So, we've been here a week and will send all the blogs when we get to Ullapool on Wednesday. Em has been trying to get her phone/internet service fixed but no repairman has shown up yet.
What I've experienced is that WWOOFing is more a way of life here than a short term situation, and there are a LOT of WWOOFers. Every single WWOOFer we've met has been doing this for over a year and plans to continue until "things change". Some people just live this way. Most of the people are younger - in their early twenties. They'll move from farm to farm with no definite dates, just moving whent the time is right- always finding a new place. Backpacking and hitching their way around Europe. They may get a job here or there to make a little money and they're back to WWOOFing.
That matches perfectly with the Zimmerman/Journeyman from Europe. That is their way of life - to move around and see the world, using their skills to do work for a little while and then move on to the next place. I wasn't sure how long they would stay here but they're building structures for the camp and are enjoying it - and we're feeding them well! They aren't getting paid for this work but they're OK with that. They ask for the compensation that they feel is appropriate for the work they are doing. If they work for a business they expect pay that is equal to that of other skilled workers so that the business can't exploit them. Sometimes they'll do work for little or nothing to help out someone in the community. It's a sliding fee scale and they get to call the shots.
Overall, the Zimmerman have fairly strict rules that they play and work by - and they are very serious about being Zimmernan. I guess you'd have to be to do this for 3 years and a day. They're wonderful guys.
For now, it's off to bed and up early to walk to Ullapool.
Julia
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Flat bread
Today we made flat bread, a huge heaping platter of it, right before lunch. It was gone when we came back up for dinner. I also made cookies yesterday and they were gone after a few hours. Zoya (the dog) is pregnant, and they are expecting puppies in about two weeks. She has also been escaping more often, but only goes as far as the farm next door. There is also a cat named Box of Frogs, but he is just called Box. Box is a lot like our cat Shakespere, most of the time lazy, sometimes very hyper, and sometimes very cuddly.
Sydney
Sydney
Unique bath
OK, I'm going to tell you about the bath. Why? Because I really need one. I'll be honest, I don't stink or anything but I haven't had a shower or a bath in over a week, living in the forest, and I'm just not used to that. My hat has become a permanent part of my attire as my hair desperately needs washing.
So, here's what they have. There is an old claw-foot tub that's just on the other side of the outdoor kitchen. The water comes in, like all the water, fresh off the hillside and freezing cold. You fill the tub with water then build a fire underneath it to heat the water. It's a nice setup. The longer you sit in the tub the warmer you get, but you can always run more cold water in. There's a large board that you sit on, in the water, to keep you from making full contact with the hot bottom of the tub. The downside of this setup is that it's all out in the open air and it gets cold here at night. (Bathtime is after dinner when the work is done.) There's just a little drape to give you a little privacy but I can imagine it's quite chilly.
I'll let you know how it works.
Julia
So, here's what they have. There is an old claw-foot tub that's just on the other side of the outdoor kitchen. The water comes in, like all the water, fresh off the hillside and freezing cold. You fill the tub with water then build a fire underneath it to heat the water. It's a nice setup. The longer you sit in the tub the warmer you get, but you can always run more cold water in. There's a large board that you sit on, in the water, to keep you from making full contact with the hot bottom of the tub. The downside of this setup is that it's all out in the open air and it gets cold here at night. (Bathtime is after dinner when the work is done.) There's just a little drape to give you a little privacy but I can imagine it's quite chilly.
I'll let you know how it works.
Julia
Pictures of camp!
Fiernin, the bigger horse
Shadow, the filly
And Smoky Bear, Shadow's baby. He's a six month old welsh pony, miniature horse mix and he's adorable!
Horses in the forest
View from the horse pasture
Shadow, the filly
And Smoky Bear, Shadow's baby. He's a six month old welsh pony, miniature horse mix and he's adorable!
Horses in the forest
View from the horse pasture
Odd jobs
Just a few odd jobs today. The Zimmerman were clearing a section of the forest to make part of the camp and to allow some sun to come into the main area. The sun was out all day but were are in shadow at camp due to the forest. There are spruce, ash and a few trees I don't recognize. There's also a lot of rhododendron in the forest that are so thick you can't walk through them. We use a lot of it for firewood but it takes a hot fire to get the bigger pieces to burn. We build a lot of fires: cooking, doing dishes, washing ourselves up, heat at night, tea in the day.
Here's a picture of the rhododendron that they cleared for our camper spot. It's really thick and about 15 feet tall!
Odd jobs - that seems to be what we'll do while we're here. Sydney got to spend some time with the horses and is honing her bareback skills. The horses know a few Gaelic commands and she's trying to learn them. I'll try to get a picture posted so you can who she's spending her time with :-)
Julia
Here's a picture of the rhododendron that they cleared for our camper spot. It's really thick and about 15 feet tall!
