The Donated House

I found the most awesome structural engineer to help me plan and build the foundations. Ian Leaper, he’s called, and I’d recommend him to anyone who needs an enthusiastic and interesting alternative-minded engineer, only he’s moving to France, so it’s too late. But I got in just before the bell and he’s been round tonight with his friend who drives a digger and they looked down the test pit (bad news, built up ground, got to dig way down) and sat and had earl grey tea and mused about the possibilities (good news, there are lots and he knows a lot about it all) and also talked about his project in France, specifically the ram pump he and a friend managed to build out of bits and bobs they found lying around.

It sounds amazing, and I’m only sorry I don’t have a stream running somewhere at the bottom of my land because I would totally build one. Google it, it’s amazing. Pumps 10% of the total flow of water through it uphill between 10 and 30 times the height of the header tank. For free! Only the power of the water and a sudden closing valve to cause a pressure burst. So cool. I love low-tech.

Anyway, because I feel I owe you a picture, here are the scribblings Ian did while describing various options for my foundations.

We had a weekend of work, but unfortunately I forgot to take any pictures.

Here is one Jen took of Bob, showing us all how it’s done, both in the realm of digging and of fasion.

And here’s a picture of the plants I planted from seed last year that all survived the winter (because it was very mild, not because I had any skill as a gardener.)

Some sweet william, lots of aquilegia, some pink foxgloves, and I think two of the three laburnum seedlings came through…

Unfortunately, this means I need to go out and do some gardening.

Well, nearly finished anyway. Needs a bit more stapling down on the roof. And for things to go into it. I’ll get to that tomorrow, unless it rains all day, which it is forecast to do. God bless Todmorden in the springtime.

But it will surely stop soon, because the daffodils are well and truly up and the blossoms are starting to show on the trees, and it’s April. So it can’t be long now. I’ll just go stoke the fire a bit, I’m chilly…

It’s been a lovely day and I made an effort to get back from Barnsley in time to get some stuff done in the great outdoors.

Here’s me and my shed. Making some progress. I was hoping to have the felt on it, but I haven’t got the right nails to secure the ply down and I seem to always realise that on a sunday afternoon.

Anna put some manure on the rhubarb, which I’d really like to become healthy and virile, but so far it’s been tenuous.

The garden is a mess because we started removing topsoil and then it all went various kinds of wrong so it’s stalled, but…

Anna and I tidied up the workspace and I could actually use it to work in, instead of just storing junk all over the place. It’s great, I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.