Morning All,

Obviously this is a quick mail to say that there haven’t been too many older ones !!!

The bottom line is that there seems to have been so little time, let alone energy or space, to sit down and type, that, well things have just passed by.

But having said that, here I am up on Loubar, on Farm Finn and not only am I happy to be here, but we have progress. Of course it’s been different to last year, with seemingly far less time spent here in July than I had wanted, and August spent catching up with my own absence.

But as I sit here today, another gorgeous afternoon with the sun preparing to set, a cool draft heading up from the valley and the dogs asleep beside me, enjoying a slumbersome Friday, just as I’ve done, things on Farm Finn are good.

 

I’ll explain the details in later posts, but we’ve managed to begin the build of the house, though we are currently blocked by administrative demands in Xaouen and Bab Taza.

 

We’ve had volunteers, which has been illuminating and will definitely inform the way I use volunteers in the future.

 

The yurt has gone up (thanks volunteers!), Olive has had puppies, Flynn’s been poisoned, donkeys are still missing, figs are been and gone, but there’s plenty more fruit in the trees and Finn’s been up here and as ever, loved being so.

Olive has had puppies

If there was one fly in the ointment, it’s that we’ve had to stop building. I employed a firm of

architects, on advice, but had reservations from the start and it seems I was right. As such claims of building permission being applied for, proved less than accurate and just as we should be putting an end to the external build, we’ve been forced to stop….which is very frustrating indeed.

A summons  from The Caid of Bab Taza.

There was a point there when I even felt dispondant….but in a flash of inspiration that passed and I realized that there was plenty to do on the land, which needs no roxa. As such, the period before Eid will see us finishing off work on the camping bathrooms, adding another terrace to the land where the yurt is, which gives a wonderful view of Xaouen and extends the area of the yurts’ glamp site, and we’re going to build the walls that come down from the house patio.

 

I hadn’t thought of doing this piece of building until far later in the project, my focus being on the build of the main house. However when I was told we

wouldn’t be able to work for at least 10 – 20 days it sprung to mind to start and finish this extensive terrace wall/s. This of itself will give a new perspective to the house and, once it is finished, really show it off….it would

also need to be completed before anyone other than me could stay in it, so it’s still a priority.

The completion of terraces on the glamp site is also great news. These will again ensure that the site is much nearer completion and possibly that glamping will be open early next year, even if the main house isn’t. This also means a couple of things.

Firstly, even as a glamp site we should begin to be able to get working and thus soft trial the whole project, including cooking, bathing, farming and perma culturing. It will also mean we can start up a few tours/events, either to places  know (Fuddles’, the barrage etc) or for picnics, bread etc making and other agro tourism opportunities.

Places we know and love…Chez Fuddle for example.

When working with volunteers, I think I finally decided that at a price of 100 dhs for a dedicated worker who can put in a full shift for 8 hours, volunteers need to be excellent to make themselves pay.

Courses in dry stone walling could be an option for the future.However, once we have lodging, cooking and washing up and running, I could open up courses, such as dry stone walling, pathing, tree cutting etc, that people could pay to come on and which would mean the work getting done, but by committed people under instruction, whilst at the same time getting lots of work done on the land…and getting paid for it too.

Thus, if we don’t manage to complete the house again this year, at least we

can be open and make money whilst finishing that stage off.

Not that I’m writing off getting walls and roof on before winter, definitely not. If  get a roxa before Eid, we should have more than a chance of getting a roof on the house. I’ve a few doors and windows to put in place and thus may be well on the way, at the very least, to getting a section of the house to be habitable for winter, whilst having materials etc ready to be able to work inside over winter…..

We have some materials to finish the house off..slightly premature perhaps.

Yes, very exciting. Anyway, sunset is upon me and I’m off to Waafi’s for dinner….though I have to say that whilst I am always so very warmly welcomed by Waafi and his brothers, I do at times simply feel embarrassed by the warmth and openness they show me…I’m not too sure what to do about this.

Waafi has all he wants and whilst I buy meat, coffee and now chocolate as offerings to the table, he forever

tells me to bring nothing more than my company and thanks.

Dinner at Waafi’s. Excellent, warm and so very inviting every time…thanks Waafi,

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