Green Building, Modern Design: Green Modern Kits!

Last Look At Prefab Zero Energy House Kit Before Framing

2009-06-27T08:57:00.016-04:00

I headed for the hills mid-week to take a last look at the prefab house kit before interior framing begins. I admit I fear I might miss the look of the structural insulated panels (SIP)! You might have seen in the previous post my aunt left the particle board "as is" in her own gorgeous home (3rd video down in the post), and I find it appealing.

If we hadn't already found the gorgeous, recycled VMI floorboards to reuse in our interior, along with other recycled finds, I would be seriously considering just painting the SIPs on the inside and calling it a day.

Here's a video of a last walk through the wide open / no interior SIPs prefab house kit:
(I'm sure it will take awhile to download, I tend to go on and on a bit...

Once interior walls are built, the off grid energy efficient systems will be installed: solar energy and heat, rainwater collection and filtration, and more. I guess I will no longer say I'll be "camping" in the house kit... : )
Instead, we'll simply be off grid, zero energy, prefab-ulously done.

We're Baaaaaaaaaack... Now Off To Visit The Prefab House Kit.

2009-06-24T07:44:00.006-04:00

Told ya I'd be quiet. The past two weeks were incredibly busy- our eldest braved his first sailing camp (and did great, as a proper pirate should), there was a huge family reunion at the Bay, my work deadlines have been overwhelming, as well as volunteer things like Green Drinks that I enjoy but takes time to plan/organize.

Instead of telling you all about it, I'll just throw in some pictures, below, and move on:

We go to the house kit today, so I will take plenty more pictures.
Bad news: Our framing got behind a kitchen renovation project our contractor is doing.
Bad news: He planned to start interior framing today, which is when I am heading out with chilluns, dawgs, and a plethora of chaos, so will have to postpone starting framing to next week. I couldn't change my dates there as there is a tv station that wants to see the house kit tomorrow.

Good news: Systems plans are done. That means we can get quotes from the electrician and plumber to install them. Systems information will be posted next week.

Soooooo... Here's some pictures from Richmond's Green Drinks:

And from the Bay, where our next generation takes the helm to become a sailor:

And then last weekend: Another round of sailing camp, but also check out my aunt's passive solar house with concrete thermal mass, roll up garage doors, and upstairs, recycled particle board for the finished flooring! What a cool aunt! : )

Phew.
So you see, it has been a busy June.

But I am now ready to finish this frickin' prefab zero energy house kit!
Next posts will muse on more (in great detail- Handsome Hubby will guest blog here) about the off grid systems and then start talking about reuse and recycling in interior design, and we have some fabulous landscape architecture coming your way.

In the meantime I will be taking more pictures and video of the prefab house kit today / tomorrow so you can see how it holds up on hot summer days.

Why We Not Only Need To Have Prime Agricultural Zoning, But Need To Viligantly Protect It

2009-06-06T09:09:00.039-04:00

As you all know, I could go on and on (and often do!) about smart growth and preservation. But Nicole Anderson Ellis outlines much more succinctly and beautifully why Central Virginia and counties *everywhere* need to not only maintain their Prime Agricultural zoning, but protect it. We have seen firsthand the planning disasters that destroyed local farmland to turn western Henrico and surrounding areas into Anywhere, USA.

Let me say first: My big frustration with my encounters with my local government is that:

As a web developer, it is my job to keep up with technology trends and the latest information. My clients and my reputation depends upon it.

As a green building company, it is MY JOB to stay abreast of green building.
Yes, a note to developers and others who will jump to criticize that we're "anti-development" / progress freaks: My business is green building. I am not anti-development, I am anti mass grading, anti "I don't care about Smart Growth," anti "I am going to bulldoze and thrust up a development of homes that are inefficient with no existing need into a saturated market." I am anti doing something, anything, for which there is not an obvious need.

Do I serve a viable purpose in the building industry? Yes. How 'bout yourself?

It seems that the Board of Supervisors, as well as Richmond city council, and much of Virginia, do not look to what their peers are doing nationwide, do not expand their knowledge base to reach out to Smart Growth, preservation of farmland, and sustainability: this is their JOB.

Regarding the need for huge development locally, I see tract after tract of failed, outdated, unwanted development projects. I see house after house for sale in existing neighborhoods. I see inadequate infrastructure. I see row after row of empty retail space.

In yesterday's Times-Dispatch, Mrs. Ellis wrote:

LAND USE: To Pave or Save Henrico’s Farmland?

NICOLE ANDERSON ELLIS TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST
Published: June 5, 2009

NICOLE ANDERSON ELLIS On Tuesday, June 9, at 7 p.m. Henrico County's Board of Supervisors is holding a hearing for public feedback on the latest version of Henrico's draft 2026 Comprehensive Land Use Plan. They call it the county's "road map for growth."

At the same meeting, having supposedly weighed citizen input, the board "will consider adoption of the proposed 2026 comprehensive plan."

If the board does adopt it, for the first time in 400 years Henrico would not have a single acre of Prime Agricultural land. At least, not according to the land use map. Instead, the county's fields would be labeled "Rural Residential/Prime Ag." The draft also suggests that massive residential/retail construction is the best use -- in fact, the final use -- for thousands of acres of fertile riverfront land, America's first farms.

The changes encouraged by this "road map" would have certain consequences -- the loss of landscapes familiar to generations, rural roads clogged with traffic, etc. -- felt most sharply in the county's east end. Yet there are broader ramifications. And despite suggestions that this land use draft is a Varina problem, there is clear, quantified, and county-wide opposition to the proposed destruction of Henrico's last farm district.

ACCORDING to the county's own survey, 82 percent of county residents "support further restricting or managing new development in rural areas."

It's easy to see why. Farmland is increasingly rare, so it's increasingly valuable. Burying it under new houses is one way to cash in on this resource. But it's not the only way. And it's not the best.

Shifting consumer interests and investment trends have created a new wealth of open-space prospects. And Henrico's farmland comes "value added." Our farmland hugs the capital city. It is bordered by rivers. And it is home to historic gold.

Henrico's east end was Pocahontas' backyard. She bathed in creeks that still flow here. John Smith hunted these very forests. In our soil lie the bones of fallen Union and Confederate boys.

One million people visit Williamsburg each year, many driving through Varina on the way. So, is it time for the county to promote historic tourism? Is it time to court development of a living history site on the Henrico bank of the James River, just a boat ride across from Hopewell's Henricus State Park? Is it time for area schoolchildren to mingle with international tour groups at living museums dedicated to farm life, Powhatan culture, the role of Africans in Virginia history, the Civil War, and environmental science?

Then there's the equestrian industry, which generated $1.62 billion in the commonwealth last year. Varina is rich with barns and paddocks. Add trails, and Henrico could promote the landscape between the Chickahominy and the James as a rider's paradise, maximizing our market share.

Varina is already a destination for cyclists. They head east from the city every sunny day. And we received international attention when the 2007 U.S. Open Cycling Championship raced up Osborne Turnpike. Now the Capital-to-Capital trail is coming though the district, drawing bikers (and money) from Richmond and Williamsburg. Isn't it time to nurture that opportunity?

The Virginia Department of Forestry filed official comment noting the word "forestry" is absent from all 300 pages of Henrico's draft plan. But it doesn't have to be. The county's mature forests are a valuable resource. As green building hits the mainstream, Henrico is poised to offer builders sustainably raised and locally harvested timber.

THE IDEAS for profiting by keeping land green are limitless, and all provide healthy diversification to Henrico's tax base. In addition, open space generates revenue for the county -- the entire county -- without demanding the expensive services residential projects require.

So it's no surprise that Henrico citizens want our farmland preserved. What's surprising is that the Board of Supervisors is toying with a land use plan that pushes the county toward a future without farms.

But I have faith they'll reject this draft plan. They'll reject it, not just because it is political suicide to vote for anything that openly flouts 82 percent of voters. And not just because it is legal folly to flout the Virginia law mandating that each county's Land Use Plan "promote the health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity, and general welfare of inhabitants." And not just because, according to the county's own statistics, Henrico's already approved subdivisions more than satisfy projected population growth through 2026 and beyond.

Tuesday night Supervisors James Donati, Richard Glover, David Kaechele, Pat O'Bannon, and Frank Thornton will face their constituents -- people like you and me, people who work hard for every tax dollar they pay, people who would rather be home with their families than at a public hearing but come anyway because they know that sometimes elected officials need to see the people they represent. And I believe that faced with that crowd, all five supervisors will vote against this draft land use plan because Henrico's real economic growth lies in the sustainable development of the history, productivity and beauty of America's first farms.

But don't take my word for it. Come on Tuesday. Watch them vote.

Thank you, Mrs. Ellis, for your practical words.
I hope our local leaders will listen.
It amazes me the plan removes the word "forest." It floors me that with our air quality marks were recently graded so poorly, yet the area would consider further destroying habitat / razing woods and allowing farms to turn into subdivisions!

Quizzical yet? Here's more food for fodder.

See Virginia Vanishing, Part 1 and Part 2 by our local CBS 6.
Check out all the invaluable information a local organization, Historic Varina, has pulled together here!
Read "For Henrico, land deals cost plenty" by Michael Paul Williams.
See what's going on in Chesterfield and their mass leapfrog developments like Magnolia Green, filing for bankruptcy in a market consumers don't want or need:

"I would go meetings think they'd be pro-active, but they were using outdated plans from 1989 to 1991. They just didn't understand, Durfee says. Magnolia Green, for instance, was approved for rezoning in 1991 and like many projects in Chesterfield, sat dormant for years.

Supervisors did not heed long-term predictions that the demographic patterns that favored Chesterfield's family-oriented growth patterns in the 1980s and 1990s were coming to an abrupt halt now. Baby boomers who wanted the house and lot and land for their kids now aren't willing to upsize after their kids move on. The kids themselves tend not to want big, single family houses on big lots, preferring smaller units closer to urban centers.

