October has been somewhat schizophrenic. The first half was focussed upon finalising the creation and transport of all the building materials that we’ll need for the rest of the year. Unlike anything in the west, this means not only making best use of our “piste time”, but also the need to get almost everything hand made.

The biggest challenge in terms of time and logistics has perhaps been

the making, cooking and transporting of the bejmat and karmud, which as I said in my last post, I decided to have done in Fez.

It fills me with awe to visit the zelig ferans and to see the intricate artisanal processes that are used to make both floor and roof tiles, which are fired in ovens using the deche from olive oil production.

There’s a new area that has been dedicated to this process, I presume as part of environmental health improvements around Fez. But despite my awe, I find myself blessing my socks that it’s not me going down the clay mines or packing the ovens.

Having said that, I was amazed at the detail to attention that was obvious in the packing

of the trucks that brought the karmud and bejmat to Xaouen. And the work rate of the young guys who turned up, as if from nowhere, to move these from large to smaller trucks and then off on to the farm.

Mind you, I also took the opportunity, whilst in Fez to buy wood for the new/lower house. It’s such a cut throat business, wood buying and invariably, I at least feel ripped off. Of course this is a sign of the derth of cedre wood available. But at least we have it and hopefully it’ll look good.

At risk of repeating myself and sounding excited at the barely exciting …. Except for little ol me…. I’ve also got a few hundred square metres of safya, which came as a piece of luck, having popped in to a hardware store in Ouad Laou.

I’d had quotes from other sources, but these guys were approximately

½ the price. Again, it brings a smile to my face to see these awaiting laying… another area awaiting completion.

I’ve decided to complete the digging of the upper well, next to Fuddle’s house. I had thought of digging out a new well from an area that is clearly close to water, using a mechanical digger. But then I came across a team of Saharawis who are up in Loubar, digging wells for the mosque.

Obviously they have a special expertise with wells in the south going down to anything up to 100 m. Here, hopefully I’ll only need to add another 6 m, though we’re still to finalise negotiating a price that isn’t horribly high. Anyway, in the hope of a good conclusion to these negotiations, here’s a pile of bricks, both for roofing of the lower house and the walls of the well.

Somehow I haven’t managed to get an image to show how well we

have done with the build of the top house. Of course there’s a ton of finishing to be done and as is obvious, we’ve got to put the roof on. Saying that, we’ve now got everything to put the roofs on.

The chandelles/wood, and other roofing materials are now all on the land. I’ve brought up 200 bags of cement and the bricks, metal and tiles for the slanted roofs. What needs adding is the glass bricks that I’ll use as light wells for the house…. More excitement!!!

The chandelles will also be used to build raised beds in the gardens. Ken has done some great work developing these, but I’m hoping that Mohammed will now be able to take this on and complete these, as well as the side and top beds.

I had a completion of two beds in my plan for this year, before the rains and I think we are there. It’s providing food, but as importantly, is giving me an idea of what and how we will be able to produce when we are trying to feed a whole hotel… let a lone the associated restaurant.

After the challenges to the tent from the Shirkay, I’ve decided to try to move in to the house for the winter. Of course,this is going to be very basic, but by being inside, I also hope that I will soon be able to put a floor, toilet and heating system in. Anyway, here’s my first night inside Farm Finn!

Oh… and here’s another neighbour that I met around the farm. My aim is to fill the land with wild life, flora and forna, big and small.

I finally left Loubar with a day to go before I travelled to Uk to see Finn and wet weather looming on the meteo, but happy that we had managed to get more or less everything we needed and more, on to the farm, included 100 bags of goat manure. I’m really proud of getting all that done and at a quality and price that shows that finally, I am really back in the game.

Well done daddy.

I’m writing this having just returned from UK and as ever, I’ve a lot of reflection of how I

feel about what is happening there. I’ll wait until the next blog to address this. But it was wonderful to see Finn and what a lovely time we had.

I feel blessed having such a loving relationship with him and to feel that we both genuinely enjoy our time together.

I suppose having said that, it’s somehow ironic to then be taking Finn to football and risk his addiction to the topsey turvey world of supporting QPR, but we both loved it … dadsnlads bonding…. You bet!

And from there we went off hiking and youth hostelling in the Peak District. Tbh I was slightly concerned at how Finn would do walking for 6 hours a day, but, booming with pride, son, you were amazing. It was a chance to put down screens and social media and to engage in the joys of days spent out in nature.

My heart swelled when, having sat to have sandwiches, we watched a hawk hunting along a valley wall for a good hour. Hovering, swooping, drifting, keen eyed.

After 30 minutes, Finn turned to me and told me “daddy, this is so much better than looking at my tablet”.

That alone made everything worth while. Thanks son. I love you.

Mind you, there was some good learning opportunities as shown with this outdoor, possibly mobile, chicken coup.

Looks like a good drafting opportunity for something similar for the farm. Eggs anybody!