hello, Ive been away.

Hi everyone, you might have been wondering where I have been lately.  My motivation for putting energy into certain things varies.  For awhile I was posting on this blog everyday.  My life moves on.  Lately I've been posting things I like on pinterest.        Check the link.   lets keep track of what we like digital style.  I'll be back here likely.    love ya.

Or ya might find ol' mwbicyclefanatics to be fun.

nice job photo journal.

here is a link to a good thread involving diy rammed earth.   from byohome builders forum . www.byohouse.com

actually, if you follow that thread, its a bit incredible.

ever more

okay, I've got to start sharing some of this stuff.  I'm researching like a mad man and coming up with a lot of good stuff.

how to

right on.  the two above came from how to whatever for dummies.  here

Yer a hand rammer.   The above illustration came from a thorough technical manual.  here

and this one.

Amazing treehouse-like house

yeah, look at those apples.

more here >>>>>>>  go

surthrival

Hello everyone.  I have been away for a bit.  I would love to keep this on a regular basis eventually.  I've been uber busy.  My wife Brianna and the baby girl inside her are almost ready to do the dance and get her out into our lives on a new level.   Birth that is.  :)  
So Brianna is obsessing with getting everything just so.  She is amazing.  The birthing is actually going to be somewhat of a choreographed dance in a sense.  The midwife is going to be out of town for a couple days before the due date.  One of our best friends is driving from about 5 hrs. away to photograph the event.  Brianna's mom and dad are coming to help watch the girls.  There are a couple other variables that need to sync up, so Bri feels a bit like she's got to thread a needle or have the baby at just the right time which is less than ideal.  Everything will fall into place just fine.  I'm excited for the event to take place.  It is as of now, up in the air, so to speak.

In the mean time, ladies and gentleman, I have been continuing my obsession with home building, designing, site development, community living fundamentals and practicalities, perma-culture, agriculture,  ect.

 I am interested in mud and the hue of wine bottles as they apply to homebuilding applications.  :)

Here is a juicy morsel.


I really go back and forth between the stylization of the modern aesthetic and the master hobbit home.  Ultimately, at this stage of my life,  I'm going with the hobbit home.

Yes my friends,  I have a dream, to hand craft my house, using my bare hands.  That is the dream.  To build a master hobbit home will take approximately a year.  Why rush something a home that could last a thousand years?

 Could tasty tiddles found thegreenchildren.org 
go there.  If you like these picts.

alright i'm feeling better

ish.  I don't think its lymes, but who knows.  I guy I know just went to the hospital.  He got rocky mt fever or something like that.  caused by a tick bite.  good times.  meanwhile, I am obsessed with designing my home.  The responsibility is great.  Design and build a cozy home for my wife and two (very soon to be three) daughters.
I was playing around with sketch up for a couple days.  It's an okay program.  It does pretty much everything you would need, and it's free.
I decided then to download Revit.  If google sketch up is mariocart,  Revit is a porshe.  Its a little intense at first.   I've got a class on the program starting in a few weeks so starting early is a good idea.  Its a little like sitting down and trying to fly a plane if you've never done so.  
Oh it's not that bad.

Check this out though.  three year free dl for students.   Holla.  Otherwise the program is like 100000$ .  Not really, but probably like 2000 at least.  Sorry I'm talking like a dope today.  got lots on the mind.

alright. f this

so.  My family and I have an amazing opportunity.  There is some land available to us and there is plans for a couple other young like-minded families who wish to build on the same land.  We would be spread out enough I suppose and all that.  The idea is we could share ideas and laughs and it would benefit us all.  The ultimate goal (for me) would be to live off the grid and live as self-sustainable as possible.  That would mean growing are own food. ect.
But,
I've been feeling run down the past couple days.  Ache muscles, sore eyes sockets, sensitive skin.  There are a few factors I could blame that may have disrupted my system.  I lifted something way to heavy the other day and did something.  I'm going to my chiro tomorrow.  I was up last weekend for 40 hrs.   So whatever, maybe I got a summer flu.  Just for the fuck of it, I looked up the symptoms of lymes.   Check this;

• The Tick Bite (fewer than 50% recall a tick bite or get/see the rash)

