Cosy, Dark and Sparkly

First let me begin with an update on Seal 105, now known as Cuckoo, who I helped rescue on Saturday morning in St Ives. Once assessed at the local hospital it was discovered she had a nasty infection in her mouth, she is on pain medication and antibiotics. An infection of this type could prove deadly. Thankfully, she is doing well, and has every chance of survival once she is released back into the wild.

I keep dreaming her of eyes. I think I will forever dream of her eyes.

Seal aside, last week was mostly filled with work on the van. In rain and sunshine, I worked on my build. I took the next steps with the floor and continued to turn my van into a large woolly jumper.

The floor is almost done. I am waiting for the arrival of some hooked Stanely knife blade for the final trim before sticking it down. When I first began researching ideas for the van, I came across Altro Flooring who make hardwearing vinyl for schools and hospitals. It comes in different varieties, different colours, and is slightly textured to prevent slipping. It also happens to sell in smaller amounts on eBay. Much to my joy I found some for a reasonable price in a dark and sparkly black. That means that my floor will catch and reflect the light, will go with everything, and won’t show up the dirt of everyday living.

It’s amazing to have it so close to complete and looking so real.

The walls are also taking huge steps forward as I work on insulating each section. The conduits for the electric cables are in place and I am building up layers of gorgeous smelling sheep’s wool. Unlike some vans mine doesn’t have that many undercuts in the sides. That means my insulation has nothing holding it in place. I tried a few solutions that mostly didn’t work, and so I am ordering the wood that will be used to build the walls. My hope is that I can build up and insulate in steps from floor to ceiling.

Choosing the right type of insulation for the van is essential. I want this build to last. That means choosing the right insulation, something that keeps me warm but also works well with moisture in the air. There is no one best way, no one best material to use, but it wasn’t complicated to choose the best solution for me.

I want my van build to be as eco-friendly, sustainable, and healthy as possible. I want living in my van to be as eco-friendly, sustainable, and healthy as possible. I want my life to be as eco-friendly, sustainable, and healthy as possible. I want to walk as lightly as I can upon this beautiful planet.

With that in mind there was only one obvious choice.

Sheep’s Wool.

It does it all, and it’s easy to work with.

Every day I increase how much of the surface area of the van is insulated and every day I feel more and more excited imagining of cosy evenings spent within its sheep’s wool walls, candlelight sparkling off my floor.

I’m looking forward to seeing how much more I get done this week.