Storm's a Comin

Now that it's warm almost all the time, the most wonderful thunderstorms have been blowing in.  They'll come in the early afternoon, shake and shudder, blow, dump rain, and then leave just the wonderful smell behind. 

YOURTE!

The world is tough, and can be quite cold.  Therefore, curl up inside your round house wrapped in wool felt.  We've finished all but the last touches on both the yurts, thank goodness.  Tourists are falling over themselves to come and stay inside.  Along with the general assembly I had the opportunity to assemble all the furniture.  The nice thing about the two little beds is the far side curves to fit the shape of the wall. 

Bones aligned, the skeleton came together.  The margin for error was frustratingly narrow, but with determination we pieced the ensemble.  Once we added the other layers, the weight prevented the bedeviling shifting.

We were threatened several times by storm clouds, but in general the weather was kind to us.

These walls of wool felt were nearly an inch thick, but surprisingly fragile.  In laying on the individual pieces we used great caution to grab no less than a double layer after learning our lesson by tearing off several fist sized pieces.

All the previous photos were of the orange yurt, but I find the red more attractive.  With a base fabric, the felt, a waterproof layer, and the final canvas, the entire structure settled reassuringly.  Now that these are done, we'll be moving on to the tipis.

La Remplissage

 

Sifting sand is hard work.  My latissimi dorsi can attest.

A tranquil pique-nique

I am more reluctant to adventure to new places than you might imagine.  For me, the comfort and satisfaction gained in living and working to improve a home is paramount.  Thanks largely to the existence of wwoof I've been able to have my cake and eat it too.  As my flight home nears, I've begun to fantasize about the life I will build for myself.  In some respects, the trip across Central Europe that I'm planning before I return home is an afterthought.




Nevertheless, I have managed to venture beyond the boundaries of Ferme St. Pierre.  Located just behind the farm is a large natural preserve around Verdon Gorge.  My hosts have assured me that they will talk some of their guests into taking me along when they go to visit.  In the meantime, I'm happily hiking to some of the tributaries, which included this incredible thistle.

The weather has warmed, and the days of afternoon thunderstorms are over.  All the plants are exploding in response.  Above is a photo of a chestnut flower.  The yellow candlesticks covering the tree in the photo below are from a different variety. 

And finally, this photo that my host took of me was just too cool to leave out.  Check out the dust cloud.  Check out my mustache!  The yurt will be arriving within the week, I'm quite excited to begin.

This Time It's Sérieux

Ferme St. Pierre has welcomed me with open arms.  I would find it difficult to describe a place more suited to my present goals and desires.  I'm speaking French all the time, except for the times when I'm speaking English with my Canadian little brother Robert.  I'm given enough latitude working to feel like I know what I'm doing. And finally, the food is consistently outstanding.   I'm in the real Provence now, the little garlic press is at the dinner table next to the pepper mill.




The most extensive job in progress is the preparation for two yurts arriving directly from Mongolia. My lovely hosts, Carina and Berté, make their living primarily through the clients that come for vacation or horsemanship.  The addition of the yurts will be sensational, if somewhat bizarre new accommodations.  There will be a few modern amenities within, such as a wall outlet.  In the above picture Berté, Kaci, and Robert are getting things done while I document.  
 


Here I am, ready for the pour.



Quite mercifully, the cement, mixer, and sand were uphill from the pad, so once mixed we took turns reining in the slow slosh of cement splashing in the wheelbarrow sliding down the slope.