Been on heat-induced Hiatus

Nothing like a good, much needed, well intentioned nudge from my pal Alex over at Shedworking to get things moving again!!

Okay, It's been ridiculously hot here in Georgia the last several weeks.

The temperatures hover around 100 every afternoon, and even with the best laid plans, it's too hot to get much done.

But I have done this...

I have put down the lines for the shed to determine exactly where it needs to go.

I have taken down all of the trees within the space, except one, which I will take down soon. The heat was too much and I knew feeling as tired as I was that I shouldn't try to fell that particular 40+ ft. pine. On the other hand, I have developed a new appreciation of what I like to call "chain saw therapy"!! Of the smaller trees I took down, I've set the larger bits aside, and hope to be able to use them somehow in the process. The branches and leafy bits are being piled in a corner of the yard, and hopefully will make a great little shed for some woodland critter. I'm not planning on making chipmunk condos, but if that's what it becomes, so much the better.

And I've refined the plans again. My structural engineering buddy - a lovely Egyptian fellow, has helped me with the plans posted last time. The footings for the supporting post will need to be deeper in order to provide more structural support.

Since I decided to try to straw bale construction - I've been in discussion with Sue and Seumas, my greenest of green friends with lots of practical know how - I've decided to build up off the ground a bit. The drawings below was concrete slab, but this will be a bit better, and reduce the chance for water damage.

I've also found the name and number of the delightful woman who has been storing old wood and wants to find a home for it... so I'm hoping we'll be able to get an idea of what she has to offer this weekend.

Oh, and I've been working my touchas off on regular work work as well. Unfortunately consultants don't really get vacations like the rest of the world. That being said, I do hope to do a bit more work this weekend - getting the last tree down, checking out the wood, and possibly setting the footings.

So even though I haven't been as active about the hut as I'd like to be in terms of construction, I am making progress... sort of.

Thanks to everyone for your good thoughts and attention! It helps to keep this exciting and moving, and honestly, it keeps me motivated!!

All comments welcome!!

And I hope to post new pictures soon!

I was almost giving up...

I have found that over time, I get to the point on things when I am just ready to give up...

And go to Lowes and buy some atrocity, that my neighbors would tolerate, and I would "make due" with... something really grim like this:

That the gods smile upon me, decide I've struggled with frustration long enough and show me the way out.

Honestly, the more exhausted and wits end I am, but not quite giving up, the richer the reward. I don't expect it, but I always feel grateful when it happens. . .

So this morning, instead of diving into the Project Summary I was supposed to be drafting I jumped over to my friend Alex's sight on "shed working" and found that though he's gone on holiday (it's vacation), he's left me a gem. It's a link to a site that is the inspiration and fun that I needed... Called Simon Dale's low impact woodland home.

DUDE!!!

This is IT!!!

It includes the building instructions, and thoughts on how to do this without spending a fortune!!

And then I sent the post to my awesomest friend Sue, who totally gets the low impact hobbit hole thing and she's thrilled too. I even sent it to Tim, the engineer, who said it looked good, though he's concerned about the heat here in Georgia with the straw bale construction... Honestly, just having SOMETHING would be great, and having this would be amazing.

It will be smaller, but I'm INSPIRED AGAIN!!!

I can't dive into it too deeply yet, Russian Arctic Stakeholders to analyze and then a Transboundary Diagnostic Analysis for the Caspian, but those should wrap as the weather cools a bit here...

anyway, I'm thrilled and once again, feeling energized and optimistic. And ready to go start digging holes in the back yard!!

GREEN GURUS

Since my dilemma with pressure treated lumber I've come to the conclusion, I've had enough pressure lately with everything so I want to keep things green, with no chance of leeching arsenic or other nasties.

And I've spent a bit of time thinking about things, talking with friends and family and well, GETTING MY DOORS!!! (Yes, stashed somewhere in Athens are 4 "mall" doors!!)

So things are on track and getting greener by the moment. Sunday my dear friends Sue and Seumas came down from the mountains and we all went out for brunch. I love these folks. I've known them since I moved to Georgia 20 years ago, and have always felt like they know more about living gently on the earth than anyone I know. They've always done it, with such respect and appreciation for the environment, and everything they do, they do with respect and love. This is no short term "eco fad" for them. They are serious about it. Seumas knows more about vegetation of north Georgia than faculty at UGA, and Sue, well, Sue is just awesome.

Anyway, they are excited about the forthcoming greened house and helping put together ideas for it. I am so excited!! Things like geo-thermal heating and cooling systems, uber insulation, and construction ideas well beyond what I can come up with on my own. I'm very lucky to have them as friends.

More updates forth coming, and, soon plans and more pictures. I have to revise a project document for work first.

And thanks to Green Pa, and Alex for your great ideas and inputs!! Please keep them coming!

News Flash!

Okay....

Let's review:

- Steve, The (adorable) Builder Guy, had given a very rough estimate of upwards of about $30,000. (!!!!) which left me in something of dither.

- The concept of building underground, or at least as an earth sheltered structure, began to look a bit untenable, because of cost, water tables - the site is next to a dried spring bed, and so alternatives were being considered.