Odd jobs - that seems to be what we'll do while we're here. Sydney got to spend some time with the horses and is honing her bareback skills. The horses know a few Gaelic commands and she's trying to learn them. I'll try to get a picture posted so you can who she's spending her time with :-)
Julia
A Day in Ullapool
We had a beautiful day in Ullapool on Saturday. A 3 mile walk in - two through the highlands and one mile through the outskirts of town. We had a snack of hot chocolate and chocolate cake and took a walk around to see all the shops. A quick trip into the internet cafe to charge the devices and send the blogs and emails, then off to have fish and chips before heading home. We wanted to start back by 4:30 as we knew it gets dark early. It's a BEAUTIFUL walk and was even better as the sun was getting low in the sky. As we got back, I headed to the camper for a little reading and Sydney sat at the fire in the center of camp to be with the horses and draw a bit. It's almost completely dark now, with just a sliver of moon, and she just informed me that she and Stormy are taking the horses up to the hill to see the view.
Overall, a very good day!
Julia
Overall, a very good day!
Julia
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Score on Holden!
Hi Holden! I saw this Alpha Romeo and had to snap a picture and score on you. We've seen a lot of different little cars here but I'm not able to capture all of them. I did see a black Nissan 370Z roadster on the walk into town today and it looked like a nice little car!
Here's the Alpha Romeo...
Love,
Mom
Here's the Alpha Romeo...
Love,
Mom
Ullapool
In Ullapool today for our first day off. We walked the old road which starts out as gravel and then turns to a wide grass path over the hill and through Corey Farm. It's a beautiful, muddy, three mile walk. The sun was out for most of the day which is amazing since it hasn't been out much all week. We got here and there were people with binoculars on the sidewalk looking for a group of dolphins that had entered the area. We weren't able to see them but saw a couple of boats head out to take a look.
I'll post some pictures in the next blog.
Julia
I'll post some pictures in the next blog.
Julia
Porridge Pancakes
I love porridge pancakes. They are made with leftover porridge, eggs, flour, butter, some water, and some baking powder, cooked in a skillet over the fire. They are especially good with lots of butter and raspberry jam. We had them for breakfast the first day, and they were so good. We will have them again tomorrow morning as well.
The ponys here are very nice, there is Fiernin, who looks like a small draft horse and has a gold coat with a black mane and tail and a black dorsal stripe. Shadow, who is a dapple grey shetland pony. And Smoky Bear, who is a black shetland and miniature mix, who is smaller than our newfoundland dog Bailey was and almost as furry. Storm and I ride them a lot, Storm rides Shadow and I ride Fiernin. We ride without saddles or bridles, just bareback with a halter. We take them up a trail called the zig-zag which goes up through the forest and over a couple of streams. And up another trail to the lookout, which goes along the old road to Ullapool, to a spot close to the top of the hill that you can see the big bit of the river where it runs into the ocean.
Storm and I are also going to make sure that we have dessert every day. Because if we don't make something we usualy won't have dessert. Sometimes the adults will make something like chocolate cake, or welsh cookies, but they don't do it every day. For lunch today we had baked beans, toast, mussels (with pearls, I found seven), and fried dulce, which is a type of seaweed coated in egg and rolled in crushed oats, and is actually very good.
So far my pants (which used to be dark green) are the color of the mud here, And my jacket is starting to look that way. Also since my boots were very wet after running around the forest, mom put them on the wood burning stove to dry and we didn't realise how hot the stove was getting, sudenly we smelled something burning and found out my boots had started to melt. We got them off and they're not to bad, after we get some money we are going to see if Till (the Zimmerman cobbler) can fix them.
Also can you guys tell me when the first snow is? I saw the juncos before I left. Juncos usually come two weeks before the first snow so I am expecting it around the 28th. We will blog more next time we go to Ullapool or when Em's internet is back up.
Sydney
The ponys here are very nice, there is Fiernin, who looks like a small draft horse and has a gold coat with a black mane and tail and a black dorsal stripe. Shadow, who is a dapple grey shetland pony. And Smoky Bear, who is a black shetland and miniature mix, who is smaller than our newfoundland dog Bailey was and almost as furry. Storm and I ride them a lot, Storm rides Shadow and I ride Fiernin. We ride without saddles or bridles, just bareback with a halter. We take them up a trail called the zig-zag which goes up through the forest and over a couple of streams. And up another trail to the lookout, which goes along the old road to Ullapool, to a spot close to the top of the hill that you can see the big bit of the river where it runs into the ocean.
