Where There's Smoke

The Catlins have been visiting New England for the latter half of June, leaving Bob and me with the full responsibilities and rewards of the property: bed and breakfast, garden, barn-in-progress, cats, and pool.  With the overabundance of interesting goings-on in and around Mariposa, I've been looking forward to the opportunity to get really heimisch for a couple of weeks, focusing deeply on the plants, animals and guests at One Light.

As usual, the universe had other ideas.  We bid farewell to a dear friend that first Sunday afternoon after a lovely 5-day visit, and I lay down for a nap while Bob tinkered away in the barn.  When I awoke, the wind was moving the trees and a strange light illuminated their tops.  Half of the blue sky was covered by a gray-orange haze.  The air felt strange, and I assumed a storm was passing over us on its way to the mountains.  I greeted our new B&B arrivals, and began cooking dinner.  Then Bob came into the house with news from friends in our old neighborhood on Triangle Road: an enormous wildfire had everyone on the northeast part of Triangle on pre-evacuation notice. 

Smokey haze over the setting sun bathes the back yard in golden light.

A number of different thoughts flashed through my mind in rapid succession.  What about our friends' pets and livestock?  Their homes?  What would happen if the fire came our way over the ridge?  What things should we try to take out with us?  Where would I sent the B&B guests?  What about the Catlins' home and their treasures?  The garden?

Orangey-grey smoke to the north and blue sky to the south.

Happily, the combined efforts of the weather and 2,200 firemen got the fire contained, and all evacuees were able to return home just a few days later.  1,700 acres burned in the Carstens Fire, but no structures were touched.  Apart from a few days of smoky air and one B&B cancellation, nothing in our lives was disrupted.  But there was a fair amount of self-knowledge to gain from the situation. 

Ash and blackened leaves rained down on us from the fire site.

First, I learned that I am terrified of wildfire (and probably all natural disasters).  This wasn't really a surprise, because I'd always tried to imagine how upsetting it would be to have to gather up your essentials and flee your home.  But secondly, I gained a new gratitude for the wonderful house on wheels that Bob built for us, and the lifestyle that we've chosen.  Over the past few months we've mostly focused on things we need to improve on the motorhome, or things we wish we'd done differently.  But when faced with a worst-case scenario, I realized that in spite of its shortcomings, this house is adaptable to sudden change.  There's no need to have an emergency kit ready by the door; we can fairly easily pull up stakes and drive away with our own (too short) bed, (one-cook) kitchen, (slightly less-than-optimal) bathroom, (too large) music collection, (seasonal) clothing, toothbrushes, and cat. 

I love this land, and would mourn deeply the loss of its trees, garden, outbuildings, etc.  And Bob is still itching to build a permanent structure that would expand our indoor space.  But I have no sense of urgency about growing out of the motorhome.  For now, I'm enjoying the paradoxical feeling of security in transience; of carrying our house on our back; of making the outdoors as much my home as the indoors is.

Lastly, we had more reasons than ever this week to appreciate the community that we've found here.  I called friends on Triangle to offer them a place to stay, and within minutes another friend further east called me to make sure we were all right and offer his help.  The Chois' eldest son emailed from the grazing site down in southern California to see how we were faring.  A group that we volunteer with, Mariposa Open Arms, fed and hosted evacuees.  The Mariposa Bed and Breakfast Association called to see if we had rooms available for evacuated guests.  After the worst was over, big hand-painted signs sprung up along Hwy 49 thanking the firefighters.

It seems that the best gift we could give back to this place would be to teach the most fireproof form of building construction that we know--strawbale walls coated with earth-plaster, covered by a metal roof.  Mariposa County has a lot of building codes related to fire resistance, but no amount of asphalt shingles or chemically-treated lumber can compare with metal, sand, clay and earth.  Neither Bob nor I have much experience doing "informational outreach" (that is to say, marketing).  But history is full of people who were called to perform duties far outside their comfort zones, not to speak of their job descriptions.  And if it takes a team to spread the truth about truly sustainable construction, then I believe that this team will manifest.  But first we need to pull our heads out of our daily tasks and start developing our thesis.

