Mama Pila's photostream

Mama Pila's photostream on Flickr.

cob building project with Xylia's 8th grade class. these kids were amazing the work went so easy with many hands! cob is truly a community event.

barro y paja

mud and straw

It's been a long project; my experience with natural building methods thus far tells me it will be as long as it takes. But this gorgeous outdoor kitchen started as a "cob pizza oven" workshop led by Larry Santoyo, aka El Santoyo permaculture teacher y maestro de métodos naturales, and hosted by the Anneliese School of Laguna Beach, Ca.

The first few weeks enjoyed a rotating crew of participants, most of them from Larry's following of permacultural students. But as the volunteer force waned, it became apparent to me you wouldn't truly learn this method unless you Showed Up and realized every troubleshooting step of the project. So, I've shown up three days a week for the last three months, working as a two man team with El Santoyo (sometimes three, thanks to Salvador). And, Larry has entrusted me this past week to complete the wood-fire grill and stone work counter while he's teaching in Detroit.

Building with cob, building with any natural materials, is labour intensive and downright hard work. Would you believe, in the first month or so I was actually paying cash money to work my hands raw (RAW); thus the workshop, as everyone was paying to work and learn. Eventually, Larry graduated me to Free Labour, as I'd paid my dues. And, finally, Larry's now paying me to continue working while he's away (will I be relegated back to Free when he returns?) On that note, a funny story: I helped recently at "Swan Song to the Lawn" a food-not-lawns project led by Larry in Eagle Rock. As I was invited (+1), I got to work for free (hey, it's a privilege you'll only appreciate if you've ever apprenticed or had a mentor in your life). So, at the end of the first day the participants hung out around Sangria and beer, and chatted, and I was explaining my background with Larry and someone asked, "so you work for Larry and he pays you?", I laughed and replied, "Pay me? I just stopped paying to work. Pay me!!??". And yet, here I am, actually getting paid. I'm really quite proud; proud of the good work on a good project over three months; proud that I showed up consistently, earned Larry's respect and finally his trust; proud to be paid now; and rather proud of this last bit I completed that came out quite nicely.














... more to come. we're not done quite yet.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/83319125@N00/sets/72157626272072411/with/5583841861/

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/