- Found Alex's sight in the UK on Shedworking which is full of really fun and inspiring bits of info for the aspiring shed worker.

- Ran into Brian, the groovy lawyer and fellow kids league soccer hooligan, who loaned me books on "Tiny houses"

- Wanted to get doors from nearby strip mall- thus saving the $1000 + french doors wanted to put in for southern exposure (passive solar in the biz)

- Wanted to maintain the environmental "GREEN-NESS" of the coming structure - after all, that IS the whole idea behind this blog.

- Recalled salvage ethic used all over the world that uses what ever local materials are available, and got to thinking about that.

SO....

Introducing Barberitos!!

A favorite family eatery - in the soon to be demolished strip mall.

Went by on Thursday (a week ago) and they were getting ready to move.

Went by on Friday evening and they were closed up - moving to the new store.

Went by on Saturday and talked to Phillip the Manager Guy at the East side location.

Called Corporate HQ (here in Athens) on Monday - wrote check for $5o

AND.... This:

and:
Became:


THIS!!!

My Dear Son and MY DARLING Husband, and even My Precious Father, spent the 4th of July ripping wood out of Barberitos eastside!! (AND I'm making progress on the doors too!)

Of course, now I have some very nice wood, including some lovely tongue and groove paneling I can use and didn't even have to pay extra for the Mexican Restaraunt scenting, plus plenty of corrugated metal sheeting (Sounds fun in rain storm!) and inspiration, but still no plans firmed up. Those are coming.

Now, you are wondering, why wasn't Mary ripping wood with her family for Independence Day? Where was she?

Okay, first, I was there some, though admittedly The Boys did the lion's share of the work.

And Second, despite fighting two wars a couple hundred years ago to avoid being required to do such things, I was labouring under a British Tyrant. Also known as my senior partner. I HAD to finish my Stakeholder Analysis Report for a project we're working on, so I spent the day typing frantically. The final output was over 90 pages of more information on Stakeholders for the Orange Senqu River Basin than you could ever hope to know. Actually, it was a good report, the timing was just difficult. And in his defense, the British Tyrant just set the date for having it done. Really, he's a good guy. Sometimes, I even agree to let him be my boss.

Now, I have the wood, I have inspiration, I have a lead on more wood, Mom has offered some windows she has stored in the barn at her place, and so, oddly, it seems I have most of the materials, and will need to figure out what to build and then build it.

I'm still sticking to the green ideas. And considering the amount of materials I'm saving from the Athens-Clarke landfill, I think I'm reaching that. The cost savings are incredible, and that will save money for solar power panels, the composting toilet, uber insulation, and other exciting things.

The building will probably not be underground. (bummer) The husband wants to build it on a concrete slab (we'll have to install ourselves). I want to save trees. Brian suggested elevating it some instead, to keep it off the ground and allow air circulation (sounds good in the summer), Steve agrees that would be a good option, and I'm wondering what pressure treated lumber is all about. (Wikipedia?) and if I REALLY NEED it.

And so it goes. The building site it fairly flat, but perched on a hilly slope. I need to spend some time thinking about what I want it to be, look like, alternate plans, etc. And so, that's next!!

Here's the view of the site from down in the dry spring bed. Yes, the dog comes with it. She's special that way.

As always, insights, thoughts, comments, suggestions, and free materials are welcome!

THANKS FOLKS!!

p.s. after the writing orgy yesterday, my brain is the consistency of warm cottage cheese. Rambling is a side effect.

Update...

WATCH THIS SPACE!!


Soon - updates on:

Doors! Doors! Doors!

Wood! Wood! Wood!

Plans! Plans! Plans!

Serindipity ABOUNDS!!


Okay, I'm super crazy busy at the moment - but soon! With photos! I promise!!

When one door closes...another get's recycled?

One Last thing....

I want southern light in my office. I want to be able too look out into the woods, and I want it floor to ceiling. New french doors at Lowe's run about $900 a pair and I'm thinking 2-3 pairs. (damn!)

So, after the drive to North Georgia, and given the places I get to travel help me appreciate the ingenuity of our species. Afterall, we don't just find stray bits of hair and twigs and build our nests, we get serious, dig oil and coal out of the ground, burn it, get energy, dig more stuff like rock out of the ground and river beds, grind it up, and then with more stuff we dig out of the ground which we get real hot and then use as structural materials, build bridges across rivers and ravines, and then start all over. And in the meantime, we find stuff to build houses out of. I see houses build out of all sorts of things - local stuff, stuff people find, stuff people salvage, stuff other people discard. In Barda, Azerbaijan there is an entire fence made of nothing but car trunk lids. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Anyway, it occured to me that buying new "stuff" would be increasing the amount of "waste" that ends up in land fills. And some of the old "stuff" might be useful. Maybe even doors.

There is a strip mall being torn down near by. So that *they* can build another strip mall. The old one is probably 30 years old. The new one... well, it's inevitable.

But the old one, very 1970's strip mall looking. BUT it has DOORS!!

Okay, what are *they* going to do with the doors? Big, heavy, double glass doors.

Probably going to break -em down with a bull dozer. Load 'em into a truck and let them spend their retirement in a landfill. . .

You see where I'm going here?

I'm working on it, and will keep you posted...