Flores Permaculture

 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...

My relationship with my house began in 1983, when I was a boy receiving an odd gift from his estranged father and seafarer. I spent my summer break with my father in my "new house and farm", and became familiar with the land, the village of Fazenda and the Island of Flowers.  The trip made quite and impression on me. Above the original stucco can be seen intact. As my father took a break from the familiar Atlantic Ocean and  began sailing the Pacific, he stopped visiting the house regularly and my little house fell into disrepair.  Above is my boyhood bedroom and my boys future bedroom as of 2007. I employed the help of friends to aid me in removal of the old stucco that was full of fungus and vegetation. The bare stones were exposed and allowed to dry. My father had painted on my bedroom wall a picture of his journey to the island.   I did my best to preserve it, but as the old stucco dried it fell from the stone...

This summer we are working steadily to build my boys a proper bedroom. They are now old enough to sleep alone and be responsible for their toys.  Also, I would like to have some privacy in my bedroom and be able to crank up the amp on my Electric Bass without concern for their little ears. This project began last year  and can be viewed here. Above the wall that divides their bedroom from the rest of the house is nearly completed. I was fortunate to have an amazing crew of hard working wwoofers to help transport the building materials necessary for construction to continue. The Zip-Line had some minor modifications and is functioning well to get the building supplies across the valley to my house.  Above, Maria catches some rest while waiting for the next delivery of sand to unload from the Zip-Line. I employed Ricardo from my village to help with the heavy lifting and stucco work, a skill that I have yet to master.  ...

Thank you Nouria and Philip for all your help and carpentry skills. The Wwoofer Cabana now has another wall to keep the elements out, but to allow the sunlight in. The view from inside, as the wall is finished and the door is mounted.  The final product.  We used all recycled materials for this job.  Only the nails and studs were store bought. The Wwoofer Cabana  is nearly a fully functioning house now, ready to host all of our wonderful volunteers.  Thank you all so muh, the farm would not be possible without you!

After expanding the farm for the last five years, I am finally satisfied that Zones 2 and 3 are producing well enough to feed us through the winter!  This summer I turning my gaze again to Zone 0. The first step was to install a new zip-line to get materials to Zone 0 from our Zone 4 drop-off point.  The limitations of our summer-only dirt road dictate that heavy construction be done in the dry summer months only.  I asked my good friend Augusto to build me a new and improved post with a return wheel to bring the empty wheel and hook back after sending down a batch of building materials.  He used a recycled trike wheel as the base of his design that includes a brake to control the speed of the descent down the mountain.  Odin and Mitra love to help operate the brake! The first job is to build my boys their own private bedroom.  The original stone house had two dividing walls inside to create two bedrooms and a kitchen.  Those wall...

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.