The result, according to Chesterfield's planning deparment, is that the county has about 50,000 rezoned lots not yet built upon. That's more than the rest of suburban Richmond combined and exceeds even the number in Loudoun County, once the nation's fastest-growing suburban area. Builders complain that a lot of these rezoned lots are in places where people don't want to live, ignoring the fact that they were cheerleaders for rezoning back in the day. And, due to peculiarities in state law, it is very hard to downzone upzoned property. So who knows what will happen to places such as Magnolia Green."

From Historic Richmond: Preservation Begins With Grass Roots:

"What's at stake is not just a structure, it is also a story, and an example that can give hope to future generations. The work is about bricks and mortar, of course, but it's also about broad-ranging benefits and engaging many people with varied interests to maintain and strengthen a sense of place."

It ripples further to the historic village of Ashland, where "Developments near Ashland stir concerns."
- "Four developments totaling more than 1,300 residential units and at least 850,000 square feet of commercial space could dramatically alter the landscape of Ashland's fringes.
  
  But some Hanover County residents worry that their rural community is on the verge of becoming congested, overdeveloped and indistinguishable from other suburban areas."
For those that want to see what citizens can do, read "21 Years And Counting" on Bacon's Rebellion. It beautifully illustrates how communities can come together to shape their future, and deepen, preserve, and protect their own culture.

It is the responsibility of the citizens to take the time and go attend these meetings to have their voices heard. Otherwise officials only hear what they want. If Varina is paved over, if Ashland turns into a mall... it is our fault.

I believe in creating villages, pockets of community, where people can work, bike, live well.

As a region, our lack of public participation (Did I really hear that only THIRTY citizens showed up to the last comprehensive plan meeting? Really?) to *tell,* via actually showing their faces as proof of endorsement, to show their representatives what we collectively feel is an obvious growing sentiment... How can they listen and react, if you don't speak?

But it is also the responsibility of the elected officials to keep abreast in their industry to see the data to realize that this leap-frog development trend was long ago stopped in many successful cities that are now ranked highest in the nation for their quality of life.

So I will be there Tuesday, on a boring weekday evening, presenting my voice, opinion, and encouragement for Smart Growth and preservation of our natural resources.
Hope to see you there.

Kid Scouts Update

2009-06-04T18:18:00.023-04:00

Just because I haven't been *writing* about Kid Scouts doesn't mean we haven't been doing it!

We made up Kid Scouts as a fun way to create "badges" (interesting, historic fun stuff to do with friends and their children of varying ages, gender, faiths) to casually achieve when we're together.

The way it works is this:

We say to friends,
"Hey want to go to the land this weekend?" (or do XYZ...)
"Sure"
"Great! What badge do ya want to do?"
"Um... how about let's learn more trees?"
"Ok! Tree Badge there ya go!"

Sometimes we do a badge, often we forget... : )
Many weekends it is only at the end of the day when we realize,
"Hey, that was cool, let's call it a badge! How To Help Turtles Cross The Road Badge!"

So for those that follow it, here's our update on Kid Scouts, which we started in October:

First, we made a Badge Book out of a cool old "scrap book" I found at a yard sale.

Finally, I found a good, fun use for some of these old albums I bought in thrift stores/ yard sales!

Badge #1: Tree Identification
We had a blast (and are working on this, ongoing) with friends collecting and learning about leaves and trees.

You can never learn enough, and I love to strengthen the identification as the seasons change:

"What does red bud look like in winter?
Summer?
Spring?"

"Can you tell the difference between a sycamore and a birch? How about the leaves of a hickory vs. a chestnut?"

Badge #2: Fire
Building a camp fire, putting it out safely.

Stop, drop & roll.

Exit strategy in your home.

And, of course...

S'mores.
: )

Badge #3: The First Thanksgiving
We headed over to Berkley Plantation on December 4th to learn about the first Thanksgiving, history, the Landing of The Goode Shippe "Margaret", met Captain John Smith ; ) and some *real* Indians who discussed local Indian architecture with me!

Badge #4: Volunteering
In April we were busy cleaning the James River for Richmond's Green Drinks & The James River Association.

We also ran a 5k for ASK, which helps children with cancer. Our good playground friend, Paul, has been battling cancer all year and we all came together for him...

You should have seen Paul's smile when he saw all the children and adults there for him! This year's event raised over $90,000 to help make life better for Richmond children with cancer!

Badge #5: Riding
In May we called our friends the Bernaldo's to see what they were doing that day...
"Oh, I'm babysitting a friend's 6 year old so I thought I'd borrow a pony to entertain her, come on over!"
Yes, in the country you just "borrow a friend's pony" from another farm, LOL.

I thought we'd just pet the pony, maybe teach 'em how to feed a pony an apple correctly... Instead, my friend Judy (who is an incredible equestrian) put 'em all in her ring and gave them their first riding lesson. Within minutes they were trotting.

It was amazing, and I will forever remember Judy's kindness and what a gift she gave us all.

Badge #6: Swimming
No pics up yet, we are working really hard on swimming skills because sailing season is here... it brings back memories of my granddad's Camp Manakin where not only did we learn to swim, but had to tread water for five minutes, then learn "survival swimming" - blowing up your clothes into floats! Um, we're not there yet...

We are having a lot of fun creating memories with our family and friends while learning casually as we think of things to do!

Upcoming badges:

sailing
stars
archery
and always, history
...while working on all the other badges more- that's the fun thing, you can just keep learning about that subject or skill!

Do you have any ideas for badges? I'd love to hear them!

Wha? Oh, Back To The Prefab Zero Energy Off Grid House Kit Built With SIPs!

2009-05-21T21:10:00.051-04:00

Well, it has been a crazy few weeks. We got my sister married off (and her husband's family is from Seattle so they came in early to spend time with their Virginia family here so it was not just a weekend but a nice time over awhile of the families coming together)... then I went to New York on business for about a week... (really, it was no fun *at all* ; ) ) Memorial Day Weekend appeared out o' nowhere, but finally, we were able to meet with Ron, our wonderful contractor, this weekend to plan the next phase of the prefab house kit: The Inside.

To finish the house, we need financing. The financing we did earlier was to refinance our current home loan because interest rates dropped so much. Now we need to consolidate the *land* loan and finish construction. We're increasing the *land* loan by the amount we need to finish construction since a traditional construction loan in Virginia does not understand or value green building or off grid construction / systems. Once construction is complete and we have a certificate of occupancy, we have been told by mortgage lender of our first house that they will consider refinancing the land *and* house. Because co-op interest rates are higher, Handsome Husband projects that once we have a traditional first mortgage, the monthly expenses will remain the same after the construction is financed. So we will be paying about the same, to do more, after having finished the project!
To get financing, we need to have a quote from our Fabulous Contractor, Ron Bernaldo of Giant Oaks Construction.
To get a quote from Ron, our Fabulous Contractor, my Handsome Husband needs to give Ron details, a list of systems (down to the model number) so that the electrician / plumber can give us an accurate estimate.
To get an estimate, we need to have the interior framing done.
To have the interior framing done, we have to give Ron the customized floor plan. (Yes, people, these house kits are made so you can work with your contractor to make 'em as you want! We didn't change much, just added more room for systems and a nook & cranny for a bookcase...)

If ONLY the rest of the personal decisions we make as a family were as easy as it was erecting the actual house kit! So yesterday Ron was given the floor plan, a list of systems is on its way, and he starts the interior framing next Tuesday.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy pictures from this weekend's off grid prefab-ulous adventure at the end of this long and boring post.

We had some dear friends out, and it was amazing how *comfortable* the house kit was in the heat. Before, we rarely camped this time of year because the sun beating down on our little 1960's Scotty camper in the field was unbearable. In the house kit, it was breezy, comfortable, filled with natural light yet soothing and cool inside. In the winter, the dogs snuck into our beds; now they flopped, lazily collapsed on the concrete.

When I awoke last night to an unexpected thunderstorm, snuggled in my bed as it rolled, rumbling, in, I reflected how our visit in previous years would have ended first thing in the morning, packing up miserable muddy wet dogs and children in the rain. Instead, we contentedly listened to the rainfall as the children played together indoors while the adults slowly woke with steaming strong coffee.

In the house kit, the light was diffused and off the cement, not the sharp slants of light directly on the concrete as it is in winter. That was the first thing I noticed- that yes, the sun was not warming the floor but had moved higher in the sky, and thus prevented by the overhangs to heat. We opened the windows and let in a wonderful crossbreeze. The difference between lounging comfortably in the house kit to walking into the open field under the unsympathetic sun was palpatable- we all remarked on it.

Another thing I noticed was... how grateful I am I chose polished concrete. SO easy to sweep and keep clean. We also have recycled pallets at the doors which have been extremely useful to curtail the dirt- it looks coolio industrial, is recycled, and provides a great function.

We installed the screens, so we don't have to worry about uninvited animals/insects during the night entering from the open windows, and Handsome Husband and Mr. H stopped by the recycling center and plucked a nice tire to create a tire swing for the kids! We hung it off the old oak that shelters the picnic bench. Which, by the way, I picked up a *second* picnic bench for $5 at a yard sale so we can connect them end-to-end and have a fabulous banquet table for lots of guests.

And speaking of guests... we will have an open house in September!

More on this later, but if you would like to tour our prefab off grid zero energy house kit, there is a wonderful bike tour going on in the area on the weekend of September 26th. Bike Heartland is a fun bike tour that goes all weekend long through a gorgeous, historic area of Virginia. I am working with some local farms to have other activities like tours of natural, community supported farms, a winery that will be open for you to enjoy, and more, so pack yer tent and come on down! For more on accommodations, see here (camping at the Heartland Bike Tour), here (Charlotte Courthouse), here (Appomattox), and here (Farmville); and also be sure to visit Miss Emily's, where Necia and her husband will show you great English hospitality. (And boy does she know how to cook.)

So, next, we begin the interior framing. We install systems. We survive children out of school for the summer. ; ) AND some big family reunions scheduled... so June coverage might be a little spotty.

Even after the house is done, we continue crop tree release and increasing function-yet-preservation of the land, so that in a few short years we can be there sustainably full time.