All the Comforts of Home

Lysander demonstrates proper siesta technique.

The month of May brought big changes around here: 

1) we had our first truly hot weather, 

2) we finally got electricity in the motorhome, and 

3) (most exciting of all) we now have a working phone!!  Right next to the couch!  

With any luck, internet access is soon to follow.  No more driving ten miles just to make calls and check our email at the library.  Best of all, we can finally kick our useless cell phones to the curb.  Bob’s phone has already been decommissioned, and mine is soon to follow.  If our new number hasn’t found its way into your inbox yet, shoot us an email! 

Little Motorhome in the Big Woods.

The biggest change of all is that in order to acquire these luxuries, we had to move the motorhome to another property nearby.  We are now enjoying a living/working partnership with George and Theresa Catlin on their enchanting 70 acres off of Hwy 49.  The domesticated animals here are limited to cats so far, but we see and hear our many wild neighbors daily: countless lizards, squirrels, gophers, and field mice; acorn woodpeckers, hummingbirds, and songbirds; snakes, tree frogs, and a pack of coyotes that like to run laughing past the house at around 2 in the morning.  

Acorn woodpeckers are THE bird around here.   They have a crazy laugh to go with their crazy white eyes.

Bob is helping George to complete a replica of George’s father’s barn, which will provide a guest/living space upstairs and the shop space downstairs that Bob has needed for so long.  They painted the exterior this week, transforming the structure into a truly graceful addition to the property, even in its unfinished state. 

There is plenty of work for me in the established garden area here, and plenty of booming brassicas and salad greens for us to help devour.  Now that the hot weather has arrived I try to limit my garden work to mornings and early evenings, but a quick midday salad trip often turns into 45 minutes of weeding or mulching or hummingbird-watching or…

Ahh, arugula nectar.  Does it taste peppery?

I found this little guy camping out in the broccoli rabe.

I’m also getting a little paid work in the bed and breakfast that George and Theresa run out of their house, called One Light (http://one-light.us/).  They have some travelling planned for this summer, so it works out well for everyone for Bob & me to learn the B&B biz—something we’ve been curious about for some time already!  Yosemite draws literally millions of people to this area every year, and the B&Bs tend to fill up fast with visitors who want locals’ insight into enjoying the park and surrounding areas.  Many of the guests at One Light are from overseas, which is extra fun.  I’m brushing up my German with the help of some novels written by a relative of George’s which were picked up by a German publisher and translated.  

By far the best part of living at a working bed and breakfast, however, is that there is a pool.  Oh man, it is so awesome to fall into on a hot day.  Because an outdoor pool surrounded by trees takes a lot of upkeep, Bob and I are also learning Pool Maintenance 101 from George.  It’s the perfect excuse to don a suit and get up there every afternoon to, you know, check the water quality :)

I dare you guys not to visit us now!

Welcome to the Goat-Tel California

With newborn goats popping out like crocuses and the weather still wintery, our building priorities have shifted to accommodate.  We were setting up temporary pens for the mothers and babies using sections of portable corral, but there were some challenges.  First of all, weatherproofing the pens required covering them with big tarps at night, which was a hassle.  Secondly, the mothers were stressed by being so close to one another with open walls that they had to constantly monitor.  Thirdly, we were just plain running out of pens.  As a result, Bob's first strawbale structure here at Meherhaven is finished and occupied...by baby goats and their mothers!

Bob being Bob, this ain't no slapped-together goatshed.  Strawbale-insulated?  Check.  Built with reclaimed materials?  Natch.  What makes it special is that it also has a radiant floor heated by the sun.  You think I'm kidding?  Feast your eyes, gentle reader!

Bale walls stacked on the corrugated metal subfloor.

This building project was combined with the demolition of an ancient shed that had outlived its usefulness.  From this shed, we reclaimed corrugated metal roofing and a few timbers that the termites had spared.  Some of the corrugated metal was used as subflooring, supported underneath by wooden pallets.  A few pieces of the "plastic wood" that we removed from the motorhome box went around the floor structure as well.  Black plastic irrigation tubing was laid over the corrugated metal to form the radiant heating system.  This tubing was covered with a thin layer of cement, which allows for heat transferrence and easy cleaning of the stalls.

