciando a equipe da muralha, empurrando terra e pedregulhos atrás das pedras da face para certificar-se que o muro ficará de pé para sempre.

Meanwhile, Paulo, Monica, Ruth, Bugui, Christina and many more planted and dug and and prepared beds and gardens. All happening at once it was incredible. Enquanto isso, Paulo, Monica, Ruth, Bugui, Christina e muitos outros plantarm e cavaram e preparam mais camas e jardins. Tudo acontecendo ao mesmo tempo agora.

Mealtimes rocked. The pizza was great. The new table structure - more like a cathedral that a kiwi plant frame - provided a fine setting for good discussions. Our meeting of the "rede" continued over lunches and much was achieved and planned for future projects together. As horas das refeições foram muito fish. A pizza estava ótima. A nova estrutura sobre a mesa – parecendo mais uma catedral do que uma treliça para o kiwi – forneceu um belo cenário para ótimas discusses. A reunião da nossa rede continuou durante os almoços e realizamos muitos planos para projetos futuros juntos.














Kira took on the role of Information Officer - acousting anyone freshly arrived with a notebook and a demand as to which work group they were in (building, gardens or kitchen). Bemused but charmed by this apparition they soon were directed to their respective supervisors. Kira fez o papel de Supervisora de Informação – abordando todos os recém-chegados com um caderno e exigindo que escolhessem em qual grupo iriam trabalhar (construção, jardinagem ou cozinha). Intrigados, porém rendidos ao seu charme, eles rapidamente eram direcionados por Kira aos supervisores responsáveis.


Here she is, giving our more orders and plans for the afternoon at Saturday lunch
(in her version of Porto-Galego of course)
Aqui está ela, no almoço de sábado, dando ordens e informando os planos para a tarde
(em sua versão de Porto-Galego, é claro)














Everyone camped over and hot showers were enjoyed by anyone who had any energy left. Thanks to Paulo for masterful plumbing and connecting both wood-fired and solar heaters:). Solar water-heater shown in pic on left. The smaller solar photovoltaic panel in the foreground powers a small 12v. pump which circulates water around 30m of silicon pipe in a black metal sheet sandwhich.
On the right is an East European wood-fired heating system we bought second hand in Central Portugal. 80 litre capacity of mega hot water. Yes.
Todo mundo acampou e aqueles que ainda tinham alguma energia sobrando puderam aproveitar uma ducha quente. Agradecimentos ao Paulo por fazer o encanamento com maestria e conectar a caldeira a lenha e a solar! A aquecedor solar está na foto à esquerda. O pequeno painél fotovoltáico à frente gera eletricidade para a bomba 12V que circula a água por uma mangueira de silicone de 30 metros dentro de um sanduíche feito por placas de metal pretas. À direita está o nosso sistema de aquecimento de água à lenha da europa do leste que compramos de segunda mão perto de Coimbra. Oitenta litros de capacidade de água super quente. Oh yes.


The best thing about working together like this is the feeling that we're all learning together: how to build, use cob and earth and lime and straw. Not to mention granite and woo; how to apply permaculture design principles - less from books and presentations and more by just doing it. How to heat water, cook food and conserve energy from ambient energies. By the end of a couple of years of these projects - on our land this week but another's next month, we will have collectively absorbed so many new skills and understanding. We'll be a workforce able to transform any building plan, garden, denuded wasteground or deforested landscape. We'll be able to show and teach others, introduce these ideas into schools and sell our products to those who are still tied to the office jobs in town.
A melhor coisa em trabalharmos juntos assim é a sensação que estamos todos aprendendo juntos: como construir, usar cob, terra, cal e palha. Sem mencionar granito e madeira; como aplicar os princípios de permacultura – menos através de livros e aprensentações e mais com a mão na massa. Como aquecer água, cozinhar e conservar energia das próprias energias do ambiente. Ao final de alguns anos de projetos assim – na nossa terra este mês, mas em outra no próximo, haveremos absorvido coletivamente tantas novas abilidades e nova compreensão. Seremos uma força de trabalho capaz de transformas qualquer plano de obra, jardim, terreno baldio ou paisagem desmatada. Poderemos mostrar e ensinar a outros, introduzir essas idéias em escolas e vender nossos produtos para aqueles que ainda estão presos aos seus empregos nos escritórios da cidade.

The Power of Community
is of course the name of a film about how Cuba survived peak oil through urban agriculture and so on. But it applies here too. It's a huge difference: going it alone for self-sufficiency, depending on yourself for everything, and drawing on collective forces and energies, which I'm sure are far greater than the sum of the parts. And we don't have to live together either. We have our own lives, our local neighbours, different work for monies, different pastimes. But we share a common passion and it rocks.
O Poder da Comunidade é o nome de um filme sobre como Cuba sobreviveu à falta de petróleo através da agricultura urbana entre outras coisas. Mas isto se aplica à nós também, Há uma grande diferença entre caminhar sozinho em direção à auto-suficiência, dependendo de si para tudo e entre arrebanhar as forças e energias coletivas, que estou certo de serem maiores do que as somas das partes. Também não temos que viver juntos, temos nossas próprias vidas, vizinhos locais, diferentes empregos e passatempos, mas temos uma paixão em comum e isso basta.

Christina and Miriem cobing in the passive fridge kept cool by clay and rock thermal mass - keeping evening cool during the day, plus some evaporative cooling by dropping water over charcoal (made by Donald). The evaporation from the charcoal draws heat from the surrounding area - in this case the fridge shelves. Aqui a Christina e a Miriam estão fazendo o acabamento em taipa da nossa geladeira sem eletricidade (passiva). Ela mantém-se fria pela massa térmica da argila e pedra, que seguram a temperatura baixa mesmo durante o dia, com um pequeno auxílio do resfriamento por evaporaçãon - efeito resultante de molharmos o carvão que fica atrás da geladeira (carvão feito e doado por Donald). Quando a água sai do carvão por evaporação ela ‘rouba’ calor do seu redor, neste caso, das prateleiras da geladeira.

