tektoms

Clean woodchips required for ongoing projects. Notify load size prior to arriving as that will determine drop off point. Access into woodland through hard surfaced roads. Call or text for directions if unsure. Texting is often more successful - poor signal due to rural area.

Not sure if Doug's interested in my offer yet hehe. But if he is, and you then come down, then sure it'd be a pleasure to meet

Ah I knew I shouldn't have mentioned that one.. especially as I no longer smoke...or drink... ah well. That one's on me. Time travel? Hmm wouldn't want to.. back in the old days there were too many witch hunts.. and as for the future.. there'll probably be homeless hunts. Heard of the 92yr old WW2 veteran who got arrested in Florida a few days ago for feeding the homeless?? Some new law about not being allowed to share food with people. Now that is why I love our governments.

Dear Kevin, as I said in my original message, I've done wwoofing on and off. That means that in between, since being underage, till now (I'm 27), I've worked, even unpaid overtime, I've paid taxes, rented rooms and houses, paid bills, paid motorway tolls in France.. you name it. I've been a 'normal member of society'. This conversation could get very deep, but I don't want to burden Doug's original thread. Let's just say that I'm one of those people who think the world would be a better place if we could opt where our taxes went. I'm sure no more than 10% of all I've ever paid in tax, has gone to street lamps, roads, and the NHS which by the way, yes I did rely on whilst wwoofing (except NHS - I like treating myself with plants.. very hippie of me I know... I just don't want pharma companies cashing in on all the money when a tonsillities can be cured with a thyme infusion...) A safe bet would be however that most of it went to wars and feeding the army men, something I don't agree with. The day that changes, I might decide not to go off-grid. In essence you could say that my working tax paid life has paid for the privilege for me to use the very few services that I used and still use. As for society providing the platform for that chosen lifestyle, I think you're right, but I'd like to turn that statement into "it's BECAUSE of the state of society, that more and more people are looking to go off grid 'drop out' traveller lifestyles." But I'm grateful. I love learning. It's why I'm doing wwoofing. I don't consider myself a dreamer. I consider myself someone reasonable, who's noticing that unemployment is constantly on the rise, that the divide between rich and poor is getting bigger, that families are being separated due to the pressures from their caring governments, that people don't know how to grow food or build their own homes anymore which humans have done most of their existance, that by the age I reach 'retirement', retirement age might not even exist, nor pensions for that matter, that old crafts are being lost, and that one day, we might need those skills when **** hits the fan. | So what should one do? Pursue a career? Try not to get fired for the next 40 years of his/her life? Put half of it away in a savings account, hoping there's not another economic crisis when you'll discover the bankers once again stole all your money? Meh.. I'd rather learn how to build my own home, grow my own veg, heal myself at home, ride a bicycle on dirt tracks to leave the shiny potholed roads to ever increasing fuel dependent cars, and spend less time working, and more time being with loved ones. Work to live, not live to work. That romantic enough?

Dear Original Poster, I... AM... INTERESTED! I'll PM you in a bit, but first I have something to do. Hi everyone. I'm what is known (as you may have read on this thread), as a 'wwoofer'. I am currently 'wwoofing' in France, and have been doing so on and off for 3 years in the UK. That's right. I've been working for free, for no wage or salary. I've been a slave. If we had to look at it financially, considering the costs of meals and accommodation, I have been ripped off more than those living on minimum wage in the UK. Especially as most wwoofing hosts, provide you with food from their farmland, meaning they haven't reaaaally spent money on it other than time and irrigation and perhaps the seeds and tools required to work the land. BUT, have I actually been ripped off? Consider this. In the last 3 years of wwoofing, I have learnt to: beekeep, build cob (strawbale/mud) eco-homes, build a rocket stove (firewood heater), learn about organic gardening and food growing, canning food, how to make a greenwood stool and spoon, a shave horse, orchard maintenance/pruning, setting up phytoepuration systems (grey water treatment area), take care of chickens, kill and prepare chickens, joinery, carpentry, coppice work practice with chainsaw (I have CS30 n 31) and using traditional tools, how to make cider. And much much more I can't think of right now. Now, in terms of costs, how many courses do you think I would have had to attend to learn all of that, and in over how many years? Think travel costs, food for the day, the cost of the courses. I've only spent time. And on top of that it's allowed me to meet amazing people, drink free booze and smoke free pot on many occasions. I've had the pleasure of living in a yurt for 2 weeks in the woods, without having to pay 500GBP for the privilege.. I've also had no contracts, which means no CV, no job interview, no stress, no pressure. I can basically leave when I want (although it'd be rude admittedly to leave without giving some kind of notice.. morals oblige). So yeah, I'm a slave. But a very fortunate one. I recommend everyone tries it once. It's quite a humbling experience working in exchange for learning with no exchange of money. It's also quite amazing not using your wallet for weeks, and knowing that your bank statements aren't being cleared because of rent/mortgage or other. Oh, and because most wwoof hosts are farmers, you tend to eat amazing heart and soul warming food. Man's gotta eat. And I eat very well! Try it