1. Rash at site of bite
2. Rashes on other parts of your body
3. Rash basically circular, oval and spreading out (more generalized)
4. Raised rash, disappearing and recurring
• Head, Face, Neck
5. Unexplained hair loss
6. Headache, mild or severe, Seizures
7. Pressure in head, white matter lesions in brain (MRI)
8. Twitching of facial or other muscles
9. Facial paralysis (Bell's Palsy, Horner's syndrome)
10. Tingling of nose, (tip of) tongue, cheek or facial flushing
11. Stiff or painful neck
12. Jaw pain or stiffness
13. Dental problems (unexplained)
14. Sore throat, clearing throat a lot, phlegm ( flem ), hoarseness, runny nose
• Eyes/Vision
15. Double or blurry vision
16. Increased floating spots
17. Pain in eyes, or swelling around eyes
18. Oversensitivity to light
19. Flashing lights/Peripheral waves/phantom images in corner of eyes
• Ears/Hearing
20. Decreased hearing in one or both ears, plugged ears
21. Buzzing in ears
22. Pain in ears, oversensitivity to sounds
23. Ringing in one or both ears
• Digestive and Excretory Systems
24. Diarrhea
25. Constipation
26. Irritable bladder (trouble starting, stopping) or Interstitial cystitis
27. Upset stomach (nausea or pain) or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease)
• Musculoskeletal System
28. Bone pain, joint pain or swelling, carpal tunnel syndrome
29. Stiffness of joints, back, neck, tennis elbow
30. Muscle pain or cramps, (Fibromyalgia)
• Respiratory and Circulatory Systems
31. Shortness of breath, can't get full/satisfying breath, cough
32. Chest pain or rib soreness
33. Night sweats or unexplained chills
34. Heart palpitations or extra beats
35. Endocarditis, Heart blockage
• Neurologic System
36. Tremors or unexplained shaking
37. Burning or stabbing sensations in the body
38. Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Weakness, peripheral neuropathy or partial paralysis
39. Pressure in the head
40. Numbness in body, tingling, pinpricks
41. Poor balance, dizziness, difficulty walking
42. Increased motion sickness
43. Lightheadedness, wooziness
• Psychological well-being
44. Mood swings, irritability, bi-polar disorder
45. Unusual depression
46. Disorientation (getting or feeling lost)
47. Feeling as if you are losing your mind
48. Over-emotional reactions, crying easily
49. Too much sleep, or insomnia
50. Difficulty falling or staying asleep
51. Narcolepsy, sleep apnea
52. Panic attacks, anxiety
• Mental Capability
53. Memory loss (short or long term)
54. Confusion, difficulty in thinking
55. Difficulty with concentration or reading
56. Going to the wrong place
57. Speech difficulty (slurred or slow)
58. Stammering speech
59. Forgetting how to perform simple tasks
• Reproduction and Sexuality
60. Loss of sex drive
61. Sexual dysfunction
62. Unexplained menstral pain, irregularity
63. Unexplained breast pain, discharge
64. Testicular or pelvic pain
• General Well-being
65. Phantom smells
66. Unexplained weight gain, loss
67. Extreme fatigue
68. Swollen glands/lymph nodes
69. Unexplained fevers (high or low grade)
70. Continual infections (sinus, kidney, eye, etc.)
71. Symptoms seem to change, come and go
72. Pain migrates (moves) to different body parts
73. Early on, experienced a "flu-like" illness, after which you have not since felt well.
74. Low body temperature
    
75. Allergies/Chemical sensitivities
    
76. Increased effect from alcohol and possible worse hangover
    

OH, hell no.   really, hell no.  no.  no.     NO.  
From what I hear almost everybody who lives in this area, particularly the are I was interested in has or has had lymes.   
I'm just not going to do it.   
Maybe I'm just having a moment, but I feel sick today.  I can't imagine moving somewhere where the likely hood of getting any of the above symptoms is increased.

rw 24

So if you're keeping track, the theme of this blog falls under randomness or eco-building architecture.  Here is one;
Every year I participate in Riverwest 24.  It is a 24 hour bike race in a Milwaukee Wisconsin neighborhood.  It has been going on for four years and it grows every year.  I have an amazing time every year.   Words can't describe the experience so I'm not going to try much.  Here is all four years in order.  These group photos are taken at the end of the race every year.  The first year was so small, yet still so powerful.

Rammed Earth

Rammed Earth Solar Homes Inc   Check this company.  I really like the information made available on this website.  I'm really digging this technique.
These are all rammed earth images found at the site linked above.

I am planning on going to this companies workshop in oct.  Home to see you there.

Workshops 

Trek light gear giveaway

National Hammock Day Epic Giveaway!

Trek Life



My favorite light weight hammock from Trek Light Gear is giving away hammocks.   Go to the link to find out how!

digging in

YES!

found HERE

nuts indoor climbing

http://www.williamlishman.com/underground.htm

earthhomes

check this site out!

truly amazing

 The urban ton was the dream of a young St. Paul couple to grow one ton of edible food in a Calender year.
I have had the pleasure of meeting them a couple times.  I visited their home on a winter day.  The organization and layout of the small plot was truly inspiring.  The chicken coop was top notch.

urban ton

The goal of this project is to grow one ton of edible food in one year.,  in Minnesota.   This would normally not be a huge deal if this was a rural farm, but it is a small lot located in the middle of a St. Paul neighborhood.  I don't know the dims of the yard, but you will likely find the information on their blog.  URBAN TON

urban ton

They are up to 1500 pounds this year!  I'd be surprised if my garden had 12. :)

Here is there list for the year so far.

  " We thought it would be nice to give a breakdown of the top producers in 2010 that led to over 1500 pounds of food from our little urban lot.  In total we grew 75 different types of edible crops with over 150 different varieties.  So without further adieu here is the top 20 list:

  1.      438 lb  -  Tomatoes        

  2.      171 lb  -  Eggs               

  3.        96 lb  -  Cucumber        

  4.        76 lb  -  Chard               

  5.        71 lb  -  Zucchini          

  6.        53 lb  -  Beets

  7.        52 lb  -  Potatoes

  7.        52 lb  -  Lettuce 

  9.        40 lb  -  Kale 

  10.      39 lb  -  Collards                                                Damn!