Heave-ho!  Aaron experiences the joy of cement first-hand.

After the cement had cured, we pinned the bales in place with 2x4s and baling twine.  At last I got to use the legendary bale needle, a long piece of heavy wire used to push twine through the strawbales and fasten them to the 2x4s.  Two salvaged timbers were set in the ground to support the roof beam, and more salvaged 2x6s were laid across the top of the longest bale wall to fasten the downslope ends of the roofing to.

That pretty much finished the usable lumber from the shed, so new 2x4s were put in place to support the stall dividers.  We were able to use reclaimed wire fencing to separate the stalls, though.

Cozy enough to birth the Messiah in!

While wandering through the scrapyard of our local fencing supplier, we found a 30-gallon galvanized tank that Bob bought for a song, painted black, and installed as a solar water heater for the radiant floor system. 

One of these things is just like the others/ One of these things could be the others' mother...

Finally, Bob built a sturdy door for each of the seven stalls, and the Goat-Tel was open for business.  We plan on plastering the bales for durability once the birthing season has wound down.  Since my knowledge of earth plasters is purely academic at this point, I'm really excited to have a small structure like this to learn on.

No complaints so far from the occupants.

In the meantime, I've been experiencing the joys of motherhood with our two bottle-babies, Faith and Brownie.  It's love.  Wanna see a picture of my kids?

Hobbies include nibbling hair, chewing clothing, and trying to jump over you.

Hopefully we'll get through the weaning process before their desire to rock & roll all night and party every day outstrips the limitations of the living room.  Otherwise I'm just gonna have to set up a big rockpile in there.

Here At Last

Two weeks in Mariposa have flown by so fast, summer will be here before we know it.  Our journey south in the motorhome was blessedly uneventful.  We parked at Jackson Wellsprings the first night and enjoyed a lovely visit with family and friends in Ashland the next morning.  After backtracking briefly to Talent for a new fuel filter, we sneaked through the Siskiyous just ahead of the weather and spent the next two days moving leisurely down I-5 through a chilly gloom.  We camped the last night in beautiful McConnell State Park on the Merced River, where we played ring-around-the-rosy with a park ranger who had already written our rig a parking ticket before we were even halfway to the fee box with our envelope.  Apparently, using your legs instead of your car to traverse 500 feet is so freaky in California that even the state park system assumes that you’re trying to pull something.  We convinced the ranger of our innocence, and awoke the next morning to the sunshine that’s been with us ever since. 

The Merced, our new home river

Lysander proved to be a pretty good traveler—as long as we weren’t actually in motion.  He spent most of the driving time hiding, but was back to his old self as soon as we parked for the night.  Although it was unfamiliar, he seemed more comfortable riding in the cab than in the back of the motorhome.  There’s a perfect, warm little cat cave right underneath the passenger seat, and he even emerged to peer out of the floor-level window from time to time.

Can you spot the unhappy cat in this picture?

 

That's more like it.

We were all three relieved to arrive in Mariposa mid-day, leaving us some daylight hours in which to begin transforming our prairie schooner from a moving van back into a living space.

After four days of this, the normal setup feels pretty palatial.

Our “permanent” parking spot at Meherhaven is still under construction, but in the meantime we are enjoying the front yard and its ongoing circus of dog, cat, rabbit, pig, human, and vehicle activity.  Lysander feels ready to join right in and makes a dash for the door at least once a day, but we’re keeping him cruelly imprisoned until we’re in a spot with a little less excitement.   

Don’t be fooled by their air of refinement.  Orville and Wilbur are the chief  agents of chaos at the Haven.

Honey and Lila go through kale even faster than we do!

