HAREHOPE QUARRY STUFF

SLOWNESS

The last entry on this page was made in February 2006 and it's now almost December. In a world of change isn't nice to know that there are some things which take their time to come around.
There have been some major changes in the quarry, the various jobs of landscaping and installation have been carried out by contractors, but the classroom is still inching forward through the efforts of our hardcore volunteers.
We're down to the less exotic stuff now. The painting, the filling, the varnishing etc.
We're also onto the last major element, the water supply and the toilets.
It's that time of year when everything slows down including us. But having spent the last two and half years getting the classroom erected we're not stopping. Just taking our time, it's that kind of place. Slow, calming, real.

SLOWNESS PART TWO

Well it's now July 2007. We recently had a 'Medieval day' with various activities. We now have the partially completed skeleton of a roundhouse. This is constructed in Alder wood with a few other bits and pieces - ash, pine - mostly from timber we have collected for charcoaling. Eventually we'll finish it off.
In our own good time.

Charcoaling has been a minor success - we've had two burns so far. Apparently it's the bees knees - genuine sustainable Alder charcoal. Ray and Steve had a wonderful two days in the winter cutting Alder with bow saws, from an icy stream, in preparation for the March burn.
The day of the burn the same amount of wood was cut by chainsaw in two hours!
But they were two ordinary hours as opposed to two wonderful days.

SLOWNESS PART THREE

Mid-November. We've all enjoyed late holidays and are now gearing up for another year of goings-on.
We've had very heavy rain and we expect that the Salmon will be in the river now trying their fosbury flops on at the waterfalls. There are still one or two major jobs on the classroom - the water pump on the borehole and the solar water heating unit. But nevertheless the classroom and quarry have been much used and visitors always enjoy being here. Nothing spectacular to report - which you'd expect from a 'slowness' perspective.

SPEEDING UP

Phew! 2008 already it makes your head spin.

Well new things are happening in the quarry this year and we're even updating the website. So slowness is off the agenda for now.
It'll probably be back next winter.