just thought i’d record where we’re at with the beautiful land at coolcaha as i haven’t explained to anyone for ages what we’re up to…

not as much as i’d like as the computer still takes up an inordinate proportion of my life. but slowly things are happening. the main news is that we withdrew our initial planning application a while ago. we’ve had a change of heart about the style of house and location - so i’m hoping to get a new application in by the end of march. i’ll put up drawings etc when we finally decide on a new design and location…

the really good news is that fiona (our neighbour) got her planning last friday so fingers crossed it’ll all go ok for us too…

this week we’ve got several people coming to help plant trees and do some coppicing of the hazel. i can’t wait to get off the computer and spend some time with friends doing something real! today i went up and installed a nice little wood burning stove (thanks richard) in the mobile home, so we’ll all have somewhere warm and cosy to stay. i’ll take lots of pictures of the planting week and post them here when i get back.

(there’s a sunset of this evening in the picture blog.)

quentin delivered a great little device to me last night. a power meter so you can tell how much power a device uses. i’ve been busily testing things in our house, working out where we can save a few watts. i already religiously turn off energy efficient light bulbs, and don’t leave things on stand-by…

….but then i read this article in the guardian about dubai. the scale of the construction going on there is mind-blowing. before i go down the pub to diffuse the futility of my actions i’ll share a few choice quotes with you:

“It is said that a fifth of the world’s cranes are now at work here. An army of some 250,000 men, largely from India and Pakistan, are labouring to create the new glimmer fantasy…”

“The World Bank reckons that the reconstruction of Iraq is going to cost $53bn. Here, along the strip of footballer-friendly sand that stretches 25 miles or so along the shores of the Persian Gulf, there is, at a rough estimate, about $100bn worth of projects either underway or planned for the near future.”

“There’s to be an underwater hotel ($500m). One indoor ski resort, with real snow and its own black run, exists already, a weird, looming presence on the city’s southern skyline. There is to be a second, with a revolving mountain. Plans are mooted for a Chess City, with 32 tower blocks of 64 floors…”

“300 artificial islands made of sand dredged from the sea floor and either dumped or pumped into forms that vaguely mimic the shape of the world’s continents. Every week between five and 10 million cubic metres of sand are delivered to the site. The islands will cost up to $30m each, and that is for the sand alone.”

view the real estate video here…

oops - must go - i think i might have left the 9 watt light on in the bathroom….

lovely edition of radio 4’s open country - in the woods in the ‘high weald’ s.e. england. interviews with trug makers and other fascinating people. culiminating with 5 mins. with the ever wonderful ben law:

listen to the show on the bbc web radio player