FIRE – my return and the visitors

You might wonder about the title … why FIRE?! Well, I thought it was a nice idea to eventually sort all blog entries into earth, wind, water & fire categories. And then I thought about this particular post and how fire can be giving you warmth, nourishment and the feeling of safety and how it also relates to destruction, danger and anger and I found it quite fitting.

So here goes ….

After coming back from the UK, I’ve had a day to prepare for my first visitor. This wasn’t planned, I was supposed to arrive much earlier but again – another flight cancelled.

So my good friend Kate arrived and I spent some awesome days with her. We used the time together well, had lots of fun (well I did!) and it was perfect timing that she was here when I was going to check out a caravan nearby for sale: It was a four seasons caravan, super well insulated, with gas heater and vents distributing the heat and its own bedroom and the interior seriously looks like a posh yacht. Perfect. The couple selling the caravan were super lovely and trustworthy people and after giving Barrie back in the UK a live video tour, we negotiated the price and committed a day later. Obviously, taking it straightaway was impossible because this giant caravan was way too big for the overgrown drive to the house. 

There was overhanging branches and trees in the way and old cuttings and fellings from years ago narrowing down the drive even more and the more we cleared, the more it looked like it was going to be impossible. Thankfully, the vendors were happy to give me two weeks and also offered to tow it all the way here and help with getting it through the drive. Kate helped to clear a lot but then unfortunately had to leave again. 

After a week of almost constant rain and not being able to use the chainsaw as I was on my own, my brother Alfred and friend Jogi arrived. We spent some lovely and very interesting days in Bordeaux and then went on to clear the rest of the path for the arrival of the caravan. It was a nerve wrecking day for me but somehow we managed to get the caravan all the way down the drive and into almost perfect position without a scratch and/or dent. What a relief!!

So I am now living in a super warm and huge caravan and have no worries about winter arriving! I will be warm and comfortable and take showers without freezing my bits off. And I made new French friends – the caravan couple, Isabelle & Eric and their three Senegalese rescue dogs Garra, Jenna and Leo. It couldn’t have turned out any better.

Not even a week later, another visitor. This time from Australia. I met Gavin on Martin Crawford’s Forest Garden tour back in the UK and he just so happened to be nearby during his Europe tour and was happy to come over for a short while. I was of course very excited because Gavin is quite knowledgeable in all things garden related. It’s always great to have someone else’s opinion on ideas and plans and the existing land structure. I learned a lot from him and we explored the land in great detail – we went places I haven’t been to before and I’m pleasantly surprised how much more land there is than I actually thought! Plenty for me and still enough to leave untouched for wildlife.

I’m becoming quite a sociable person here. I’m doing a lot more things with other people than I did back in the UK and I am quite enjoying it. I wonder if it’s the vibes here – the French do like to socialise – or if it’s because I don’t have my best friend Barrie around every day or if I’m just insanely lucky to run into all these awesome people around me. 

One’s for sure: it’s very good practice for my future plans which includes having volunteers living on the land and helping me.

The last four weeks definitely made me think a lot. Mainly about how having other people on the land can either bring the best or the worst out of me. Having someone else around can be uplifting and motivating or upsetting and draining. And how I need to be careful with that in the future – because I need all my energy for the land and a clear head to turn my vision into reality. And I also don’t want to feel upset when I’m in this beautiful place, that would just be stupid.

So what I’ve learned is that if I ask some visitors nicely to live by my own way of life for the time they spend here with me, I might just get ignored and laughed at – or worse … end up in a big argument over everything and nothing. If I visit someone and they ask me kindly in advance to not do something, then I don’t do it while I’m there. I don’t have a problem with their reasons or the wording they use. I either live up to their standards or don’t go there. It’s as easy as that and I thought that was universal language. Apparently not. 

Suddenly I understand all these rule boards with millions of exclamation marks in guest houses and Airbnbs and the mistrust and bitterness of some hosts. I always thought they’re exaggerating a bit but if I feel worried after just a handful of people coming here, then I don’t want to know what they must have seen. 

Well, I don’t really want to end up like that. I want others to enjoy the land as much as I do but I also don’t want people here who can’t respect me or the nature of the land. I want to protect these 3ha from negative human influences as much as possible. That includes my own so it is just as important that I am feeling good and positive and that doesn’t happen when someone comes here on my land and upsets and disrespects me. 

I don’t know yet how to make sure only my ‘right’ kind of people come here. I’m more and more thinking that rules are somewhat also an assurance of attracting like minded people – as much as I’d hate establishing rules. Please correct me if I’m wrong or if you know another way! 

I want this to be a peaceful, free and wild place. With love and respect for all the humans, animals and other beings that live here (and ideally elsewhere).  A place where people can unwind, enjoy and work with nature and learn from each other.

Take it or leave it. Thank you for your understanding. 

And just to lighten the mood a bit, I’ll tell you about my Sunday. It started with planning to pick up Gill, neighbour and friend, and meeting Roy, another English neighbour at the recycling bins. While we were chatting, Gill came running out of the house screaming “Absolute disaster! The house is flooded with water!”.  Now Roy knows a lot about plumbing and what are the odds of a water pipe bursting while he is out there recycling, which I’m sure doesn’t happen every day. 

Another hour later, the water pipe is fixed and the house is dry. This pipe could have burst at any time but it chose this very moment. Roy and me being there for help and support. Isn’t that an awesome start of the day.

Gill and I then went to the “Fête des plantes, du jardin et de la nature” in St Junien. A yearly event and I was very surprised about how big it was, considering we live in such a rural area. Over 150 exhibitors selling plants and other garden related things. Needless to say, I knew I wasn’t leaving this place empty handed so I made sure to only bring a certain amount of cash with me and leave all my bank cards behind. I managed to come home with 90 cents left in my pockets. I’m quite the master when it comes to spending money! :-)

I bought seven plants and am very excited about my selection:

– a Szechuan pepper tree

– a gingko biloba tree

– a serviceberry tree (amelanchier canadensis)

– a pomegranate tree (grenadier Mollar de Elche)

– a Canne de Provence (Arundo donna variegata) – a very high grass

– a Miscanthus chinensis variegatus – another high grass

–  a succulent (crassula sarcocaulis) – which will grow up to 50cm height and looked a bit like a bonsai but is frost hardy.

And of course, I spent the rest of the money on seeds.  

We also tried to help a couple who managed to get their convertible BMW stuck on a slight slope. We might have been successfully pushing out the car if the driver would have stopped reversing his car more and more down the slope until he couldn’t get out of the car anymore. It all sounds funny now but I felt sad that we couldn’t help them. I will make sure to put a rope in the car for any future moments like this.