Socially, Bob and I have been going like debutantes on Dexedrine since the minute we landed.  I spent our first Saturday afternoon here at a rollicking bridal shower, where I met twenty ladies in as many minutes.  Meanwhile, Bob was bowling, shooting whiskey, and playing darts with the groom (an old friend) and several other local miscreants.  Since then we’ve been invited on a hike, on an excursion to the local brewpub (excellent), into a lovely sauna, and to a party with the biggest bonfire I’ve ever seen.  And that’s just the stuff off the property.  Here at Meherhaven we’ve been treated to many excellent dinners with the Chois, celebrated Penny’s birthday, joined in pig-retrieval excursions, and shared some favorite music and movies.   

Last weekend the Chois had family visiting from Sacramento and friends visiting from LA, and the joint really got jumping.  Seeds were planted in the garden, new games were invented on the trampoline, epic feasts were prepared and devoured, and Bob conquered his lifelong fear of playing charades.  I’m happy to report that our canoe, now conveniently parked next to its very own pond, is finally receiving all the adoring attention that it so richly deserves. 

You can fit way more kids in there than this.  We checked.

The goats added to the festivities by producing the first babies of the season.  The kids and their mothers are penned in the front yard, where we can keep them warmer at night and handy to tasty vegetable scraps from the kitchen. 

Somehow in the midst of all these attractive distractions, Bob has been steadily knocking out some vital tasks around the property.  A cell phone tower has been erected, and a booster installed so that we can use cell phones in the area around the house.  The electrical connection near the well has been modified so that we can plug the motorhome in up there.  The front gate has been fortified for pig-containment.  A pumphouse is in the works, as are solar panels to power said pump.  He’s also been investigating the workings of the “greenhouse”, which was actually designed to function as a nifty solar heater for the Choi’s house. 

In stark contrast to all this usefulness, I’ve spent most of my time here meandering about, petting animals, playing hausfrau, and dreaming obsessively about this year’s garden.  There is a LOT of garden space here, and a LOT of heat and sunshine that were not at my disposal last year.  Oh man.  I am excited.  Today I think I'll start some seeds and help pot up the baby green tea plants that the Chois already have going out there. 

Snug as Three Bugs

Well, December finds us still in the Willamette Valley, but we're fully moved into the motor home!  All three of us are pretty thrilled about it, too; not in the least because it's a good 10-20 °F warmer than in the house.  No more sleeping in our hats!

Happiness is a south-facing window.

We had a lovely combination yard sale/housewarming last weekend, taking full advantage of friends, family and neighbors to help us lug the hideabed couch and dresser into the 'Home.  Thanks, team!  At the same time, Bob was finishing up the ceiling covering that we finally decided on: CORK!

Adios, plywood!

We purchased a 4'x50' roll of 1/4" thick cork underlayment online at a "contractor's special" price.    Since this material is intended to go underneath flooring, we wondered if it might turn out to be kind of funky-looking.  Nope!  All 200 square feet arrived looking perfectly uniform and lovely as could be.  Then came the fun part.  As usual, Innovatin' Bob ended up testing the limits of his creativity to figure out how to keep the cork pressed against the (curved) ceiling long enough for the glue to dry. 
 

The original curve was formed out of plywood, so it seemed logical to bend another sheet of plywood the same way and sandwich each section of cork up against the ceiling.  Bob laid a piece of cork onto the plywood, secured it temporarily with a couple strips of painter's tape, brushed wood glue onto the cork, and wrestled the whole contraption over his head and into position.  Next we wedged four 8' lengths of wood between the ceiling and floor to really smoosh it up there.  Then we left it for 4+ hours, came back, and...voila!

 

An unusually advanced level of multitasking.

Of course, it didn't turn out to be that simple.  After unveiling the first piece of cork we installed, we realized that the two halves of our plywood sandwich were not curving in exactly the same way.  The cork stuck really well where it had pressed against the ceiling, but there were several droopy places where it clearly hadn't had contact.  Hmm.  Bob resolved this by affixing one of our (many) pieces of extra egg carton foam to the plywood sheet, which helped to equalize the pressure it exerted across the cork.  Whew.

