I completed a degree in Integrative Counselling in 2018. Volunteers come and go to Silent Haven of which I am truly grateful. Matt did some forestry work over the winter months, thinning out the larch, a few of which were falling on their own and the ash. There is now enough firewood for next year. Until it is cut to size and safely tucked away in the woodstore, I am unable to rest easy. With firewood the place is alive and functioning. Likewise with water. The woodstore needs extending and finishing, a job planned for this summer until this years world changes came. I am making a small woodstore for the campfire, a job I can do alone. The roof is also on hold, but must be done before the end of the summer. I am happily working on finishing touches to the cabin also. If this was the only job I had to do I would be very happy.
We clay lined the pond several years ago.
The finished result which lasted a few years. Now the pond empties as soon as the sun comes
We only managed one layer of clay before the rain came and stopped work by filling up the pond!
It really needed the clay to be at least 15″ thick. A huge task. I don’t want to change the landscape of the land by digging up such a huge hole to collect clay for the pond and there is not enough in the pond itself, so I have decided to get a liner. I looked it up the other day, over £400! So, as I haven’t much paid work at the moment, my friend Andy, is going to get me some large sheets of black plastic for free. In the meantime, my next job (other than working on the cabin) is to smooth out the pond so there are no sharp stones sticking out which would rip the plastic.
Over the years I have collected a massive amount of information about permaculture, planting, forestry, ponds, hedgerows mental, spiritual and physical health etc. I have attended many courses and retreats in these and related subjects, avidly writing notes along the way. I spent this winter tucked away in my studio, beginning to piece all this information for the purpose of making courses at the land. It is a mammoth task because I am a typical creative, shove the paperwork under the carpet! I am, however, determined that this information will be put to good use. I have so far, prepared 1 day and 5 day Creative Arts Therapy classes and am working on ideas such as Spiritual laws of Manifesting, Permaculture, Spirituality and Mindfulness, all with through the angle of nature and it’s abundance.
Silent Haven 