P.s. This north middle window that will eventually be my daughter's room? The children discovered how to open it and then jumped from the sand pile into the house kit, in and out, in and out, in and out... hence my thankfulness on choosing the polished concrete, *again.* There must have been twenty times a day I was grateful for the concrete. Ah the spills. Oh the mud. Gee the sand. And the polished concrete took it, and looked gorgeous.

ICFF 2009

2009-05-17T13:18:00.003-04:00

Running out the door so I am throwing in my twitter stream (read from the bottom up) and slideshow of yesterday's ICFF- comments are on the slideshow pictures.

greenmodernkits
Rt @leadwithpurpose @greenmodernkits how bout plastic water bottles have u seen this ppt? http://www.wainotgogreen.org/about 1 hour ago from web

Off to the farmer's market with Claiborne, then more coffee, then more #icff...about 2 hours ago from web

Ouf. Were we *really* out until THREE? #icffabout 4 hours ago from web

You have never eaten until you eat @ macelleria.about 15 hours ago from TwitterBerry

@mediajorge @ dwr 142 woosterabout 17 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Am @ bludot w/Cass & claiborne waiting on V- check out cassie - www.cassguy.com ; )about 17 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Today's takes, now off to parties. http://tinyurl.com/qq2w5d #icffabout 19 hours ago from web

@claibornem headed your way it's taking forever b/c everything is running as local this wkend. Ergh!about 21 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Forgot beretta in purse. Nypd randomly searching bags @ penn station. Hm knife laws in nyc, anyone?about 22 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Hissing @ the vinyl people, heading back to brooklyn. Where is Akemi? Hmmmmmabout 22 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Rt @Lizzykewl @greenmodernkits somehow companies need to be convinced it's in their best interest to package things differently, esp. foodabout 22 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Poor @rvamedia. Last week a chickun was named in her honor, & now I am bringing her a pic of a dead rabbit perched on furniture at #icff.about 22 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Love greenplay's grouploop - not whimisical but SO... Happy sturdy imaginative. #icffabout 23 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Jigsaw puzzles pinned up as wallpaper. Dusting horror.about 23 hours ago from TwitterBerry

I hate felt. But anne kyyro quinn's work is BEAUTIFUL!!! #icff love it!about 23 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Vinyl weave company naming products w\"grass" / "bamboo" in names... I asked if it was sustainable: "YES some have used it for 4 yrs!"about 24 hours ago from TwitterBerry

@mediajorge I obviously don't know how to answer this phone. I'm walking towards bludot.about 24 hours ago from TwitterBerry

I have entered the aisle of gimmick. And whoo-eee boy is there... Flash. Mirror stuff. Running away!about 24 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Pratt & md institute college of art: A + on reuse, sustainable ideas. #icffabout 24 hours ago from TwitterBerry

Struck by how many people are still using plastic. #icff1:38 PM May 16th from TwitterBerry

Modern Design ICFF 2009 Part 1: Finnish Design, Chris Ruck, Gaia & Gino and fun.

2009-05-16T10:03:00.016-04:00

I am in New York Ciiiiitay for the annual New York Design Week and ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair). These past weeks have been hectic, but ICFF is even more so: a building full of great modern furniture design, and each year it becomes more and more environmentally friendly. You can see what I ran across last year, here.

And after trudging through miles and miles of fab furniture, no matter how tired, there are also... THE PARTIES. ; )

But first I headed over to Brooklyn to see my fabulous culinary cousin, Claiborne, and her family. They live in A BARN in Cobble Hill, and I am looking forward to spending some time getting to better know Brooklyn. Their house has an open floor on the first story, bedrooms together upstairs, and an apartment (where I'm staying) downstairs.

Check out their windows! This is where they used to haul up the hay, and you can clearly see on that wall beneath that it opened for the carriages, and apparently where I'm sleeping they used to store... bananas. Talk about an elegant reuse of existing space!

Then I was off to the Meatpacking district to see V. at her restaurant, threaded through the Finnish design installations (in shipping containers!) to The Standard, where her sister Bona joined us...

We meandered over to a party for Chris Ruck of Ruckercorp at their happy loft in the lower east side, on Baxter Street. Chris takes scraps and creates modern, clean (but *sturdy*) furniture out of the would-be-waste-wood! (Say that fast three times, I dare ya.)

His girlfriend was wonderful- it was a cozy party of kind people, I wish I had met Chris but he was on the rooftop. We headed that way but stopped at the ladder... I guess this is where I mention my fear of heights?

Off we went to Gaia & Gino in the East Village.

I loved the fireflies...

I loved the basset hounds...

I loved the bowls made of nuts and fruits...

And we walked...

...and stopped by Momofuku for delicious pork buns (check out how they not only list the menu but the farms from which the food was purchased), then breezed through Freeman's before settling down on Ludlow for Mexican.

And I am about to walk it all off (hopefully) aaaaaaaaat.... ICFF! Onward!

(See tons more pictures here- I will add lots of comments later but am running off to ICFF now, already 2 hours late...)

Prefab House Kit News: A Mad Dash Through May...

2009-05-06T13:03:00.009-04:00

It's been quiet on the green building / house kit front here, as we have been dashing about getting ready for Sister's wedding this weekend. It has been raining for days, in torrents, and the wedding is supposed to take place outdoors, in my parents' Gillette garden (officially the smallest Charles Gillette garden, I believe!). Theoretically, it is supposed to be one of those spring garden weddings that people remember fondly- the bride's parents 1801 home, the lush spring garden, the "at home" easy grace Virginians love.

I predict hailstones and tornadoes, with the Bridge Ladies standing off to the side under the flapping tent, my family's own Greek Chorus.

So keep your fingers crossed...
And if we get through it, I am scheduled to then fly off to Manhattan, where I commence covering modern design and furniture at ICFF.

When I return, it's back to the zero energy house kit... and the interior walls begin!

In the meantime, here is some nice new press on Green Modern Kits from R-Home! They were kind enough to include us in their "Hot List!" (Why do I still feel like sech a dork then?)

Click to enlarge / read the text:

Green Building Virginia Architect, David Day, Shares His Thoughts On The Zero Energy House.

2009-04-24T15:45:00.007-04:00

It will be in the mid-90s this weekend and, as there is no new construction to see in the zero energy house kit, we will be instead heading to the river. (That's what we call the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. It's weird, I know. At least I'm not calling it "The Rivah" as some do...)

Just when I thought I had nothing new to say about our modern house kit, here comes the amazing, green building Virginia architect, David Day, to share his thoughts on the off grid house!

So I now present, the LEED certified, sustainably-conscious, amazing modern designer / architect, David Day!

He writes:

"seeing the casa ti in person for the first time, all the original concepts came back full circle. our goal was to design a shell that could be inhabited and personalized into a home. a blank slate in a way. part of this involved designing without specific site features being known, other than solar orientation and prevailing winds. normally, specific views would suggest window placements etc.

simplicity was desirable on many levels, and has come through in the built home. first, the efficiency of SIP modules, straightforward slab on grade construction gave an economy of installation costs and very little construction waste. it also complements the complex, wild site - farmland partially returned to forest - as a simply structured visual rest space in the landscape.

the efficient shell has only a single load bearing line separating the upper and lower roofs, so interior layout/design can be totally flexible. speaking with copeland and christoph, we could even remove all the interior walls except surrounding the bath space and some storage/utility spaces (christoph even suggested no built in closets, only movable storage pieces as room dividers, and i totally agree). what struck me most about the interior so far is it's comfortable volume and balancing of light, along with the framed views out to the site.

lastly, the way the house sits in this particular landscape suggests its integration: a small natural amphitheater occurs on the east end, with the east walls available as a screen/backdrop. the large oaks 50' or so off the south side form a natural end to an outdoor room of plantings - a slightly tamed version of the meadow landscape on the other sides. some walls as a backdrop for a specimen tree, a place for a snow camouflage summer shade terrace, and so on.

we've been discussing finding a large beer or wine fermentation tank for rainwater collection off the south roof. now is when the house becomes a home, as it fills in with plantings, furniture, color, a reclaimed gym floor as wall finish - the family. exciting times."

We too are looking, excitedly, at the next steps, and look forward to having the Day family back very soon so we can not just focus on the architecture and design, but the friendship between our families and the rest of our life spent there, living.

Zero Energy Prefab House Kit Update: We Look To The Land.

2009-04-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

The zero energy prefab house kit exterior is complete.

In about 2 weeks we move on to the next steps: interior walls of the modern house, off grid systems (solar energy, solar heat, and rainwater collection and filtration), and with it all, stepping back for a larger view: the land, and how we will encourage its health while bearing sustenance for our family.

Heather Barber, ASLA, of Topos met with us last week to discuss the land, and landscape architecture.

From the beginning, here are my thoughts about the land:

I love the fact we did not have to cut down ONE TREE for the home site.
However, we are big believers in crop tree release to help the woods become healthy. What that means, in short, is removing weed/competing trees to let the native, desirable trees grow strong and healthy. Along the field we have a mixture of poplar, hickory, oaks, walnut... mixed in with cedar, red bud, pine, a few dogwoods and... non-native evil ghetto palms! Ghetto palms, I'm out to get you!
The 8 acre field can be rotated with

cover crops of warm season grasses that encourage the quail habitat (as well as leaving strips here & there in the fields, and other quail / wildlife management practices)
potatoes, garlic, onions: With friends we can plant the field, then harvest it together, keeping enough for our families and donating the rest to the Society of St. Andrews. I mean, why glean (although I do look forward to doing that with my friend Peggy, what fun combined with hard work on a gorgeous weekend!) when you could actually plant a field for hunger? (Also note: store bought potatoes have one of the biggest carbon footprints as they often travel quite far to reach the consumer. They're so easy to grow, try growing your own in your back yard!)
eventually move to the Rodale Institute's cover crop roller. Currently we have a tractor with a bush hog and blade.