By Sunday afternoon we were all exhausted. Most people took off after lunch, though Tita and Elsa from Arcos arrived then: the reinforcements! Those remaining headed down to the river for some more work, then cooling off time in the spring melt chilly waters. Oh yeh
Ao entardecer no Domindo, todos estávamos exautos. A maior parte das pessoas foram embora após o almoço, mas a Tita e a Elsa dos Arcos chegaram e ajudaram na cozinha: reforço bem-vindo! Aqueles que sobraram foram até o rio para trabalhar mais um pouquinho e depois pular nas águas geladas da primavera. Oh yeah.


Monica's take on the weekend here
O blog de Monica esta aqui - faz falta tradução. Noelia queres tentar?

Tuesday 20 April 2010

Horse shit for earthen plasters

We are stuck in a perpetual holding pattern for planning permission (licença de construção). They (the Authority/ies) believe they must create more layers of complex paperwork and regulations for building, renovating an existing structure. And doing it by ourselves, a self-build? Illegal we are told. We are forced to use contractors and to show how much we pay each of them every step of the way. Enough to drive you to drink and drugs in a spiral of self-degradation.

Instead we have decided to embrace the flow of things and get on with building other things, other places on our land. Of which there are plenty. And we can do this without asking for The Authority's approval.

Which takes us back to the garage. Local builder Machado plastered one half of it last December, with our sand - lime mix of 5:1 (that's 5.5 buckets of sand to one of lime: quicklime or cal viva as it's called here). This is the mix we had used for pointing the main house. It works and I foolishly thought it would be good for plaster too. It has held up OK, but I've since learned you need more fibres to hold it together. (In the old days they used horse hairs and the like).

So this time our mix has fibre: from horse poo. Plenty of little grass "fibres", and quite a few actual hairs that found their way in! Donated kindly by Donald and Eleanor, this poo should really have been allowed to dry out a bit, but we are impatient, hasty (we being me). Paulo, senior techy adviser, had this idea, and we all agreed that it was far better than buying anything plastic or expensive.

So Monica got landed with the illuminating job of crushing up the pleasant offerings...






While The Kids and Me played for days until we learned how to hurl this mix onto the wall till it holds fast - seeming to defy gravity by holding there, then after a while allowing itself to be shoved around into a rough uniform surface. OK, we achieved anything but a smooth finish, but hey this is workshop / toy room (my toys, not Kira's) we're talking about.

Much fun had, photos will say the rest.
Paulo (earth plaster pro) made sure we kept spraying water on it too avoid it curing (drying) too fast. And doing it himself when he saw we were going to forget (OK mostly, this is the case).



Quick lime steam bath and dust cloud. Dodgy stuff to work with: super dangerous for eyes and bare skin. (Which is why Nikita is wearing his...? Staying at a safe distance of course:)
















OK here's the magic recipe: 5 parts sand, 1 each of earth, horse poo and lime. Lime being the last one to add to the mixer. Add water in doses with the sand, so it's already saturated. Don't let it go too wet. The earth will improve the consistency. Make sure you break up the little clay balls in the earth (we used a clay-rich soil, about 25% clay content). Break down the horse manure balls a bit so they dissipate in the mix. Cover eyes and hands, and wear a mask when adding the lime. It will react with the water in the mix and get really hot. It seems to be a crazy thing to do, but it's not. It'll be OK. Relax. Walk away from the mixer for a few. Breathe.


Then Paulo and I built these funky shelves - posts made from alder (the reddy one) and ash, from our river land. Placed on rocks with steel pins to avoid contact with water and floor damp. Water infiltrated from the back of garage all winter.



Spraying the wall down with the new jet-pack!

Funny thing is, as it cures, it's going much lighter, changing from a dark tan to a light brown.














Like this detail around the window myself:)


And here is how the wall was before we started. The old earth pointing around the rocks would fall out all over you if you touched these walls. A proper lime pointing job replacing this would have been possible, but really boring, taking way longer, and the kids would have walked off in search of something more engaging. Anyway, we kinda like this warm colour and curvy walls. We are maxed out on stone...

Saturday 17 April 2010

Wood sheds at the garage

Back in time now, to November or so, but hey, I'm in charge of this particular medium of communication and I can be the master of time, não é?

But also, this garage retro-fit never seems to end. And we're at it still. So, enough said, here's the photo-proof. In fact if I stuck to photo updates I might actually post up more stuff.

Structure goes up with the help of James and Ryan (Tasmanian surfers, exemplary workers, temporarily displaced into our hills:)


Saffy enjoying the view. Note oak posts placed on rocks - with a metal spike into bottom of wood, going through the stone, to locate it. Cross bracing gives it stucture. This way we avoid the wood rotting from prolounged contact with water.


These are old tiles that we saved from the old garage roof - they say these are made on people's thighs. So each one a bit different.











Then Paulo returned and we built this killer wood store. So FINALLY, we can keep our timber dry and sorted into different sizes for easy access (ahhh).


And Aljo helped fence in this bit for firewood...












Total cost: 30 euros for eucylptus rafters, 20 for pine tile batons. Rest from reclaimed wood harvested from various places, old tiles, rocks and plenty of nails 'n screws.

Meanwhile, the chaos of haphazard storage inside the garage, lack of carpentery benches, tool boards, a place for nails and the like has been a thorn in the side since the start. Not to mention water pouring in from the climbing wall at the back - So much to do, but dry wood and a place to dry wetsuits had to be step number one.