Beetle balls and flying seeds

With summer subsiding and fall tempuratures finally here, we are back in the swing of things. Our internship is underway and so there is lots of activity going on.

After leaving the garden unbothered and growing during the peak of summer, it turned itself into giant jungle madness! Taller-than-human-sized flowers, peppers popping and poking out of the beds, long-necked super squash hanging in the trees, and lots of other fantastic surprises!

  But now we are back to the garden, taming her in just a bit, and planting our fall and winter crops.

Lettuce seeds sprouting:

Sheet mulch garden additions.

 

And we're back to the mud-stomping: We are currently working on two earthen building projects simultaneously: The first is resurrrecting the castle bathroom and remodeling it into a fabulous luxury dry composting bathhouse.

  Working with tight wall curves, a free standing structure, and integrating earthen walls, new and old.

A

Earthbag bench making.

 Stomping the bags into place with our heavy pounder.

Laying adobe bricks for the front wall, prepping for a window with a good jungle view from the "throne."

And trying not to have too much fun.

Prepping the bottles for adding into our earthen walls, a friend came along to check our progress.

Speaking of creatures, our duck family (totalling 7 now!) and chicken commune (countless and growing) are all thriving and happy.

The other building project is an adobe and cob extention to the community bathrooms, complete with sink and vanity/shelf area.

Building with delicious mud takes some self-control...

...and clean up too.

Putting up adobes over the sink area, prepping a flat surface for our soon-to-be-created mirror mosaic.

Other happenings: Tincture making with wild medicinal plants:

Apertif and liqueur making (for medicincal use of course.)

How to use a rainy day: make pear jam and peanut butter!

And if you lose a late-night game, you might just have to bathe Rambo! (He loves it, as you can see.)

In the extra time (as if there's much of that), we are also working on putting in the wood floor of the House on the Hill's bedrooms. Mud walls and local hardwood floors-- gorgeous combination.

Bonus Photo:

Beetle Balls! Check out all the special ingredients.