There is a smaller field downhill from the home site we could irrigate with rainwater... we've tossed around ideas of growing some kind of crop there, like asparagus... but the reality is that as it is much deeper in the woods it will be much more accessible to wildlife... but it's something to think about...
I would love a root cellar in which to store food.
...and, I admit, we have a hankering for mid-century coolio functional cooking grills- purposeful practicality with kickin' design. YES I realize this is a murky area, in which I struggle. Half o' me is survivalist (heck my family has survived here for hundreds of years), half of me is forward thinkin' design, and half (fine I never said I was good at math!) o' me wants a third option from the solar cooker and propane marine stove. I mean, if the weed tree is felled, why not use it? (Or not? Considering.)
Handsome Husband and the casa ti green building architect, David Day thought it would be plenty fun to have our friends hang on the slope next to the east side of the house in the evening and project old movies onto that north-east side of the house. They were even tossing around words like, "amphitheater." We'll see.
They're such romantics. Which is why I love 'em. Which is why they're both more talented than I. : )
We've already planted apple trees around the shed, and I was pleased to see they are all in bloom and healthy! In a few years we can invite friends over to pick apples!

Now I also must remind myself that we are on a STRICT BUDGET. So maybe most of these ideas will not happen for years. But in the meantime, here are a BUNCH of land pictures, so that the Virginia landscape architect Heather Barber can get a better feel of the entry, field, and area surrounding the modern house kit. I commented on many of the photos, so if there is something that interests you, click on it to see it larger, and with commentary.

We also met with Ron Bernaldo, also known as The Most Fabulous Contractor In The History of the World about our next steps. I can not re-iterate enough how critical having a knowledgeable, experienced contractor has been to the success of our house kit completion. The house kit itself erected easily; but the decisions we had to make as consumers, making the modern off grid house kit "our own"- could not have been affordably or successfully achieved without a contractor like Ron.

Regarding our green building progress, as I mentioned we start again framing the interior, then move on to solar and rainwater collection integration. And THEN we move to interior design of the house kit. Married to a fellow design enthusiast, living our role as house building consumers, I suspect there *might* be design fights ahead.

The first hint came when Handsome Husband nailed up some old sconces. Yes, they do help light the interior of the unfinished SIPs - exposed house kit, but... um...
Fortunately they dribbled wax onto his pristine-just-polished concrete floor so I suspect that will be that. But we shall see... never underestimate Handsome Husband.

So maybe I should start a new blog category, called, "design fight" just in case...

In the meantime, here are a few more pictures of the zero energy modern house, it was a *lovely* weekend on the land!

CHICKUNZ Went To Visit The Board of Supervisors.

2009-04-15T07:31:00.019-04:00

CHICKUNZ went to pay a visit to Henrico's Board of Supervisors last night. We waited over five grueling hours to be heard. You see, last year when I raised the issue for Henrico county to consider more sustainable strategies and allow residents to have laying hens, the response was a resounding, "We will not address this issue, it has been decided."

So here it is, spring again, and I decided to take another tactic: use the public comment period to show that their constituents really do want laying hens and more sustainable rights to produce their own food, responsibly, in residential back yards.

Of course the night in question was one of the most contentious, emotional, and long meetings of the year! Yes it was loooooooooong. And I had a fever. But ultimately I was glad to witness the large participation of citizens, having public discourse with their representatives, and, even when I differ in opinion, give kudos to the Board of Supervisors for all their hard work and deep commitment to their community.

As I mentioned, it was AFTER ELEVEN P.M. when we finally rose to speak.

By then, there were about ten of us. I only knew two of the parties, so please, if you were there, please comment and introduce yourself so we can find you again, and please join FaceBook's CHICKUNZ page to stay connected and aware of next steps locally.

First, I spoke. Fortunately for you I can't remember what I said. I do recall I mentioned that like many of the families there tonight, I too was a mother, there to speak for her family's best interests, that it was critical to feed the mind with good education (many had spoken in favor of new schools), but to not forget it was just as important to feed our bodies with good food, and that in these dire economic times constituents deserve the right to be as sustainable as possible.

I mentioned that they needn't re-invent the wheel: just copy zoning that is in effect in cities and counties throughout the United States- including L.A., Brooklyn, Atlanta, Portland, Seattle, and more!

Next, George Lansing spoke about the awards his family company, Days of Old Herb Farm, won at the Maymont Flower and Garden Show for his Victory Egg Garden which contained, yes, a coop and hens. Thousands of garden enthusiasts saw that award-winning garden, yet most likely none of them could legally have that sustainable, egg-producing garden!

Next, (please forgive me I did not write your names down and if you contact me I will change this accordingly!) a woman spoke about her desire for poultry, that it didn't make sense that zoning requires a coop to be set back from homes 400 feet away (over a football field length!) when a chicken only needs 10 square feet of space.

A gentleman spoke about how, in his public policy class at the University of Richmond, he chose the topic of local food production and was concerned about our community's sustainability, that while studying hunger and disaster preparation, he believed that by allowing residents to be sustaininable they would be preparing their constituents for the coming years of tough economic times and threats to food production globally.

A woman stood up.

"I want to tell you that those predictions of which he just spoke are not in coming years, they are NOW. I have lost my job. My husband has taken a ten percent pay cut to keep his job. We want to eat well. We can not afford organic eggs. Please allow us to feed ourselves by granting us the right to have chickens, to provide ourselves with sustenance."

This woman and all the others in our community in the same situation are why I'm fighting.

It would be easy to surreptitiously have my laying hens. But the larger issue is that our community NEEDS and deserves the right to be sustainable and self-supporting as possible.

Our comment period closed with Mrs. Lansing reminding the board that there have been no avian flu cases transferred from chickens to humans, and that we ask for responsible zoning, not large flocks of messy birds.

Well, we spoke. The Board of Supervisors listened. Now let's make sure they heard.

As Mr. Lansing points out in his email regarding last night:

"I didn't get in until 1am. The Henrico Board of Supervisors heard about five of the dozen people who attended, but we had to wait until 11pm to speak.

I closed by asking them if any of them wanted to lead the other metropolitan areas of central VA by making a motion tonight to amend the zoning laws. The Chairman of the board seemed a little surprised at my assertiveness and said that would be subject to the zoning boards recommendations and no one made a motion. I do believe we have some real support here but I also do not believe anything will happen until enough noise is made by Henrico citizens voicing their concern about changing zoning guidelines.

The time is NOW to get Henrico to make these changes, take this momentum to the other counties and watch free Americans take greater control of their gastrointestinal future! ; )

Here's what we need to do:
When I or one of you have time, post the names, emails, and phone numbers of all the members of the board.
Generate grass roots efforts NOW to contact the county supervisor in your area to make these changes.. This can be email, snail mail, phone, or in person. Be polite and give some solid reasons why this would benefit both the county and their citizens.
If you don't live in the county, try to call someone you know who does, and have them contact their supervisor.
We have a base of activists to help direct this change throughout central VA. The momentum is building, but we need the help of many more. Everyone does not have to attend board meetings into the night, but please do what you can. You would be surprised to realize how few people it takes to make real change. I will try to comment with more detailed info in a couple of days when it is not 1am.

George Lansing"

Copeland's note: The list of Henrico Board of Supervisors and their contact information may be found here: http://www.co.henrico.va.us/supervisors/

Please contact them now, tell them what sustainable urban livestock means to you, how it can help our community, and that their constituents DO support the right to responsible, small scale food production!

Modern House Kit Update- Architect David Day & Family Visit The casa ti!

2009-04-06T08:35:00.046-04:00

We were SO excited for David Day and his family to visit! As you may know, the green building architect David Day is the designer of our zero energy, passive solar casa ti house kit.

Now finding our land is not easy. I had emailed a map, but felt it best to take my new recycled dirt bike from Richmond Re-cycles and pedal down the drive to the road for a trial spin to see how visible the yellow rope we hung as a marker was for a car. Imagine my surprise when, as I returned to the house kit, I heard a gentle beep behind me, turned around, and there was the Day family right there, already on the land!

They tumbled out, and the children promptly found the dirt hill, sand, and creeks. They have been very busy making "a campfire," "a kitchen," (on the sand pile) and "food." Yes, sand, twigs, and rock food which was served to us and was *absolutely delicious,* while David Day and his lovely wife Kerri sat down with Handsome Husband and myself for a beer at the picnic table to discuss the off grid house.

David was very, very happy with how the house kit had been completed, by the way, and I have asked him to give an architect's response some time later this week to share with you. I just loved seeing him smile as he walked around the modern house he designed, and when he got HIS camera out and started taking pictures... that was a moment I'll always cherish.

Now that we have a little more shelter than my beloved aluminum teardrop camper in which we have camped for four years through all seasons, we are starting to finally meet more neighbors. Earlier that day, we met Peter Scott, a neighbor whose family bought over 100 acres on our road over three generations ago. He met Handsome Husband on the road as he was trying to make the driveway more noticeable for the Day family to find, and we invited him in for a tour of our passive solar house. I was wondering what an old school guy would think of the off grid house but... he loved it! He totally got it! He walked around and nodded his head as we explained the passive solar functionality, the practical concrete floors that also provided thermal mass, our plans for landscaping. We loved his deep knowledge, ready smile, and stories of the generations of families and land along our road- we learned his family used to farm what is now our land, and that it was traditionally planted with grasses and corn. We really hit it off with Mr. Scott- especially when he started talking about barbecue, and how his family starts at 4 a.m. to begin their roasts, and the detailed traditions they have in creating each community barbecue... I know we have found a good friend and look forward to having his family over when we have friends over and cook for a crowd!

Now this was also the first time we had visited since Handsome Husband sealed the floor. It made ALL the difference- I will never need a vacuum cleaner, a push broom EASILY cleaned the dirt and dust after a busy weekend neatly into a pile, easily finished with a dustpan and brush. We will probably add one more layer of sealant after the inside construction is finished, but really, it could last for years as is. David Day also mentioned we could wax it as well, something we might consider.

