Flores Permaculture

We had to expand our drainage system to accommodate the heavy winter rainfall.  This resulted in quite a large gully in the middle of the primary pathway to our house. We used saplings and off-cuts of lumber to build a simple, yet strong bridge that spans the spillway comfortably . The new bridge makes it much easier to carry the 50kg sacks of cement that we need to continue building inside our house, as well as groceries.  

 I have been working steadily to build my two boys, Odin and Mitra, a bedroom all of their own. Their bedroom is the same beroom that I stayed in when I visited my father in this house 30 years ago !   As I was an only child, a single bed was sufficient for my father to build.  However, with two growing  boys on my hands, I needed to build bunkbeds to maximize the space and get them their own comfortable place within our family home.   I chose to use the locally grown and milled wood from our island. The Japanese Cedar is a very solid  material  and does well with the high humidity. And I personally think it’s very beautiful.  I installed safety lights above their bunks, so they will be able read in bed.  I also installed safety electric sockets, so they will be able to charge their phones in the future. I purchased plastic bins for them with lids, to keep their clothing dry and moth free.  Th...

I have finished installing the windows and shutters on the boys new bedroom.  Not an easy task, as the wall is not straight in any direction.  But after cutting out some concrete and the use of silicone sealant, the job is functional and attractive. Odin tests out his new shutters below. After the rain and wind were excluded from the room, the wooden floor got installed using Japanese Cedar wood. Odin and Mitra are so excited to finally have their own space that they insisted on sleeping downstairs in their new bedroom this last week at my house.   They brought all their favorite books from my upstairs bedroom, so I can read to them before bedtime. Next, I managed to get their bedroom door installed, it too is made of Japanese Cedar. Odin is seen leaving his bedroom and entering into the Family Room. Mitra loves having his privacy now, with only his brother to share the space with.  Next week, I hope to finish the ceiling...

The ladder to the sleeping loft is installed now , and the second wall is closed to the wind and rain. Now two walls are completely closed to the elements and the other two are being framed for windows and doors. Elit helps to install the sink in the new kitchen. The south facing wall has a window being installed to allow natural sunlight to enter the kitchen.  Eyal and Elit build a table and benches for the sitting space.

We have been steadily improving the living quarters for our volunteer guests from the  WWOOF Program .  Now we have completed the floor for the lower quarters that are destined to become a kitchen and sitting area. A big thank you to Jose from the Public Works department for donating the wood for this phase of our project.  We have Acacia wood joists with Elm planks on top. The wood is rough cut, but smooth enough to walk on bare foot with great comfort and ideal for napping on or meditating. We built another wall of Cryptomeria Japonica to stop the dominant wind direction. We are now preparing to build the back wall also. The sleeping quarters are upstairs and can fit 4 people. The roof is nearly complete, but still leaks in one spot during a very heavy rain. The long side window faces East so that the sunrise if visible from the Atlantic Ocean in the mornings.

We received the 'shingles' for the outer wall of the clubhouse, now we are waiting for them to dry before installing them.   They are off-cuts of Cryptomaria Japonica, or Japanese Cedar.  Rot resistant and fragrant, perfect for the wind and rain we get all winter here. We used Acacia wood for the joists to support the floor. They are long enough to allow for a porch extension that we had not planned for. The boards are locally milled from our islands forests. After the wood dries a bit more, we will finish installing the boards and close the lower level and install windows and doors.