Showing posts with label earthbag building. Show all posts
Showing posts with label earthbag building. Show all posts

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Alternative Building / Terlingua Home Tour Jan. 29

The Terlingua Home Tour is Jan. 29 and features earthbag building, mixed construction of adobe to straw bale to cement block, 2X6 framed home built in stages, and off grid construction.
Drinkard
Thomas and Carmen Drinkard's Earthbag Building
See http://alpinedailyplanet.typepad.com/alpine-daily-planet/2012/01/terlingua-home-tour-is-jan-29.html
Not cheap at $25 but looks like some good learning and insight. Anybody going take pictures and or videos and send me please.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Terlingua Vacation In Review

It has been almost a month since our Terlingua vacation and work sucks so bad and I have been so busy I have not had time to post. Dammit Jim!
We had a great time and enjoyed the nothingness of no phones, tv, computers, or radio. Here is a picture of our place with the added 12 x 20 carport completed last spring.

On Monday we went to go meet and visit Frann and Denese. Very impressed with all the work done on Frann’s place and flat can not fathom how they worked through the hot azz summer. Learned a lot more about of earthbag building and hands on experience. You Go Girls !!

We needed an inspection on the Terlingua Jeep, expired 3/11, and decided to take it to Beechie’s. Sandy had never been out Terlingua Ranch Rd so it was a new experience for her. We headed out to Beechie's Auto which was about a 40 minute drive from the highway with about 5 miles of dirt road. The next closest inspection place is 70 miles away in Alpine beyond the BP check point. Once there we meet Beechie who is an older gentleman and is in no hurry. It was cold and windy and he hates the cold so even slower. It took around 45 minutes to get it done. A reminder of no reason to get in a hurry in the desert. Of course he said I needed wiper blades at $10 a piece. I know I should have taken some out. Good thing we like site seeing.

While out that we way we went to meet John Wells and Benita plus got a tour of ‘The Field Lab’, (See http://thefieldlab.blogspot.com/. We took gifts of a block of ice, a 6 pac, and a baby bottle of JD Tennessee Honey. Benita was out with the visiting longhorns so we did not get to meet or pet her. We did see Dennis Hoper, a cotton tail rabbit, in the building. Amazing the work one person can do. More inspiration for doin it yourself but just lookin at all that work made my back hurt! :)

Benita                                        Denese

On Friday we went out River Road lookin for Crow Town movie set. I was told there was a sign for it but we never found it. We road back an forth from the HooDoo’s to Redford. With the Jeep runnin on 5 cylinders, thanks to a f’n field Rat, and a worn out steering box it was a stressful ride for me. I was highly pizzed we did not find it. Dammit Jim!

We normally go to La Kiva on Friday night but after talking it over decide to save our money and party at our place. I figured I would just cuss the new menu anyway. Well I mixed Gumby strength drinks, never ate supper, and stayed up late. I said 'F'k the Burn Ban' and we had an outdoor fire. :) We got a major buzz on!
We spent a lot of the week riding the buggy in the Solitario, hikin canyons, lookin for fossils and rocks. Sandy usually drives S County Rd and she loves haulin azz. I told her with some more practice should do well in a race. :) We did more hikin on Terlingua Creek off the County Rd where I did find some pieces of worked flint. Not sure where S County turns into N County? I guess it is at Terlingua Creek Crossing!

All in all as usual the week was to short and I consumed a ton of Jack. Isn't that what vacations are for? :)

Did a lot of thinking bout wanting to retire in the better climate of the Davis Mountains but not sure how to swing that and keep my place in Terlingua. I sure love the solitude, the desert, and our view of the Chisos!


Thursday, July 7, 2011

My Plan for Now

I am looking into building a 600 sq. ft. house with the west and north sides being earthbag walls buried to at least 6 feet into the side of a hill hoping to get the earths thermal mass heating and cooling. No sun ever on 2 walls. That has gotta make the place cooler. Except for extensive labor you can't bet the price. Plan on having at least two large water tanks mostly buried with my battery power supply box between the tanks hopefully keeping things cool.
This will give me my nice view of the Chisos out the east side which will be a large covered patio. Check out pictures of my existing place and views from my place at http://www.airqualityindoors.com/jpstplace.htm.