The weekend was mild, but at night it went down to the 30's. Inside the house kit, still with no systems installed, it remained 58 degrees. According to Handsome Husband, the zero energy house lost only six degrees from sundown till sunup. By 8:30 the next morning it was already 60 degrees. I wonder if that was not so much due to the sun rising, as it was still early, as much as the fact that little children and dogs were racing around like atoms colliding in the zero energy house! You really do understand the passive house reports where body warmth is pretty much all that is needed. With warm blankets and comfy clothes, we could easily not have to use our solar energy to heat the house except for very few times of the year.

We had a lovely weekend, but again felt the deep desire to "just move in!" The good news is that the interior begins again after Easter - and no, we can not wait. : ) In the meantime we dragged out an old trunk I have used since college in New York to keep kitchen things in, and a portable closet given to us when friends moved away to store coats and pillows and sheets in, so that we don't have to keep carting everything back and forth.

In the pre-dawn, as I listened to the coyotes howl (coyote here are the size of shepherds), I admit that as much as I miss camping in my camper it is nice to have my family safe within the modern home's strong structural insulated panels...

Oh, by the way, I have some good news regarding house kit tours / annual open house days! Keep September 26-27th on your calendar, because I am going to line up some fun farm tours, a house kit open house and more around Charlotte County's Heartland Bike Tour. There is so many history sites and cultural things to do, and you can even ride your bike, camp out, and more! I also plan to have regular "open house" days seasonally where I choose a date where interesting, fun & historical events are going on in the community so you can not only tour the house kit but make it a destination weekend in Virginia. Within fifteen miles of the land there is founding father (Patrick Henry's Red Hill), civil war, and civil rights history so plenty to see and learn.
So stay tuned...

On our way home, I thought it would be fun to take some photographs to show y'all our little town...

And on the drive home, I took pictures of the landscape, reminding us all why we all need to preserve and value these landscapes and see it as a national resource. Just an hour away, development encroaches with mass grading, ticky-tacky inefficient developments, and no respect for what may be our most valuable asset, our land. Remember: without local farms there is no local food...

So here are our house kit, little town, and driving home pictures, below! I hope you enjoy!
(I added lots of comments to the pictures so if you see something that interests you please click on the picture to see a larger version with comments.)

Our little town:

And the pretty scenes we pass:

Children, Creativity, and Decorating Your Own Cathedral.

2009-03-28T12:16:00.017-04:00

When Bethe Almeras sent me her post Decorating Your Own Cathedral, I had no idea it would spark such a response! But it reinforces what I believe- that there's a lot to do for children if you provide them with nothing.

I love the analogy of cathedral - you should see the architectural “scenes” our 4 year old has set up all over the house- EVERYTHING is a staged scene with animals grouped with furniture and blankets to create a finished piece…

But along with creativity I think we should also mention the lack of “stimulation” can be a critical ingredient. Or what people today think of as “nothing.”

Our 4 & 6 year old have very little access to tv (general rule is tv only if you have a fever), and no video games. They do not know what Saturday morning cartoons are.

So, for example, today, on a Saturday, they have spent hours constructing an elaborate “set” of tiny dolls, My Little Ponies (all purchased, recycled, from Thrift Stores), our furniture, blankets, plants (sigh, my prized orchid has ponies and unicorns on it…)…
which resulted in one huge scene filled with minute detail of micro-interactions that created a whole.

Would they have the attention span to achieve that amount of detail if they sat their childhood away in front of tv?

Similarly, their afternoons are spent in the backyard with no entertainment except for what they can make or find. Endless days of hunting caterpillars, digging holes… sometimes I watch them, dogs by their side, just slowly pace the yard, looking… And then they come to me with questions, and learn.

As I drove to kindergarten yesterday, the preschooler piped happily as we passed signs of spring: “Forsythia! Grapefruit pears! (That’s what she calls Bradford pears) Cherry trees! Pine tree-Pine tree-Pine tree-Pine tree-Pine tree… Grapefruit pear!”

And I thought about children who can’t identify a tree.
To identify a tree takes observation, study, pondering its differences to then settle on a species’ traits that match what you see.

So creativity, yes!
But I also think that much creativity comes from the stillness of settled quiet, which then allows thoughts to gather, form, then spark something new.

(Not to go off topic but I also wanted to say… sorry for being so verbose! This is why I should be relegated to Twitter, at least then I have to stick to 140 characters…)

P.s. Regarding Charrise’s comment on “teaching kids fear”- our children also know what black widows and copperheads look like, that they always need to be with the pack because of the coyotes, to bring your whistle in the field during hunting season so when you hear a shotgun blast you can let ‘em know you’re there (and to NEVER walk the woods then!)…

How has reality affected them?
Practical and aware of real life issues, yes.

Fearful, they are not.

In fact, only one of them has had a nightmare, once.
Whereas most parenting books have chapters on “when nightmares begin.”
Could it be the incidence of nightmares increased in children with the exposure to tv and video games?

Even when my children see tv now, the Heffalumps in Winnie The Pooh make them turn away- *that’s* scary to them.

Reality? Yes, it’s scary in a different way- but they are secure in their pack, that their pack is there protecting them, and, with their knowledge of real scary things, feel in control to prevent that bad thing from occurring.

Hence freeing them to hunt caterpillars and dig worms with their dogs for hours.

Heeeeyyyyyy Hey Hey Hey Hey, Concrete Is Sealed

2009-03-25T07:32:00.013-04:00

This weekend HandsomeHusband will again brave the elements and lonesome trail to the land to seal the concrete. Hopefully, we will be singing praise for his success when he returns from his journey!

As he so fascinatingly puts it:
"Great. Drive out, roll on sealer, go to shed, sort the VMI basketball floor boards for eight hours, put on second coat of sealer, then drive home by myself. Good times!"

But look on the bright side!
We'll be singing, Heeeeeyyyyyyyy Hey Hey Hey Hey, Concrete Is Sealed...

Earlier this week I spoke with Ron, our handsome contractor who is in Florida loving on his grandbabies, about the concrete sealant application, and here is what he said:

"I went to Lowe's- there is a product by Qwikrete I bought. It says it serves 800ish sf but buy two and expect to take one back, it went further than I expected. Don’t get a plastic paint pan- check because I don’t think you can put it in a plastic pan, so you might need to get metal.

The paint roller- I liked the ½ inch nub – don’t get the regular paint-your-walls thickness. If you use that with a broom handle it works well for covering the floor.

When it rolls on, know that it’s milky but will dry clear. Also don’t roll it on too thick- I would say it’s better to do two thin coats than one thick coat because if it’s too thick it will start to pull up as you roller it.

It says to stay off of it for 8 hours to dry so you will want to think about what y’all will be doing with the children and dogs that day…"

Instead of Qwickrete we decided to use Eco Tuff:

"Eco-Tuff tm Industrial Floor Coating is the world's leading environmentally compliant safety coating that outperforms all other floor coating products. The advanced formulation of cross-linking modified acrylics, urethanes, and co-polymers delivers a Green Building compliant safety coating with superior durability, flexibility and safety. Available in 17 standard colors.

Eco-Tuff is a single component, zero VOC, ultra tough waterproof coating material. There are no hazardous ingredients, is non-flammable and virtually odorless. It is engineered for the most extreme environments from freezing cold temperatures to the hottest climates around the world. It is capable of withstanding abrasion, UV, chemicals, hot tire pick-up, and submersible applications."

I also had a discussion on SIPs and concrete with the SIPs manufacturer, and he had some good advice for determining when the concrete was cured enough / dry enough to seal. Here are his words:

"When you have a poured concrete slab foundation, moisture is coming out for the first 30 days (at least- especially when you poured when you did and now have the saturated ground emanating moisture).

I recommend taking about a 1 sf piece of plastic and let it sit on the concrete for about two days. If, when you lift up that plastic, you are still getting a lot of moisture, then you should let the concrete dry out a little more before sealing."

Great advice! Hope that helps someone out there!

House Kit Update: MUD

2009-03-23T10:22:00.012-04:00

I would like to present a Medal of Valor to HandsomeHusband, who, when the family came down with fever and colds all weekend, braved the elements and viruses and went to the land to clean the mud off of the house kit's concrete floor.

If any of you are thinking "Oh it's no big deal, we'll just clean it all later..." when constructing our house kit with an unsealed concrete floor, I have one word for you: Don't. Clean it asap, seal it, and then you won't have to spend EIGHT hours alone scraping and wiping and mopping mud off of your floor.
Just ask HandsomeHusband.

And remember: This zero energy house is off grid, and the systems aren't hooked up yet, so HandsomeHusband had no running water, much less faucets, to tap into. He just had the water he had brought, and the creek.

So let's all take a moment to commend him, and... feel his pain. : )
Enjoy!

(P.s. For those of you with sharp, sharp eyes: That's also why I haven't washed the mud that is on one of the south top cladding panels off yet- I will get to it in the next week or so...)

We were also excited this week to be featured on PrefabCosm - a directory of prefab homes.

Oh, when HandsomeHusband mentions potato chips, it is because some crumbs fell from the table last week and we were amazed that the fat from the potato chips was sucked into the concrete, making a stain that was obviously difficult to remove.

So make sure to seal your house kit concrete quickly! : ) Lesson learned.

Green Building Is Dead

2009-03-15T12:52:00.019-04:00

I just read a post by Paul Eldrencamp entitled, "Green Building Is Dead."

When I first skimmed it, I indignantly thought, "Well maybe he should try making buildings that work." Then I read it again, and again... and stewed on his credentials... and I have to say I agree, and am very much looking forward to reading his posts on this subject.

As a longterm fan of, and volunteer for, historic preservation groups and history nonprofits, I value historic preservation and how it can benefit a locale's charm and become a resource, promoting character vs. another bland "could be anywhere" cityscape for the community.

I am also a fan of what has been recently termed "Refab." Lloyd Alter's take on Refab Philosophy is practical and right on the (frugal waste-ye-not) money. (You may have noticed that I'm BIG on practical livin'...) ; )

I sell buildings.
I sell buildings that are passive solar design, that are supposed to function, to work.
How do I reconcile this with my preservation / non-waste philosophy?