Storm and I are also going to make sure that we have dessert every day. Because if we don't make something we usualy won't have dessert. Sometimes the adults will make something like chocolate cake, or welsh cookies, but they don't do it every day. For lunch today we had baked beans, toast, mussels (with pearls, I found seven), and fried dulce, which is a type of seaweed coated in egg and rolled in crushed oats, and is actually very good.
So far my pants (which used to be dark green) are the color of the mud here, And my jacket is starting to look that way. Also since my boots were very wet after running around the forest, mom put them on the wood burning stove to dry and we didn't realise how hot the stove was getting, sudenly we smelled something burning and found out my boots had started to melt. We got them off and they're not to bad, after we get some money we are going to see if Till (the Zimmerman cobbler) can fix them.
Also can you guys tell me when the first snow is? I saw the juncos before I left. Juncos usually come two weeks before the first snow so I am expecting it around the 28th. We will blog more next time we go to Ullapool or when Em's internet is back up.
Sydney
Location:Lekmelm Forest
In camp
So, a little about the camp.
First, I'll say that there is wireless here - when the internet and phone line are working, and when the sun is out to charge the solar panels. That is the only source of electricity. Right now it's the rainy season in Scotland so the sun is out very little and we have no power. Don't expect any blogs from camp. We'll post when we make trips to Ullapool which is just a three mile walk through the hills.
My first two days, while all the people were here, I was assigned kitchen duty with Heather, a girl from Wales. Yes. Me. Kitchen duty. It's OK - you can laugh. I did too. We did OK. First we made tomato soup (fire roasting the tomates to peel them, herbs and onions from the garden, and one BIG pot). Made double batch of Welsh cakes and a ginger cake thing called a Parkin. Then we were asked to make pasta with cheese sauce for dinner... for 18 people! We got the REALLY BIG pot out for the pasta and made sauce by hand and by feel as we had no recipe. Luckily we guessed right and had enough sauce for the pasta and enough pasta for everyone. They loved it. I secretly hoped they wouldn't so I could get off kitchen duty :-). All this is done with an outdoor, open-air kitchen - cooking over the fire. No appliances. No fridge. There is a tiny gas stove that works a little but it doesn't heat up much so it's not very usable.
Did a little cooking today but got a few other tasks. The Zimmerman took down a few trees for a new building structure and I helped strip the bark. Working with my hands suited me much better and I got a little exercise doing it. Getting to know everyone a little more and thoroughly enjoying that!
Here's what I can say about Sydney's time in camp...
Yesterday. Breakfast. Sydney and Stormy headed out with the horses to go get apples about 10:00 AM. They arrive at 3:00 with no apples and no ponies. Head back out in the afternoon and come back covered in mud, but smiling. After dinner they play on rope swings until it's too dark to see them. More mud.
Today. Head out with the horses again to see if they can find those apples. Come back with the horses, but no apples. Lunch. Heads out with Stormy to fix the chicken fence as we have hens in the outdoor kitchen. They come back quickly to get hot chocolate and then go fishing. (Chickens continue to escape.) Head back out to grab the horses and gallop over the highlands before dinner. (Insert small amount of jealousy from me at this point.). Happy for her! Wanting to go with her! Arrives very happy, just in time for dinner.
So, it's just two days in. Sydney will take over the next blog.
Julia
First, I'll say that there is wireless here - when the internet and phone line are working, and when the sun is out to charge the solar panels. That is the only source of electricity. Right now it's the rainy season in Scotland so the sun is out very little and we have no power. Don't expect any blogs from camp. We'll post when we make trips to Ullapool which is just a three mile walk through the hills.
My first two days, while all the people were here, I was assigned kitchen duty with Heather, a girl from Wales. Yes. Me. Kitchen duty. It's OK - you can laugh. I did too. We did OK. First we made tomato soup (fire roasting the tomates to peel them, herbs and onions from the garden, and one BIG pot). Made double batch of Welsh cakes and a ginger cake thing called a Parkin. Then we were asked to make pasta with cheese sauce for dinner... for 18 people! We got the REALLY BIG pot out for the pasta and made sauce by hand and by feel as we had no recipe. Luckily we guessed right and had enough sauce for the pasta and enough pasta for everyone. They loved it. I secretly hoped they wouldn't so I could get off kitchen duty :-). All this is done with an outdoor, open-air kitchen - cooking over the fire. No appliances. No fridge. There is a tiny gas stove that works a little but it doesn't heat up much so it's not very usable.
Did a little cooking today but got a few other tasks. The Zimmerman took down a few trees for a new building structure and I helped strip the bark. Working with my hands suited me much better and I got a little exercise doing it. Getting to know everyone a little more and thoroughly enjoying that!
