Pohots of Kazakhstan

I thought I would upload some photos from the trip to Kazakhstan that Jessica and I went on in the summer 2005.

The big pot is from a dig wer were on for a week in the desert like steppe of southern Kazakhstan. It was very hot. We ate a lot of watermellon.

The pot is from a hill fort, or Tobe, and is dated at about 700 AD.

The Appels are in Almaty bazzar!

Gigs

Snow has gone today.

I have just booked a ticket to see The Slackers in Bristol in April. I saw them once before... they were very good live Ska band from New york... am looking forward to seeing them again, theym groovy!

Also am thinking about going to see Courtney Pine in exeter on saturday... amd not sure there are tickets left though. Failing that we may see dj yoda.

I plan to pull the Coracle out of the ground on the weekend...hope it all holds togeter. I dont have any canvas to skin it yet but will buy some heavy calaco in Exeter.
Will post photos of the next stages.

SnowwonS

Woke up to a world of White today.

Jessie and I both had to get up for work (my first day back at the Bouncy Castle).

no work on the coracle today..want to get started on the next already.

I want to build solid gunwales and then build the ribs to them. That way I can shape a good shape for the boat.

The style of boat I am building has no keel so has a very shallow draft-the float high in the water.

I would like to fit a sail to the canoe I build but may need counter with a centerboard or ballast or outrigger perhaps.

I have put a photo up of Chagford in the snow. It is not the snow this time but one from last time,but it looks much the same!

Building a Coracle

Today Meldon was covered in snow.





The wind was very cold and it continued to snow all day, but did not settle.

I began to build a coracle...I chopped some hazle sticks and stuck them in the ground in a ring, then bent them over and tied them. I have found out now that I should have used thinner sticks so the coarcle could be a bit shallower. At least I know for next time. Wove willow round the gunwales.

The Chagford pantoime-Treasure Island- is on at the moment- my mum and dad went to see it last night.

Am working tomorrow so will leave covering the coracle till later.

I am planning to finish this one and then move on to a small,shallow, light framed coracle.

After this I think I may try and build a canoe shaped boat in the same fashon as the coracle.

I found these websites that offer some good information about Coracles and how to buld them:

http://www.motherearthnews.com/library/2003_April_May/Craft_and_Coracle

http://www.mmara.com/

Chagford website

I spent the day yesterday (in sunshine not snow) building a bender in the woods by the MTB jump trails. the jumps are looking good and Dan and Joe are good at riding them.

I am going to deveope the site and blog to create a website for Chagford... so that everyone in the village can post their views, art and information... a place where all Chagfordians can create in cyber space !!!