Maybe we should look at crop tree release.

If we approach construction as we do crop tree release, we might be able to help our industry flourish by removing the ineffective, non-functional "weed" buildings, while preserving the ones that are of value. In crop tree release,

"...woodland owners have many different reasons for owning and managing their woodlands. Some desire woodlands that provide habitat for a variety of wildlife. Others want a woodland that supports particular types of recreation such as hiking, hunting, and bird watching. Still others want to harvest timber and non-timber products from their woods for home and farm use or to provide periodic income. Most aspire to maintain or improve the health, vigor, and attractiveness of their forest. For many private woodland owners, the ability of their woodlands to provide these and many other values can be enhanced through crop tree management. " (from http://ohioline.osu.edu/for-fact/0050.html)

Now I'm no timber-er. But using crop tree release I will better the woods and land, benefiting the wildlife and strenthening the ecosystem.

Maybe we should look at construction business models:

Does your business sell to people who come to you with an existing need, where you provide a product that will work for generations or
Do you develop blocks of buildings people might not need or want that do not take smart-growth or passive solar design into consideration?
Are you building to just sell or fufilling a specific asked-for need?
Does your business mass grade soil on land parcels?
What does your business do to reduce waste?
Do your architects design for the product (i.e. the width of a SIPs panel) utilized vs. cutting, creating waste?
Do you encourage reuse and recycled materials when possible?

These are my first thoughts, and I look forward to musing over Mr. Eldrencamp's writing more. What do YOU think?

Passive Solar House Kit - In it, we camped!

2009-03-08T19:38:00.063-04:00

Still no interior walls (Ron is off building his pastor's house who needs to move in by Easter), but that did not deter us from camping in the house kit.

After four years of camping in the tiny-but-fantastic 1960s aluminum Scotty camper, I have to admit it was nice to lug a bunch o' the camping equipment from the Scotty to reuse in the open, spacious off grid modern house. As I pulled the practical, necessary camping equipment we had relied on for years from our beloved camper, I looked at it anew and realized that a lot of camping equipment is not eco-friendly! When we bought the necessary equipment years ago, it was because the folding chairs, storage tubs, cutting boards, machete knife cases, blaze orange hunting hats/gear were IMPERATIVE to have in an isolated place when camping through all seasons.

Now, in the comfort of the house kit, I'm looking at all this and thinking, "Man. If someone made environmentally friendly affordable camping gear they would make a FORTUNE!"

(Hmmmm. HMMMMM...
...
Nah, I already have too many jobs. But YOU do it!)

I was gone all Saturday at a social media conference nearby, so when I returned the mattresses had been blown up, the sheets and blankets were on, the "solar soldiers" (as we call the solar exterior lights) charged from a day in the sun, and two happy pipsqueaks were jumping and playing in their new passive solar living space.

Just seeing the queen-sized air mattresses in the still-not-framed-in bedrooms gave me a better idea of the room dimensions. Setting out the beds, the card table, chairs along the east side, really gives us a sense of the future finished space. It's perfect. It's open, filled with natural light, yet warm, cozy, interactive without being cramped. I can't wait to see it more furnished. It's getting very hard not to jump ahead and move in.

It had snowed over ten inches earlier this week...
The ground was wet and there was mud.
Oh, was there MUD.
A LOTTA mud.

I swept muddy dog tracks, children tracks, my tracks, his tracks.
(This is starting to read like a Dr. Seuss book, no? Say it ten times quickly.)
Aaaaaand was grateful we had chosen the smooth take-it-all concrete instead of frou-frou bamboo.
(I would have spent the rest of my life trying to protect that floor. It would have been awful. I would have been miserable.)

Yet, just days after a major snowfall, it was so warm this weekend we opened wide the doors wide and WOW could you feel the cross breeze- I can not wait to spend time here in spring! The dogs naturally gravitate to the passive solar sunbeams in the concrete thermal mass- and love surveying their kingdom from the open doorways while listing against the frame, half awake, in the sun.

I went for a nice long (muddy) walk with the 4 year old, watching while she measured creeks with her stick, surveyed the breached pond, and climbed hills with the dogs. A lot of trees had been downed from the heavy snow, so we had to cut some. Don't worry, the ones that fell were scrappy young ones that weren't part of the crop tree release strategy we have. We will never timber; but are trying to help prune and encourage healthy growth of the woods through selection so they can grow strong vs. competing for resources with weed trees.

It was good to hear the frogs.
They, and the bees, have had a rough few years. So to hear them peeping so exhuberantly in March was glorious. (Listen to video, below...)
I remember a few years ago on my family farm noticing that the pond was quiet, the 35' deep pond where I grew up fishing and canoeing and swimming and... listening to peepers. It was so strange to hear the blowing of the wind, the water, and, on that day, no frogs.

Frogs are loud. My entire life had, until then, been filled with the cacophony of peepers and bullfrogs. So to hear the frogs so loudly happy on "the land" gives me hope.

On Sunday, I spent a good bit of time curled up in a chair, reading fifteen year old issues of Countryside Magazine given to us by Ron & Judy while the children and dogs played.

Now HandsomeHusband, I will remind you, is from a large European city. He delighted in the scouting camera he had erected on a nearby tree and what it revealed: two deer stopping by to check out the off grid house kit! I'm including some of that here too.
: )

Here are more pictures, below, than you would EVER want to see of our fun weekend camping in the off grid zero energy modern house kit!
Just click on 'em to get the large version and captions!
(And some videos o' frogs and passive solar musings, below.
Hey, it was a fun, muddy weekend. : )
)

Letter To The Editor

2009-03-04T10:18:00.007-05:00

Dear House Kit People,
Despite the biggest March snowstorm that has kept my children out of school for three days, the weather forecast predicts temperatures in the 70s this weekend! So we plan to camp in the house kit, still without interior walls or systems installed.

Expect many more photographs and inside shots this coming week...
: )
In the meantime, I was excited to see my Letter To The Editor was published in today's Richmond Times - Dispatch!

So, thought I'd share:

Keeping Chickens Would Help The Family Budget
Editor, Times-Dispatch:

I enjoyed the recent article on the sustainable elements in the MAC Events Hme Show / Maymont Garden Show, especially the Victory Egg Garden by Days of Old Herb Farm. However, readers should know that unlike Seattle, Brooklyn, Atlanta and even Los Angeles, Richmond and counties like Henrico do not allow laying hens in our average backyards.

With the Food Bank empty and many families out of work, we should have the right to responsibly have a few laying hens in our gardens to provide our families with fresh eggs, and one or two mini-goats (about 50 pounds) for milk. In Henrico, I can legally have three 200-pound mastiffs in the same back yard, yet I can't have a few hens. I encourage everyone to contact his or her city council or board of supervisors to ask why they are denying constiuents the right to sustainability.

Copeland Casati
Richmond

I am feeling very civic minded today! Hope you enjoyed. : )

Last Vintage Hat Friday!

2009-02-27T10:00:00.011-05:00

Yes (tolling bells slowly across the land)...
It is the last Vintage Hat Friday.

Vintage Hat Friday helped us to bear those dark winter days in the workplace, an excuse to celebrate second-use clothes and show that you can be stylish and reused savvy in the workplace!

But now our work breaks turn towards spring- where you will find us crouched over cold frames eagerly tending the first crop of the season.

So, in the spirit of Vintage Hat Friday, we thought we'd end with a twist:
For all you loyalists, we decided to SWITCH OUTFITS of previously shown vintage duds!
So thaz right, peeps- Amy is wearing one of MY outfits, and I am wearing one of HERS!

So who ya gonna vote for NOW?
(Vote For Meeeee! ; ) )

Amy: Ode To Scrap Bar, NYC!

So this is it folks, the last 08-09 Vintage Hat Friday, and I’m trying very hard to look disenchanted with the establishment. I have to admit, I thought that cutting up shirts was something people in the 80’s did because they wanted to look tough, or perhaps just show cotton who’s boss, but frankly, it’s darned comfy. About 5 minutes after getting into this getup I started cataloging the shirts I have that could stand a little scissor action.

So, why should you vote for me? Well, I’ve managed to not only squeeze my size 8.5 feet into Copeland’s ladylike size 7 platform Converse sneakers, but I have done so with an injured toe! (Hey, she’s gonna play the “woe is my I skinned my knee!” card, so I’ve got to employ countermeasures where I can!) And then managed to climb on top of the vintage Lane chest without falling off! Since I’m more accident prone than a dizzy knife juggling clown that is quite the accomplishment.

I have never attempted to ‘stick it to the man’ before, but I seem to be managing pretty well J Look, I even put on extra eyeliner for you today! I’m going to miss our time together on Fridays, but hopefully we’ll see you again next fall for… Vintage Hat Friday! (Vote for Me!)

Copeland: “Social Net-Working?”
This hat gives new meaning to networking. I love the details, and the way it shows so nicely against the pink hair.

Now on Amy, this outfit looked rather prim and '50s.
But I am TOTALLY feeling the New Wave 80s vibe when I put these digs on!

I feel elegant in a "I'm off to The Ritz to see the Flock of Seagulls" kinda way.

So, Don't.
Don't You Want Me...

The skinned knee? (Flutters eyelashes) I wasn't going to mention it, but SINCE Amy did, yes, I had an office mishap earlier this week.
It was a rather spectacular wipe out...
I wish we had filmed it!

So vote for me, Miz Wounded Knee Social Networking New Wave Princess Gal!

Forgive me.

2009-02-24T19:24:00.067-05:00

This has to be the (ok fine *one of the...*) weirdest post ever.
But, two things happened:
The venerable Jetson Green featured us on the home page of their site...
and
on twitter, the subject of crock pots came up, discussing the fact that they are SO energy efficient they only take about the energy of a light bulb to cook.