  11.      38 lb  -  Watermelon 

  12.      33 lb  -  Horseradish 

  13.      33 lb  -  Garlic 

  14.      26 lb  -  Green Beans 

  15.      25 lb  -  Peppers 

  16.      19 lb  -  Carrots 

  17.      18 lb  -  Spring Onions 

  18.      15 lb  -  Basil 

  19.      14 lb  -  Spinach 

  20.      14 lb  -  Sorrel 

   

link

Build it solar

Here is another cool site.

$1000 solar water system

There are links inside as well

wonderful home

Inhabitat.com 

I love the look of this house it is modern without reaching.

"A project 30 years in the making, this tiny off-grid retreat on a coastal island in Maine is almost entirely self-sufficient. Designed and built by Alex Porter for her father, the project features a shed roof and is wrapped in a distinctive blue-grey corrugated skin. Dwell recently profiled the home, which is the only solar-powered retreat on the isolated island – its sustainable power source actually makes life a lot more leisurely, as the family does not need to schlep in fuel to run a noisy generator. They didn’t give anything up, as they have all the conveniences of a regular home — but with a view you don’t get in an everyday residence."
quoted from Inhabitat

The more I look at these photos, the more I love this house. Love.   

-The  low ceiling and small footprint all encourage simple living.  It looks like the shower is outside.  This design is fantastic.  I am definitely going to incorporate this element into my new home one way or another.  I will have to come up with with a way to have a wall and/or ceiling system that opens and closes.

Yes!!

Alexscottporterdesign.com   I am so taken by this simple, effective, and aesthetically pleasing design, I'm going to contact the architect and tell her so.

being amazing

from a special place

Cool in the bathed waters of tranquility, I found my voice and I am in love with thee. Eternal memory, wandering blissfully on intentions directed without aggression on a path taken with little less than a suggestion. Did I mention, that geocentric shapes line the souls of the imagined, beings from a place where there is reserved a place seated. Take flight with gold wings that hold then let go to a place that is foretold. In the memories of children, grandparents its fleeting like the beating hearts of wings in minds that line the hopes of dreams and I burst at the seams with the laughter of the potential and the frozen moment that is passed writing this thoughts at last one more time in this space where they will take place in a new mind once again who reads the meaning the runs parallel to the space in between the lines. Discovering once more the more you store the story in your core the more and more the story that you hold stores.
(me)

Street League Quick Clip: Paul Rodriguez - Glendale AZ 2011

winning.   

Constructed with straw bales around existing 11-ft boulder. Photo by RJ Pennell.

Stylistically akin to California’s historic missions, the Dunham-Kidwell straw-bale residence is built around a large boulder. The boulder’s thermal mass and its surrounding moat in the home’s great room cool and humidify the air in summer and passively heat it in winter. Above the boulder is a central tower with an oversized fan that draws air up and out in summer and re-circulates warm air in the winter months.
found at this sustainable architect site.  here

how to build a strawbale home

Well,  I've got a lot of carpentry experience and I know a lot of people who know a lot about straw-bale homes, but I have never worked on one before.  After a bit of research I found a great little site that I'm going to share here.  strawbale.com  He's got lots of photos and that polished look offering a free 7-day e-course.  He's got the formula for success down.

after digging around a bit I found this great home tour vid.  Check it out.

Wishery (a Pogo cover by Alvin Pingol)

Wishery (Disney Remix)

Hello, Pogo is the man. Check him out. pogomix.net

More on eco-housing possibilities

I've been thinking a lot about the possibilities that may be available.  The purchasing of land from a friend and living in a micro community has exploded my imagination.  This being because it has become suddenly more tangible and realistic to live off the grid and sustainable.

Some of the set-backs in the past where location and/or proximity to family and/or resources.
The location of the proposed site is well,

except for one significant detail.  Without telling you the exact location of the proposed site, you would be able to derive the approximate location by researching the highest population of lymes disease  harboring dear-ticks on the planet.  It is true that many individual who live in this area have, or have had lymes.  It is a mysteries ailment that if not treated promply can remain in the body for good.

I mean,  look how damn small these things are.  And they sneak on your body and crawl around on you and you might not even feel it.   

So,,   other than that minor detail...   its looking good.

Here is a house.  I didn't draw it.  I like that shape, and the fact that it is three stories.

Here is the site that is on one of the tabs on my computer right now, https://deltechomes.com/green_research.php

It has some good rough, floor plans such as this one,

Here is a picture that remains burned in my mind.

This is  Moshav (co-operative village) farm at Nahalal, Israel
Its clearly Large.  I don't know much about it, other that that it is huge for a co-op village.   
Current Loose plans of our are that our micro village would be four three to four families at the most.  But of course who knows for sure?

Researching housing, eco-village concepts, and other alternative energy sources, with a renewed vigor has been fun.  I will bring the fruits of my coming discoveries and interests here.
cheers