A little medieval farm

You can't see it from the road, but if you follow the grassy laneway through the woods, you'll come across a little medieval farm tucked away in the trees. There's a horse, two dexter cows, a few pigs, and lots of chickens and roosters, as well as a small row garden, a larger permaculture garden, and a little house.

This is entirely Bryce and Misty's creation. They live there with their 1-year-old daughter Sage, and call it Ultima Thule. According to Wikipedia:

The term ultima Thule in medieval geographies denotes any distant place located beyond the "borders of the known world."

 According to me, it translates to Land of What If or Realm of Possibilities.
 
Bryce and Misty bought the land almost 7 years ago and began creating a farm and a home - from scratch. Initially, the house was 200 square feet - a 100-square-foot kitchen and stairs going up to the 100-square-foot bedroom. And because most of the materials were from salvage, the house cost them $600 - including the wood stove in the kitchen which was $150. A couple of solar panels power the pump for water, a few low-wattage lights, and their cell phones. This is no flight of fancy. It's a lifetime commitment to this way of life.

The house from the south side

Michelle, a dear friend and former city dweller, introduced us. I remember the first time Mike and I went there. It was during their Renaissance Faire in the spring. I spent an hour or so wandering around overwhelmed, open-mouthed, speechless - and delighted!

Although it's not clear in the photo, all the wood in the kitchen looks old and rustic. Bryce explained they boiled walnut shells and used the dye to stain the wood. The rafters are hung with drying herbs and more cast iron pots and pans than I've ever seen - and I have quite a collection! And the wood stove not only heats the house but is used for cooking.

The Kitchen

The living room was added on later. It has a dirt floor and a Rumford-esque fire place made of cob. The mosaic around the flue is lovely, as is the wonderful mermaid-fairy statue that Misty sculpted. This is the room where Misty delivered Sage a year or so ago.

The living room

The shower is ingenious!The shower head is attached to a coiled black hose on the roof which is gravity-fed by a rain barrel, also on the roof, and old bottles moulded into the cob let in light.

The shower

And this is a gathering area. The white drum is as a fire pit, and even though it was a chilly day, there's a warmth and welcome about it.

Sitting area

Below are a couple of photos from the Renaissance Faire:

Bryce and Misty

Michelle and Zoe in front of the firepit

 There will be much more to write about this in future posts. I'm looking forward to visiting Ultima Thule in the summer and getting some photos of the chaotic lushness of it all!