I'm gonna combine these subjects, and throw in a few more twists.
: )

Even before I was an ardent solar cooker, I loved to cook.
Now I was a late-blooming chef...
In my 20's a bunch o' boyz from Italy (as in, really from Italy) finally cried "sacrilege" and forced me to learn a basic marinara sauce when they, in my East Village New Yawk apartment, could no longer stand to see this Southern Gal, hungry and in mid-sentence, absentmindedly open a can of condensed cream-o-mushroom soup and eat it, lukewarm, with a spoon.
Their mommas sent in recipes, with a little about their family history in each one. I learned to cook.

I've embraced food since then.
And I have the Italian Moms' handwritten recipes carefully bound, so the old ways will, even if they have to be passed through some skanky Virginia Southern Girl way, survive.

Now this whole crock pot topic on twitter reminded me of some fantastic resources. My favorite is collecting vintage cookbooks, picking them up at yard sales and thrift stores. I have shelves full of great, down-home recipes from the days before microwaves where budget-minded farmers passed on thrifty, delicious culinary secrets. I cherish the old "foreign food" cookbooks- their recipes are true to the cultures, and you quickly recognize the use of how local, seasonal ingredients are critical to defining their culture.

In the 90s, trollin' around the internet, I discovered some fantastic online resources.
So, twitter people, here are some great sources for recipes from my old school internet days.

Please remember that I never follow directions. I'm a bandit, y'know...
A smidgen here, a dash o' something there...
But these are some great crock pot sources/recipes I've tried, and you can then search the base domain to find others if you're vegan, etc.:

http://www.recipesource.com/main-dishes/crockpot/ The SOAR database has been compiling great recipes from many cultures and communites for ages. Check 'em out.

Fave crock pot recipes include: (You'll have to look 'em up on title as they've switched links since I, long ago, printed 'em out:)

Chicken & Wine / Dumplings, Martha Sheppard, Oct 1996
Brunch Casserole, Nancy Miller
Braised Beef In Crock Pot, AWilson
Cauliflower and Potato Curry (Vegan)
(Basically you're getting good stuff at SOAR- I tried many recipes & loved 'em! Full of cultures and communities!!!)

Red Wine Mushroom Ragout: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Red-Wine-Mushroom-Ragout-1628 My handwritten notes say, "I added potatoes, did in crock pot the night before (minus tomatoes) then cooked with tomatoes the next day in crock pot."
This one's for Leah, my sistah who is a naturopath in Portland and dared me to bring up aspic: Oh yes, aspic: Ham Mousse In Sherry Aspic: (popular in the '60s I hear...and still doin' QUITE WELL in the south thank-you-very-much...)

Now, there was this super site, World Wide Recipe Chef, to whom I subscribed.
It was twitter/blogs for food before there was twitter. Or blogs. Blogs didn't exist.

World Wide Recipe Chef was sent out via email. This guy (and all the people that contributed to it from all around the world) stands in my heart. What he did was combine recipes with people's oral history: people wrote down their stories and memories to submit with their food.

Each month The Recipe Chef would have a theme, and would also open it up to readers for their contributions and stories. If you enjoy reading, cookin' and learnin'... I highly recommend The Recipe Chef. It's been a long time, but I suspect he's still going strong. : ) Try him out!!!! If you enjoy learning about other people and their cultures and traditions, all in stories with a recipe to match, this guy's for you. : )

I can't begin to tell you all the contributions and stories the readers sent in with fantastic recipes from all over the world *with their stories* So what are ya waitin' fer? If you enjoy people, cooking, and local history passed on to others, then this is a good site for you!

One theme led to the following contribution, which I have carried with me... awhile.
Please listen.

A Recipe For Om Fried Rice:
Please direct any questions about this recipe to the author.
From: Ted Parker

Biographical Note: Ted Parker, male, 52. Bichon Friese, Collie, one old cat. Doing my second twenty years as a weapon system analyst (specializing in command and control communications systems), presently working the Patriot missile system contract. First twenty years was as an Army officer (military intelligence and staff type assignments). Oregon State University, 1969, History and Naval Science. Pretty much grew up at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. This recipe comes from an earlier period in my life:

Om Fried Rice (Korean)

In an earlier incarnation, I once spent a very long year in Korea. Up near the Demilitarized Zone, just outside a little village named Tongduchon. I was in the Army, then, a brand-new First Lieutenant assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division;

Second to none,
First to run,
We won't fight,
And you can't make us.

Korea was not a good place to be, then. Vietnam was just winding down. We had an Army almost as divided as the country was at that time. A lot of racial tension. A lot of rancor between the officers and the enlisted men - although neither of us wanted to be there. I think we all felt that we had somehow stepped off the face of the earth. That we were forgotten.

I lived in the Bachelor Officer's Quarters. Cinderblock building, tin roof. Needing paint and repair. Eight by ten foot room. A small cot, a small desk, a couple of steel lockers. Very BIG speakers and a nice stereo receiver. Turntable. Huge Teac reel-to-reel tape deck. Showers (and, during the day, laundry room) down the hall. I paid a houseboy eight dollars a month to clean my room, wash my clothes and shine my boots every day.

Right across the small street was the Officer's Club. Home away from home... Bar/Lounge. Mailroom. Barbershop. Theater. Officers Open Mess (where you ate when you had to). And the little snack bar, tucked into a corner (where you ate when you could afford it). Nearly everything in our small lives, under one small roof.

Mr. Ho ran the snack bar. Little old Korean guy, spoke maybe ten words of English. Made incredible Om Fried Rice:

1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/3 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/2 small onion, diced
1/3 cup diced ham
1/4 cup peanut oil
hot pepper oil to taste
very coarsely ground black pepper to taste
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the rice in as little water as possible. Drain and let stand for a couple of hours.

To a large frying pan or griddle, add a generous splash of oil. Saute carrots briefly, dousing liberally with hot pepper oil - this dish should make you sweat a bit. Add onions and saute until translucent (still just slightly crunchy). Add ham and heat through. Add rice and toss thoroughly to mix. Salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer fried rice to a plate; keeping warm. Lightly beat egg and season with salt and coarse ground pepper to taste. Add oil to pan if needed. Pour in the beaten egg and swirl in the pan, making a large and very thin disk. When the top glazes, carefully fold (like a pie crust) and remove from pan. Carefully unfold the fried egg over the rice on the plate, like a tent. Serve immediately. Serves 1 (appropriately).

When you have eaten your Om Fried Rice, go out into the garage.
Listen to some bad music on a radio station that just barely comes in.
Watch a rerun of an old movie (must be black and white) on a small-screen television. Turn the power off about halfway through your movie. Drink at least half a bottle of cheap booze, then crawl out to the storage shed in the back yard. Go to sleep, knowing that the Om Fried Rice was probably the best thing to happen to you all week.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Mr. Parker, I will drink lukewarm Pabst Blue Ribbon in your honor this weekend.
Thank you for sharing a moment in your life that, for me, captured an era in history.
In the end, it's about the people.
Isn't that what the internet is about, any-hoo?
And thank you, Jetson Green, for following our story.

Passive Solar Modern House - Energy Efficient House Kit Update

2009-02-21T19:45:00.035-05:00

It was in the low- to mid- forties when we arrived on the land and incredibly windy... but inside the modern passive house kit it was a cozy mid-sixty-ish.

Now don't forget that while we may have the exterior weather-tight, we have not yet hooked up systems. So that nice warmth was generated purely by the passive solar design.

This was the first day I have been able to take pictures of the finished structural insulated panels house kit exterior, so I went a little overboard- any of you whom have wondered what the completed outside looks like, well, you have more pictures than you could ever want to satisfy your curiosity. : )

I hope you enjoy 'em as much as I do!

I also apologize for some of the blurred photos- I will take better pictures and buy another 'cheap land camera I can get muddy and not cry about when the 6 year old drops it *again*'- it is clear it has been dropped one too many times.

As I mentioned, it was a very windy, brisk, February day; but inside the modern house it was calm, peaceful. Natural sunlight filtered in and filled the space in a wonderful way.

Really, there's no need for lighting except in the evening in my opinion.

Even without interior walls, the family naturally groups itself in areas of that main common space- we have thrown a fold up table and chairs on the west side where our dining area will eventually be, and some chairs and blankets for sleepy children on the east side where they naturally snuggle down and cuddle with the light falling on them, keeping them warm and secure feeling, as they rest.

I loved how I could (finally!) sit down at the card table and skim a homesteading magazine *while* having a nice view of the children and dogs playing in the dirt, see them, hear them, yet while they ran wild, everything was so calm and cozy where I sat...

Next we paint the west door black, and finish insulating around the foundation by putting foam all around the foundation that is currently exposed in these pictures.

Once that is done, the massive hill of dirt that my children have much enjoyed (yes I rue the day I tell them this) will be pushed back to infill around the house kit.

We also move on to framing the interior, then installing off grid solar and rainwater systems.

But more on that later, in the meantime, enjoy the beautiful day!

Below you will see a slideshow (click to get the bigger version that also has more detailed captions) plus some fun videos I made...

Oh, and yes, my Handsome Husband *did* run out and get us another camera after all these blurred pictures... : )

Ironically because the light was streaming in so brightly from the windows, the camera overcompensated these interior videos so they show darker than what it was in real life. In fact, I think all the pictures are darker as well. I'll take better videos / pictures next weekend...

My dogs were trying to tell me to let them inside as I made this video of the inside...
Look at that last frame, Khan rounding the corner while Pacha is telling me to Let. Them. In!

Here I talk about our vintage camper that, for four years now, has been our sole shelter here. We camp pretty much from early March until late November/mid December in that unheated camper... but cramming four people in there was getting pretty crazy and it is going to make a world of difference to now be able to be here year round in a house. (This video was made *last* weekend hence my reference to the unseasonably warm day- this weekend, it was your typical February temperatures!)

Vintage Hat Friday! And lotsa house kit pics this weekend!

2009-02-20T08:36:00.009-05:00

Vintage Hat Friday is almost over!
And modern house kit enthusiasts I have good news- the Amish have installed the cladding, the last large doors on the south side, so tomorrow I will be taking LOTS of house kit pictures now that the exterior is finished!!!!

