Selfsufficientish.com

We have a good strong bit of rope to hold on to! Also the rope spiderweb round the bed is temporary, we have a local artist making a parapet out of bent natural wood.

We did a lot of research before we came here. The warmest parts of Bulgaria are two valleys in the South West that go down via Greece to the Aegean Sea. That lets warm air come up the valleys and keeps the winter temperatures up, we chose the lower Mesta valley which has a transitional mediterreania...

Been living in our strawbale round house now since December, never been so warm in all my life! This year's project is finishing the walls on the second building, cordwood, light clay woodchip and light clay straw. We had a volunteer last year who helped with the clay and lime plaster, if anyone is ...

Just an update after a very long absence. Moved last Spring from the UK to a remote mountain village in Bulgaria, where we have almost finished the first strawbale house to be built here. Very happy, now have 2 acres of our own land, in a brilliant climate with stunning views! Don't have much time o...

Just popping in to say a big bye for a few months, as we have now sold our house (subject to contract but fingers crossed) and should be heading off to a new life in Bulgaria by February. Will try and get back here to say how rural life is there, internet connections willing!


Lee

Bear in mind that you can not subsitute potassium hydroxide for soduim hydroxide I belive, for safety sake run it all through the soap calculator.

Lee

Add essential oils and other extras at trace before putting into the mould.
have fun!

Yes it is hazardous, and if it goes wrong, like you knock the bowl off the counter and drop the mix all over your bare feet, you are on the way to hospital. But if you take sensible precautions, like covering your skin as much as possible, treat any very tiny splashes with vinegar and lots of water,...

Yes.

Dont try making wood ashes. Please don't try this, you will not be able to judge the correct amount of caustic to use, and it is dangerous. Olive is traditional in areas where it is the most common fat, but makes a rather poor soap in many ways, hard to lather and takes ages to go hard. If you go to...

Ok this is going to be a bit long... Having failed to find any partners to help us manage the rather large house and smallholding here in West Yorkshire, Ian and I have had to come to the conclusion that we can't continue here anymore. It is not fair to us, to the house or the land. Far better for s...

You can wash a mucky chook's bum but turning it upside down so it lies in the crook of one arm, and running a stream of water from a watering can over the mess.

Who would be a smallholder?

Lee

all we ask our customers is where do you live and how do you want to pay. Sounds like datamining to me.

Lee

I have some 'teenager' chicks, that were hatched at Easter. They hang around on street corners of the hen run, until late at night, causing us to go out several times to try and shut them in safely. Damn nuisances!

lee

The urine is collected by the fertiliser industry from farmyard waste and refined into pure urea, which is then sold on to be used in the green engine technology. Ammonia from the urea reacts with nitrous oxides in the exhaust fumes and converts them to nitrogen gas and water, which is released as s...