edificios del tierra

earth buildings... dream homes for Frodo or Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru

Early in March (actually, first Sat of every month) we visited the open house and pot luck at the CalEarth site in Hesperia, Ca. It's here that the architect, visionary, philosopher Nader Khalili practiced and preached his methods of natural building, and perfected the Super Adobe process. He passed a few years ago, but the site and the dreams live on through his children and students and associates.

Ulises Ramirez is one of those students and associates of CalEarth who continues to dream and build and offers the same opportunity to any who will Show Up to a workshop. With the help of a small grant for materials, we began work on a 10' Seed-Dome in Sun Valley, Ca. at the home of local resident, Tanya.

Through the weekend of March 26th about 15 people Showed Up in shifts to volunteer and learn and participate in an expanding community of ecological and socially conscious builders and growers. We moved a lot of earth materials, trenched a lot of earth, mixed a lot of earth, bagged and laid long tubes of earth bags along with barbed wire in the process of Super Adobe as invented and taught by Nader Khalili.
And after two days we're two layers above ground, with five below sealed against moisture. But,the hardest parts are behind the project. From here it's only up.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/83319125@N00/sets/72157626272123837/

muestrenos la ruta

Show us the path...

Well, the path is here, directly under foot. Again, in unexpected places, each step validates our intentions and reminds me that we've already begun our big adventure.

I've been selling boxes of forgotten goods and selling off some Ultra Light backpacking gear for more appropriate, versatile choices toward our coming year; it's my first stab at eBay, and it's been fruitful. Not only have I sold a few things, but I just met a fellow explorer, a builder, a grower. Where many only struggle against the ills of a broken economy, he's prepared, and he's taken stock toward embarking on his own adventure: cycling through Europe, and then landing in a new home in San Luis Obispo. So, as Xylia once adopted my WM Highlite sleeping bag to help enjoy treading lightly during her first backpacking trips, it is now helping Sstoz and his girlfriend pedal forth lightly.

Llano Estero Strawbale
http://www.bellyfirebale.org/strawbale.php

This a wonderful website with his family story about the building of a straw bale house (makes me think of a strawberry house). And here, in this bumble start of a blog, is our common thread of adventure in what many only lament as a time of uncertainty and struggle. So, I say, if we're uncertain, then lets explore the unknown and challenge our assumptions. And, if it's a struggle, then lets work to realize our resources. Lets build communities, build homes, feed ourselves and span the gulfs to share the harvest.

aquî es la ruta....