Copeland : Swing On Sally
My friend Leah (who is now a naturopath in Portland) and I were in our teens, shopping at the local thrift store (Fan Thrift) when we spied a PAIR of dresses with matching jackets for two dollars! Back then we thought that was expensive but could not resist getting matching vintage outfits- which, years later, we wore swing dancing, then to cocktail parties...

The hat is another local find, and the gloves were purchased at an estate sale.
The cocktail shaker is a family item from the 1920s, I mean, hey, it's Friday and five o'clock somewhere, right?

So c'mon out and Vote Fer Me, Swing On Sally!

Amy: Navy Nightingale

This hat was purchased on the very last day of an estate sale, haggled for and acquired in a moment of “well, it’s a hat. I’m sure I can use it…for Vintage Hat Friday!” It came with a lovely rhinestone brooch attached, and while I thought in the dim interior lighting it was black, it turned out to be Navy Blue.

Well now. I have plenty of uses for a black hat, but only one for navy. This dress. It’s a lovely wrap dress I purchased from my hometown CHKD thrift store in high school. It is elegant, slimming, and a disaster on a windy day *ahem* Ah, those wrap dresses. I don’t know how women wore these out of the house and maintained their dignity, but I know I chickened out and brought a suit to wear out the door today so I would not suffer misfortune at the hands of a capricious cross-breeze.

Terms Of Service

2009-02-18T16:45:00.063-05:00

In the technology world this week, there has been quite a brouhaha over FaceBooks new Terms of Service.

Usually my web development and green building do not overlap, but I could not help but reflect on it when answering some requests from you, the wonderful people who ask me for more information on Green Modern Kits, Green Cottage Kits, and Green Cabin Kits.

You may wonder why I make you email first instead of a 'call now' phone number.
This is because I will need to keep track of you so I don't let any of your special questions get lost as I follow up with the factory or architects for answers. By keeping an electronic record, I will know you are getting the attention you need.

So, once you email that you would like information, I am able to respond to your requests with a lot of information you might otherwise forget if I just phoned you. This way you have it on record to ponder and hem and haw over as well!

Now here's a little story several of my farming friends have told me:
(Grateful thanks to The A's, The B's and the fabulous and always verbose George G. for this story that resonates in my heart... : ) )

A new neighbor moved into a rural community. He headed to the hardware store, where people gather. The new person sidled up to the counter and said, "So, what are people like 'round here?"

The old man behind the counter scratched his head and slowly replied,
"Well, what were people like where you came from?"
The new neighbor did not hesitate: "Oh they were terrible! The dogs and children ran loose, and they were always asking you do something!"
The hardware store man showed empathy. "Yeah, I know what you mean. They're like that here, too, and the best thing you can do is keep to yourself and ignore them!"
The new neighbor was grateful. "Thanks for letting me know. I don't know if we'll be staying here long, anyway."

The next day, another new neighbor found the hardware store.
"So, what are people like around here?"
The old man asked, "Well, what were your old neighbors like?"
The new neighbor reminisced: "Oh they were great, we still keep in touch! We had lots of potlucks, there were always lots of children playing, we started a community parade and through our spaghetti suppers raised money for a fire station!"
The old man grinned. "Well, I think you'll find the people here just fine."

Here, we have worked very hard to create an amazing team of top notch green building architectural firms and industrial designers, a national, environmentally-friendly SIP manufacturer who is giving big volume discounts for our house kits so we can offer you an affordable price, and many, many people, whom you may never meet, who work hard every day to create something so you can consider us an option in your life choices.

Since our founding, each day I read and respond to every request for information.
I have met the most AMAZING people through this experience.
I have heard about your quests for land, your urban infill lots, your family's place you want to preserve from development...
You are all a joy, and thank you for sharing your stories with me.

Our first emails to each other are the beginning of a relationship.
Unlike the shirt you purchase from XYZ store online, we are not just a press of the button and the sliding of a credit card.
This is a process.
It is the beginning of our story, and journey together.

Today, after all this time, I received my first rude request for information. Rude Person, I appreciate your interest, but I will not expose you to our nice, talented people I have worked so hard to find. Rude Person, if you speak to us that way, how will you treat your contractor? Their subs?

It is in all of our best interests to, with our customers, create a team that communicates well so that your house kit is a pleasant, successful project.

So I am adding a clause to our FAQ / Terms of Service.

(Smiles gently)
'Cause Rude Person, you wouldn't want us any-hoo.

Passive Solar Modern House - It was warm with zero energy in today's mod house visit!

2009-02-15T20:43:00.029-05:00

It was a crisp but gorgeous winter day and we headed out to the land.
I can't tell you how we all collectively relax but also become so alert / get SO excited as the car crunches slowly down the drive... it's calm in your heart paired with exuberance.
Car stopped by the camper, we tumbled out, and I ran to the modern passive house kit.

It was a cold day. We have no systems hooked up. Ya can't get more, er, zero energy house than that! ; )
Yet when I opened the door to the passive solar house kit, the air inside was noticeably warmer. Not hot-n-toasty, mind you, but the passive solar design alone was enough to keep us from being too chilled. I hustled the cold children inside, and the next time I turned around the four year old was warm enough to have kicked off her shoes. In February.

After getting everyone settled, I headed over to Ron and Judy's to pick up some reused chicken lamps, feeders/waterers for my, ahem, imaginary chickens.

As we visited, Ron updated me on the latest costs so I have updated the construction cost post accordingly here. This currently covers foundation, house kit, erection of off grid SIP house kit, installation of cladding / roofing membrane (we decided to have the north roof be membrane), radiant tubing in foundation... erhm, am I missing anything, readers?

That final danged piece o' cladding has arrived from the vendor, and the Amish will finish installing it (and all remaining cladding, they were waiting for that final piece) this week. So expect great finished pictures next weekend.

NOW, for the interior.
You may have recalled we are in the process of refinancing.
We'd be crazy not to- we have the opportunity to drop over 2 points! But... it seems everyone else in the world has the same idea... so we're just waiting...
And waiting...
And... waiting...

In the meantime, we are still sorting out the VMI basketball court wood with which we will line the interior of that main room in the off grid casa ti. It's a basketball court. Of wood.
So, it's takin' some time.

Like you, we have spent time and thought into what our home will look like so have searched and frugally planned over the past few years so that we won't have to decorate from a big box store.

We have acquired quite a few thrift store recycled / reused furniture finds that look, frankly... amazing. I am excited to put it all together!

But first we need to finish the interior...
And modest systems... (because who needs big systems when you're energy efficient?)

Cladding update -AND- Vintage Hat Friday - We're playing fer yer heart!

2009-02-13T10:44:00.007-05:00

Great news, modern energy-efficient house kit people!
The final modern house cladding arrives this afternoon AND I had a great conversation with someone from (drumroll) THE CLADDING MANUFACTURER who seemed immediately to "get" your market potential as residential consumers who want to clad their modern house kit in sleek, gorgeous metal siding.

So I may have some super updates for you in the coming weeks regarding this subject, stay posted!

Sadly, (unless the house kit enthusiasts revolt) we are soon winding up Vintage Hat Friday.
'Cause then it will be gardening season and we can take work breaks playing in the garden so there will be no need to dress up and showcase recycled style on Fridays. : )

Now poor Amy is at a convention, but insisted on submitting a lone photo for your consideration:

Amy: Your vote should 'Be Mine!'

"Happy Valentines Day!

The dress was a Christmas Gift from a certain Miss Megan, and you've seen the hat and shoes before.

I had intended for this to be a bit more fab, but 4 hours of sleep and running late for a trip will make you pose poorly in bad lighting while simultaneously having a bad hair day. Ah well... Happy Voting!"

Now I was feeling sorry for her... until I *brightly* recalled HER FATHER had sent in a submission we hadn't yet used!

(Copeland: Cackling wildly:)
I present Mr. White...

Mr. White:
"Gypsy Rose He?

This entry is all vintage, the picture, the hat, the outfit, me.

It is also wrong on so many, levels; the cross dressing, the makeup, the stereotyping of gypsies, the excessive bling.

Let me explain; it seems well over a half-century ago my mother decided it would be great fun to dress up her 3 year old son for Halloween. This picture documents the results. Oh, the inhuMANity of it!

Apparently the sins of the grandmothers are passed down to the granddaughters for Amy early on became a “poser” and now is afflicted with a strange attraction to old clothes. Even now I can barely stand to show my face. A vintage vote for me to break the family curse! (Wonder what Copeland’s grandmother did, I mean, what’s up with the pink hair?)"

Copeland's Response:
Ok White Family Team, I'm gonna have to respond directly to Mr. White by asking AMY:
"Amy, did yer dad jest call you a poser?"
And...
"Is that your DAD in DRAG????????"

(A-hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!)

As for myself, I have been eagerly watching the calendar no, not for Valentine's Day (sorry Handsome Husband) but for...
GARDENING GODDESS SEASON!!!!

Yes, in about a week or two I break out my sexy cold frames and start seeds when they otherwise would not grow. So in honor of the Garden Gods I present...

A 1960s PURPLE LILY MUMU!!!!!!
I adore flitting about the lavender and mint in this number...

The hat, you've seen on another Vintage Hat Friday...

And the watch? Plucked from the waves to be recycled (and free!) last summer.

The shoes are Melissa, I love them!
Why do I love Melissa so?
From Inhabitat:
"Melissa Shoes are made from MELFLEX plastic, a patented, hypo-allergenic, recyclable, and extremely flexible PVC. The shoes are totally cruelty free and devoid of animal products. The Brazilian-based company is totally rad in its recycling of 99.9% of factory water and waste, and they also go the distance by recycling overstock styles into next season’s collection. Even better? Melissa Shoes employees are paid above average wages and benefits.

What’s not to like in these plastic fantastic accessories? What a fabulous way to traipse and tromp through spring rain puddles, or consider wearing Melissa Shoes on your next urban eco-adventure and watch heads turn with total green envy!"

So, this Friday, choose The Gardener Gal and... Vote for ME!!!!
: )