Casalinho

Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Ram Pump Workshop

    A Ram Pump is a hydraulic pump which allows you to raise water from one point to another without using an outside power source. We’re astonished that they aren’t more widely known as you can make one at home. All you need is a water drop and cheap parts you’ll find in the plumbing aisle of more »

  • Easter at Casalinho

    I’m pleased to report that the Easter Bunny appears to be well and living in central Portugal.   We heard rumour that he had a mysterious horned assistant this year.                     I followed their trail around the garden, a good opportunity to take the camera. Easter more »

  • Our Easter Lilly

    I find it hard enough to post here once a week, and here I am doing it twice in a single day! Only cute baby goat pictures could elicit such enthusiasm! Easter is traditionally a time where we think about new life, and that’s certainly been the case here at Casalinho today. Horny had to more »

  • Happy Easter, Misty’s Kid

    If you’ve been following the goings on in our goat shed you’ll know that Beyonce’s daughter, Misty is called Mistletoe because she was born at Christmastime. Misty has now continued the tradition by successfully delivering her own first baby at Easter. Welcome to the world, little one. Horny has now reached the stage of pregnancy more »

  • Kylie’s Kids

    In the manner of goats everywhere, Kylie has again surprised us. Horny and Misty have been wandering around like overstuffed sofas for weeks and weeks, but Kylie just started looking a little more solid than normal about ten days ago. I’d realised she was pregnant, obviously, but not appreciated quite how far along she was. more »

  • Book up for a Summer Permaculture Design Course PDC

    So our summer schedule of courses is now live, and we’re taking bookings. This year we’re offering a choice of three Permaculture Design Courses, all certified by the UK Permaculture Association and taught by Josh Gomez. They’re differing lengths, so there should be one to suit everyone. This year, for the first time and at more »

  • Hello Billy

        This handsome young chap is our new Billy goat. He’s been with us for about three weeks, and he’s just now starting to settle in and hold his own with the ladies.  He’s terribly nervous of me, but when he first arrived I housed him with our least threatening goat, Branquinha, who he’s become more »

  • Compost Illustrated

      This photo was taken inside our animal shed, looking down through their outside run towards the veg garden. I picked it out to write about individually as I thought it illustrated our composting system in operation so eloquently. As I’ve written about elsewhere, our composting system starts off in this outside run. All our household more »

  • Ferrocement Tank

    Jeroen spent last weekend at Quinta do Luzio in Sintra, working on a ferrocement tank. We’re hoping to make our own here at Casalinho during the Extended Permaculture Design Course we’ll be running 19th June – 20th July. Check out our courses page for full details.    

  • A Visitor’s Perspective – Sam Hangs with Beyonce

    This is part of a series of posts where we ask one of our volunteers or visitors to say a few words about their stay. Sam worked with us this summer, and these are his reflections.  I’d never had to chase a goat before. Especially not one hell-bent on using his new found freedom to more »

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