Here's what I can say about Sydney's time in camp...
Yesterday. Breakfast. Sydney and Stormy headed out with the horses to go get apples about 10:00 AM. They arrive at 3:00 with no apples and no ponies. Head back out in the afternoon and come back covered in mud, but smiling. After dinner they play on rope swings until it's too dark to see them. More mud.
Today. Head out with the horses again to see if they can find those apples. Come back with the horses, but no apples. Lunch. Heads out with Stormy to fix the chicken fence as we have hens in the outdoor kitchen. They come back quickly to get hot chocolate and then go fishing. (Chickens continue to escape.) Head back out to grab the horses and gallop over the highlands before dinner. (Insert small amount of jealousy from me at this point.). Happy for her! Wanting to go with her! Arrives very happy, just in time for dinner.
So, it's just two days in. Sydney will take over the next blog.
Julia
Here
Typing now so I can post this when internet gets turned back on.
It was interesting getting here. I didn't understand the bus schedule and the school vacation combination so the bus I'd picked wasn't running. Finally asked a hotel for internet access and found a cell number and texted her that we'd take the last bus. Didn't know if she got it.
She did get it once she'd gotten to Ullapool. I found out her internet was down as her phone line was out this week. It's supposed to be back today (Friday) so I'll try to post tonight.
Very interesting here. She has a full camp. Just after Em picked us up from the station she turned the corner and saw two guys in unique outfits. She immediately stopped and asked if they were looking for work. They were, so they hopped in with us. (This makes a full camp of about 13 WWOOFers and Em and her 11 year old son, Stormy.)
The guys she picked up were called "Zimmerman" or "Journeyman". They are part of an apprentice program out of Germany where you learn your trade from a tradesman then you go out into the world to practice your craft. The clothes are traditional and each piece of clothing has a signifigance, from the hat to the buttons on their shirts and vest. They start out on their journey with 5 pounds ($8) and are required to be on it for three years and a day. One of they guys, Till, is a cobbler and has been on his journey for 4.5 years. The other, Jon, is a carpenter/joiner and has been on for just over a year. They only carry a few tools on their belt and a sleeping bag and tarp to keep the rain off. Very interesting guys.
We also have a French couple (guy and girl) that seem to keep to themselves a lot, two young ladies, one from from Wales and one from the Lithuania and a group of youth and their counselors that are here for part of their program. The group leaves today so we'll be down to 6 woofers and the two Zimmerman.
And that doesn't even tell you about the place! I'll see if I can post this and will write more later. Let's just say that Sydney left the forst morning with Stormy and the three ponies (including a cute, little 6 month old Welsh pony/ miniature horse) to pick apples and they came back around 3:00 with no ponies (they dropped thm off in another pasture) and no apples. A day of adventure in the woods with neighbors.
Julia
It was interesting getting here. I didn't understand the bus schedule and the school vacation combination so the bus I'd picked wasn't running. Finally asked a hotel for internet access and found a cell number and texted her that we'd take the last bus. Didn't know if she got it.
She did get it once she'd gotten to Ullapool. I found out her internet was down as her phone line was out this week. It's supposed to be back today (Friday) so I'll try to post tonight.
Very interesting here. She has a full camp. Just after Em picked us up from the station she turned the corner and saw two guys in unique outfits. She immediately stopped and asked if they were looking for work. They were, so they hopped in with us. (This makes a full camp of about 13 WWOOFers and Em and her 11 year old son, Stormy.)
The guys she picked up were called "Zimmerman" or "Journeyman". They are part of an apprentice program out of Germany where you learn your trade from a tradesman then you go out into the world to practice your craft. The clothes are traditional and each piece of clothing has a signifigance, from the hat to the buttons on their shirts and vest. They start out on their journey with 5 pounds ($8) and are required to be on it for three years and a day. One of they guys, Till, is a cobbler and has been on his journey for 4.5 years. The other, Jon, is a carpenter/joiner and has been on for just over a year. They only carry a few tools on their belt and a sleeping bag and tarp to keep the rain off. Very interesting guys.
We also have a French couple (guy and girl) that seem to keep to themselves a lot, two young ladies, one from from Wales and one from the Lithuania and a group of youth and their counselors that are here for part of their program. The group leaves today so we'll be down to 6 woofers and the two Zimmerman.
And that doesn't even tell you about the place! I'll see if I can post this and will write more later. Let's just say that Sydney left the forst morning with Stormy and the three ponies (including a cute, little 6 month old Welsh pony/ miniature horse) to pick apples and they came back around 3:00 with no ponies (they dropped thm off in another pasture) and no apples. A day of adventure in the woods with neighbors.
Julia
Location:Leckmelm Forest
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