Oak trees tower above me. Their branches sway in the wind and drop spiky leaves onto the forest floor. Deer make their way silently (and turkeys not so silently) through the trails in the meadow. This is a place for life of all kinds. Even humans use this spot and enjoy being part of the ecosystem.
Getting this "cabin" site has been a multi year project between myself and a couple other family members. No one lives here full time and I have been working on this site a month or two a year since 2021.
Having a small trailer at my disposal makes the whole process so much easier, though very often I have camped here too. In the past year or so we have also installed an outdoor kitchen that is protected from rain by a roof but has no walls and has made this place feel very homey.
The main obstacles of shelter and food are pretty much resolved. Lately I have been focusing on another key aspect - connecting the trailer to the bathroom and garden with a system of trails.
Just down the hill is a mountain of freshly chipped oak bark that is perfect for laying down paths and keeping grass from taking over.
I am super lucky that there are so many piles of wood chips around this land. Chipping fallen trees is my family members' prefered way of keeping fire at a minimum. And now oak wood chips are of the more abundant material on hand.
About the Cob Couch
Another abundant recourse here is clay. Red, orange, brown clays, even purple clays! The only cost is my time spent digging them up.
So, I am back to my outdoor furniture project.
Let's call it the cob couch. It feels like I work on this project every year! Last years paint job sort of washed away during last winter's snow & rain.
Time to try something new! First I sanded down the bench and replaced the eroded spots with a mix of clay & sand.
Next I need to create a entirely new plaster with a more permanent product. After a lot of research my mom has decided to buy a canister of lime putty.
More on that in the next edition of the Traveling Homestead!