September at Onny Vale
Progress!
Sometimes 9 months passes and nothing really seems to happen… That doesn’t mean a lot isn’t happening below the surface, but it can be hard to see or quantify. Then there are some months, like this one, where a lot of stuff actually happens, all at once.
This has by far been the busiest month on the farm so far, and the most progress has happened as a result.
We have:
Made massive progress with the interior renovation of the Lodge.
Connected the Site to mains water!
Had the first on-site fishing and handled the first carp!
Had more overnight stays and are starting to learn about the true value of the site.
The Lodge Renovation
Over the past 6 weeks, the Lodge has been a frenzy of activity! As a result it has been transformed from functionless, half-abandoned building to an semi-completed farm kitchen.
The walls and ceiling have been repaired. Doors and frames have been replaced. The 90’s flooring has been replaced with something that's got a bit more life in it. A new kitchen has been fitted with a head-spinning 3 sinks!!
There is a whole new bathroom space, with newly tiled walls, floor and new fittings. This is all accommodated by a new pipework system that is ready to take anything the modern world can throw at it.
The store room is a completed room and actually has stuff being stored in it!
Along with the old pipes, the building has had it’s electric and wiring system removed. Now there is lovely new wiring that connects a simplified fuse-board to a fresh, low-energy lighting system and a questionable amount of plug sockets. …Now we just need to connect the building to an actual electric supply and (hopefully) it should all work!
The Lodge is becoming a thing of functional beauty. …Only an act of God could stop us now!
Mains Water Connection
We figured that actual flowing water would be a good accompaniment to the new plumbing system. Long gone are the days of filling the toilet cistern with river water for flushing… We officially have running water on-site!
The trenches that have sat open for 2-3 months have finally fulfilled their purpose and now carry fresh, drinkable water, along a newly-laid pipe that connects up to the Lodge and the taps in the Campsite.
There are still a few drainage issues to sort out before we can actually start using the Lodge for fresh water, but it has all been tested, it works and we are 90% of the way there.
Getting fresh water to this site has been a big part of my life for the past year and I am very happy about this month’s progress. This job won’t truly be complete until the trenches are backfilled and ‘the moat’ is removed, but the water is truly a boon that will allow us to spend a lot more time on the Site.
The first on-site fishing!
On one afternoon this month, Jemma and I were enjoying a rainy lunch when a stranger approached down the driveway. The young man enquired about fishing, before revealing himself to be our ‘neighbour’ in the Onny Valley. He also turned out to be a highly-skilled and enthusiastic fisherman. On a wet afternoon this month, I somehow found myself holding a slimy, cold, (estimated) 12-pound common carp!!
This was just one of many fish that have been caught over the past few weeks and we have all been having a great time learning about the fish and starting to explore what the pool has to offer.
Overnight Stays
We are still trying to spend as many nights as we can on the farm. The Lodge has continued to be very accommodating and the recent progress actually made it surprisingly comfortable.
This month we made art in the Lodge and had fun continuing to explore with Lottie in the surrounding area.
Reflections on this month
Planning vs. Reality
All of this month’s observable change is really the surface level change that happens as a result of months of work, planning, organisation, lack of sleep and a healthy dose of fear. What’s changing above the surface is just 10% of it and, for this change to happen, the other 90% below has to be transforming too. People don’t see all that work below or know what’s in your head, they just see the surface change.
Sometimes, you will work hard for a long time with little payoff. Then, like some sort of wave crashing through space and time, all of it will seem to come in to reality at once. You aren’t in control of this wave but you can be ready to ride it.
Time in Nature
The comfort of the updated Lodge has allowed us to start sending periods of multiple nights on-site. The true value of this time is really now starting to become clear -
It feels good to be away from a screen and outdoors, in a natural environment. It is fun to have to rely on candles and fire because you have no power. It is relieving to not care about your phone running out of battery. It is easy to go to sleep when it gets dark and wake up at dawn. It is mind-blowing to see what the night sky actually looks like. Walking up a hill for sunrise is good because it sucks. It is effortless to have your whole day be about eating food, exploring, creating and moving in nature. All of these things feel very natural.
Despite the discomforts, inconveniences and even difficulties, spending time here is already a rich, fulfilling experience that is allowing us to understand and connect with being a human in new ways. We are starting to learn that many of the modern ‘conveniences’, in fact, are the things disconnecting us from the nature that feels so good in the first place.
Next Month
In October, I am hopeful that we will complete this phase of work on the Lodge and move on to decorating. It would also be great to move forward in a significant way regarding the mains electricity connection, as well as get started on some of the digging and landscaping jobs as we move in to Winter.
…I sure hope there isn’t a life-ruining flood or anything like that.
Thanks for your time and support.
