The walls are up! Or rather, the frame, which represents the walls and the roof, all in one branchy package. Now that the floor is laid and the drainage in place, I felt bold enough to have a go at erecting the frame, one rhododendron branch at a time. It went surprisingly well. Because I am using naturally shaped branches, albiet carefully chosen and cut to suit, I was not sure that they would all mesh together tightly enough to provide a secure structure, but they did, without problem. It's kind of magnificent, in my opinion. The next step is to gather up cabbage tree leaves en masse and tie them onto the hazel wands I've cut from my coppiced hazel copse, then bind those to the rhodo frame to create the thatch that will keep me dry, no matter what the weather. Once I get there, I'll be planning a launch that's bound to involve cider and pomp. For today, I'm resting on my laurels ('cause it's raining outside!)
