This has been our 'home' for the last week. It really has been quite an adventure and I am sure I will sleep well tonight back in my own little bed. I am glad to be back safely in Blogland too.
Euan was the only one that could fit through this pretty, little door without banging his head.
The painted Yurt beams were very pretty, as five of us shared the Yurt we were packed in fairly tight at night! Like Cornish Pilchards in a tin. We were very secluded at the bottom of a hill backing on to woodland. We were just two miles from the fantastic Cornish coastline. The setting was a community farm and we got quite used to the sights and sounds, pigs, sheep, ducks, chickens and roosters!
The website for the farm states:
"We have chosen a place in North Cornwall, where the wind blows in from the Atlantic and there is a feeling of being wild and free. Trelay is a thirty acre farm within one of the areas that make up the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We are two miles from the coast and our land includes bluebell woods, a wet meadow an orchard and a large hay meadow with sea views.
We have pledged to live lightly on the Earth. To care for each other and our visitors, to grow our own food where possible, to aim to collect our own energy and interact fully with the local community. The essential values of our group are freedom, acceptance and respect – respect for each other and for our land, our trees and plants, our animals and our buildings.
There are currently fifteen of us across a wide age range, with children and grandchildren. We live independently in our own private spaces but come together often to eat, socialise and work towards our community objectives. We make our day-to-day lives as satisfying, rewarding, and fulfilling as possible. We work hard but we also have fun."
We did not join in with the 'community' but we enjoyed the peace and tranquility of life in 'Our' Yurt. Evenings were spent around a Fire Pit, mastering the art of building a fire and keeping it going. It kept the boys busy running to and fro for fire wood and bashing and sawing it into fire sized pieces.
Henry admired his newly discovered skills, I don't think we have to worry about him becoming an arsonist as he used nearly a whole box of matches to start each fire!
Euan enjoyed the fruits of his labour as I lifted the Marshmallow toasting ban!
We all went to bed smelling like smoked bacon.
Seriously, this was our 'Compost' toilet and our 'Solar' shower cubicle! We really didn't get used to this and will not take our bathroom for granted for a long while to come. When we got home I heard Euan in the bathroom say "My own little toilet!" Thankfully we could use other shower and toilet facilities up on the farm. Not everyone can say that they have showered in a barn with a heavily pregnant sow. Not everyone would like too!
This was the view from our Yurt. The hill was quite a challenge when it came to moving in and out. My dad became an expert with this trusty old wheelbarrow. He got very fond of it and would have liked to have brought it home if he could.
How ingenious! Someone took the time to make it a wooden wheel when the original wore out!
The children helped with the chores and we sent Henry to collect water from the farm. This is what he returned with! He half filled a five litre container before it occurred to him this may not make a good cup of tea, or be very good to wash in. He asked for directions to the tap and got confused as the 'Wormery' had a tap on it! He bought us a quantity of nutrient rich worm fertiliser!!! We didn't send him again! I will worry about him when he eventually leaves home! He better not go too far away...
Lacey had a fantastic time as there was an abundance of large sticks, she is an excellent baton twirler.
We missed our chickens! We had daily adventures along the Cornish coast that I will share in posts over the next couple of days. On return to the farm from the beach on our last night, there had been quite an event in the barn. Maggie the Sow, who had been resting uncomfortably for a couple of days had been a clever girl. It amazed us (as we are 'Townies') she had delivered piglets.
There were six piglets when we arrived.
This little boy was only ten minutes old. Very cute. Esther, one of the residents on the farm was doing a fantastic job as a midwife. Maggie the pig is obviously very loved and taken care of. I am not sure if my boys were in awe or shock when we witnessed a seventh piglet born. I found it awesome. By Morning there were eight piglets all together. They are 'Gloucester Old Spots' and have the most gorgeous markings. I think they are Maggie's fourth litter. Half have already been sold for meat! I can see vegetarians in the near future in our house! As the penny is dropping concerning where sausages and bacon really comes from! We did turn down the invite to a 'Hog roast' at the beginning of the week and there is no way we would have accepted after witnessing this little miracle. Life on a farm for a week was an education in more ways than one. I think we managed to take the Glam out of glamping, but we did have a character building, full on Yurt experience. It is the sort of experience everyone should try at least once, unless you are content to live it vicariously via the blog of some weary soul! I am not sure where this final statement comes from but it seems like wise words to me, I wanted a character building experience and they do say:
"What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger!"
