A Bunkhouse

After a famine of posts, get ready for a feast! We have been crazy busy building a bunkhouse. It's 12 x 12 feet, on skids, with a shed style roof, built with passive solar design in mind with lumber milled from our own trees. Very cool. And cute! 

In future, guests will have a cozy, private little space all their own! With amazing mountain view of the other side of the creek valley.

 A series of posts with construction photos follow.

Here are pics of the floor...

built upside down, insulation and skids are added

turning it over

putting on the plywood flooring

dragging it into location

Plagues...

… of grasshoppers eating up all my potato and onion plants not to mention every other plant in their wake… and various grass seeds wheedling their way deep down into the fur of the dogs (and our clothing).

Ugh!

Late Spring Rains

 
Goodness gracious, we've had tons (a slight exaggeration) of rain the past 2 weeks! It's slowed up final stages of the infamous bridge re-construction, but sure does make plants grow beautifully.

Here is a pic of our hugelkultur beds. We didn't get nearly as many built and planted as we wanted, but this fall we will. In the meantime we're sort of experimenting.   ;)  The pic above shows the potatoes in one loving life! That was taken 2 weeks ago, they are twice that size now.

Yum, taters!

Winter White

 As a young person, fun in the snow was the main attraction of the winter season I so loved. Adults said to me “just wait until you have to drive in or shovel it.” Some people don’t like winter because they think everything looks dead and ugly. Others consider snow an unmentionable word.

Even with their relative inconveniences I deeply appreciate and enjoy all the seasons. Fall is probably my favorite with its golden light, rich colors, crisp air, and fragrant ripe apples! Winter is next, even though I am an adult who has to deal with the hardships it brings.

To me winter is when the earth is at rest, simply sleeping under its cozy white blanket of snow. My mind’s eye envisions seeds and plant life underneath regenerated by their slumber just waiting for it to warm up so as to spring back to life!

I love how this white blanket softens the edges of our landscape and covers over a multitude of imperfections. I still enjoy playing in the snow or just watching the dogs gleefully plow and submarine through it! I love watching snowflakes float gently earthward like so many down feathers, landing as soft as a whisper, fascinated by the thought that each delicate crystal that has ever fallen since time began is unique from any other. I love the giant shimmering icicles that form along the roofs edge. I love how even on a cloudy day that pure white blanket reflects light and seems to brighten life. I love nights when the snow is awash in silvery moonlight. I love the glorious blue-sky days when practically blinded by the sun’s reflection on the sparkling surface, but oh how good it feels on the eyes! I love how quiet and peaceful the world around seems as the snow muffles sound.

As spring steadily approaches, I think how I will miss the snowy white blanket, but also how I will revel in the beauties of new life springing forth in their characteristic noisy fashion!

Simple Solar Homesteading

  
  The following is a press release from a guy who is inspiring people everywhere to live more simple and sustainable lives they build with their own hands. A version of his tiny cabin is what we plan to build ourselves! For anyone interested, his book is chock-a-block full of incredible ideas easily implemented. We highly recommend it!

  "LaMar Alexander is a long time homesteader and author that lives off-grid in the 14x14 solar cabin he built for under $2000. His cabin power comes from a small 570 watt solar and wind system that runs his lights, water pump, TV, laptop, and other gadgets. The cabin includes a rain water and gray water harvesting system and he hand drilled his own water well. He uses a solar composting toilet of his own design for handling waste. Propane is used for a small 20,000 BTU heater, fridge, and on-demand water heater.

  LaMar also uses many passive solar features in his cabin including solar air heaters, a solar water heater, solarium porch, and passive cooling. With no house payments and no monthly utility bills LaMar has been able to leave the 9-5 rat race and now runs a small part time business and spends most of his time pursuing his hobbies of fishing, gardening, and writing books.

  If you are interested in a simple solar homesteading life LaMar has a new book titled "Off the Grid" that is 355 pages full of his designs and detailed step-by-step plans for building a solar cabin, solar composting toilet, solar air and water heaters, and teaches you how to hand drill a water well and make your life and homestead sustainable.

  Visit his website for more information: http://www.simplesolarhomesteading.com."

LaMar's simple solar cabin

Simple Solar Homesteading Lamar Alexander is a long time Homesteader and author that lives off-grid in the 14x14 solar cabin he built for under $2000. His cabin power comes from a small 570 watt solar and wind system which runs his lights, water pump, TV, laptop, and other gadgets. The cabin includes a rain water and gray water harvesting system and he hand drilled his own water well. He uses a solar composting toilet of his own design for handling waste. Propane is used for a small 20,000 BTU heater, fridge and on-demand water heater.

LaMar also uses many passive solar features in his cabin including solar air heaters, a solar water heater, solarium porch, and passive cooling.  With no house payments and no monthly utility bills LaMar h