How time passes by so quickly. We realise this again and again when we look back at the last time we reported.
Well, a lot has changed and slowed down since Corona. During the Corona time we had many requests from people who wanted to come to us, but since no one was allowed to travel far, no one could reach us :-).
By the end of June you were finally allowed to “travel” again. We were happy like “snow kings” :-), because our social life was already very limited.
We got help from a very nice couple from Peru and their friend from Madrid. With them we were able to finish some projects we had started, because with five people it went much faster than with two :-).
We dug out the bamboo that had drilled holes in our pool last year, which was our water reservoir. That was real back-breaking work.
We were also able to make a small piece of art in which a light barrier is to be installed, which will then announce visitors coming via a bell in the house.
However, the biggest and most beautiful project was the construction of our new greenhouse. It had to be inexpensive and yet very effective. And we did it :-). The building materials were wooden pallets, construction steel mats and plastic foil, the whole thing for about 120 Euros. Now we needed creativity and we had it. In August we were able to inaugurate our “Invernadero” and it works wonderfully. Now some plants find their winter quarters in it and in spring it serves to pull up the vegetable plants.
In between we were also treated to Peruvian food :-), which tasted very delicious.
Since our well has gone dry, we are still looking for a solution to the water problem. On the internet we found an interesting video from Colombia, who made an experiment called “Sembrar Agua” (in English: sowing water).
They dig 3 holes and then put small stones, sea salt and cane sugar in the holes and cover it with soil. By bringing these elements together, an area of increased moisture is created in the soil, which should attract additional water in the long term. In Colombia, a small spring emerged after about 1 year.
We found this very exciting and so we did this experiment and hope that it will work for us too :-).
It is worth a try, what have we got to lose???
Now we need patience, trust and good thoughts.
In the summer our house got a new coat of paint and was very happy about it.
As we got a lot of building material as a gift from a friend, we had the idea to surround our garden beds with it, as the soil kept slipping apart and so the water could not be held as well. This work paid off, as we could see the difference right away in our salad bed. The soil was more moist for a longer time. We were very happy about that, as it saves us time and water :-).
In October we got a lot of help again. At some points there were even six of us and we were very international (from Germany, England, Italy, Guatemala). It was a lot of fun together. The work was really hard, but together we managed it with a lot of fun, sweat and mutual motivation.
We had 35 tree holes dug by the excavator and they now had to be filled with soil and compost so that we could plant the new trees in spring. We moved 30 tonnes of material, all with shovels and wheelbarrows.
In addition, new beds were created between the trees.
Thank you all, without you this “earth shifting” would not have been possible.
And at this point we would like to thank our donors and tree sponsors once again, because without you we would not be able to do and invest all this.
This autumn there was no rain, so that we had to have 5 trucks with 10,000 litres of water delivered to us from September to November.
Another project we are starting now is the conversion of a small room in the old stable where the horse used to stand. And soon the gardening season will start again.
We are very happy to live and work here, especially in these chaotic times. Because being away from it all, we can continue to develop our “paradise”. We are also very happy that many young people want to come to us to learn about the “simple life” and work associated with self-sufficiency. This way we can pass on our knowledge and exemplify our philosophy.
During this special time, we wish you to stay healthy, take care of yourselves and stay confident that everything will be alright in the end.
All the best
Brigitte and Christoph