certain members of our household spend a lot of time on
den blå avis - an online site here in denmark that's actually now owned by eBay, but functions more like craig's list. it's a cornucopia of used goodness and items (and even rabbits and horses and kitties and puppies (but no chickens)) looking for a new home. i am at times dismayed at what husband comes home with and initially, i was a
little shocked by the purchase below.
huband bought this big messy-looking pile of wood. it's basically offcuts that a guy who has a little lumberyard had left over. it's the bits that weren't quite perfect enough to be sold as grade A wood to contractors and such. and it looks a bit like maybe he actually paid a guy something for his trash and then will actually need a container (or two) to haul it away. initially i was thinking that it wasn't the best deal he'd ever made.
these big pillars, i was less dismayed about, as they look pretty good and will make a great foundation for a variety of structures around here. he also got 9 pieces of that roofing that's on top of them to protect them from the rain at the moment - and those will make a great roof for a chicken coop, a pig shelter and possibly also my
refuge in the garden.
the other day, we visited the wood (hence the photos) and if you look closely, there's a lot of good stuff there. this wood, that would otherwise have been wasted because it wasn't perfect enough for the building industry folks, will now be used by us to build a variety of structures in our garden in the rustic style of the building below. we'll be able to have chickens, a couple of pigs, a place to spend time at the bottom of the garden on a summer day. there's probably even enough for a treehouse for sabin and another rabbit hutch for our bunnies. it's upcycling at its best! purchased via a site that promotes an economy of exchange of goods between local individuals. the more i think about it, the more i like it!
this building was on the site where we bought the wood. we'll use a similar construction technique on our garden buildings. i can highly recommend perusing your local version of the
den blå avis - you just might find treasure and you'll be supporting your local community and recycling efforts all at the same time.
collaborative consumption in action.
and as soon as it warms up and the building begins, i'll be sharing our progress.