I had wondered whether the 'Home would feel significantly smaller after we moved the couch and dresser in, not to mention plants, books, kitchen stuff, cat cushions, etc.  Turns out, not really.  It all fits in here pretty comfortably so far (including the four enormous speakers and boxes of LPs which are temporarily crammed under the desk).  The color scheme has self-directed into a kind of neutral background, rainbow accents thing.  I like it.

The back.

The tiny-yet-functional kitchen is probably my favorite aspect at the moment.  I really relish being able to stand in one spot while I put all the clean dishes away.  Almost as much as I love setting down a smoking-hot pan on ANY part of the kitchen counter.  Paradise!

The front.

Now we just need a few days of gentler weather between here and Mariposa so that Bob can safely drive the pickup and horse trailer down, fully loaded.  THAT'S a subject for another photo essay, or possibly an episode of "Extreme Engineering.  Stay tuned for pics of the pickup, all Joaded up and ready to roll!

Tiki Drive-In

The list of Gotta Havits that need to be completed on the motorhome before we move is growing very short.  I'm not-so-secretly thrilled that we'll still be here to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family, but I'm equally excited that we're almost done.  The buckets of chilly rain pouring down on the Willamette Valley this week are doing little to entice us to stay. 

Meanwhile in the motorhome, the kitchen countertops and cutting board are in place, and the plumbing on the sink is almost finished.  I've already spent a little time gazing out the window, imagining that I'm washing dishes...in California.

Bob tells me that life is more fun when you DON'T know anything about plumbing.

Because I'm just that excited about it, please humor my close-up of the loveliest granite ever to grace the inside of a motorhome:

Black and gold and purple, oh my!

On the walls, the straw has been covered over with reed matting.  It'll look less busy and more "classy" once the reeds have been plastered over, but in the meantime I'll be living out my fondest tiki dreams AT LAST!

Every cup of tea that we drink this winter is going to have a little umbrella in it.

In my fantasies, the whole world looks like a painting by Shag.

Our big curtains have been hung, as well as the CD/DVD shelving that Bob built.  I'm super excited to have all of our CDs in one spot, rather than spread around the living room in three racks and a cardboard box.  The little ADS speakers that Bob gave me years ago are up on the walls, and they sound fabulous.  The other stereo components and Bob's computer will go on the little shelf just above the speakers.  I like that it makes a square arch over the place where the TV will go.  A lovely embroidered cloth that Bob got in India will hang down from it when we're not using the TV, protecting us from its mind-control rays while we sleep :)

The rounded rectangle of sheet metal is just there to mark where the TV will hang.

Bob won his race against the rain on Saturday and completed one of the storage boxes that hang down from the sides of the motorhome.  He was able to repurpose the rolling door from the back of the box as the doors to the storage compartments, which was pretty exciting.

This one will be a dedicated cat food compartment.

Our attempt to scrape together enough plywood for the storage boxes without buying another sheet was unsuccessful, but the search did uncover this intriguing gem in the sideyard:

Bob suggested mounting it in the cab as a "living dashboard".

Lastly, the greatest triumph of this week: we figured out the Perfect Material to finish the ceiling with, sourced it, and purchased it.  But I'm going to hold off on revealing its true identity until we have pictures of its amazingness.  In the meantime, maybe tomorrow I can work up the nerve to measure, cut and mount the mural in the bathroom.  Does beginner's luck apply to wallpapering?

Turkeys in the Straw

The insulation process is nearly complete.  The ceiling is stuffed with ten bales of GreenFiber cellulose, courtesy of Lowe's and their blower:

We highly recommend this for your next family fun night.

The rigid foam in the walls has been reinforced with 3" of packed straw, held in place by pig panel stapled to the studs:

Our own personal harvest party.

Most excitingly, the back of the truck is framed in and the door hung at last.  Bob plans to cover the plywood using the piece of aluminum that he cut out of the side of the box for the double doors. 

Maxon, maxoff.  Did I mention that the box came with a lift included?

The net result of all this is that the stereo sounds way, WAY better in there than it ever has before :)  It also means that we have a more acoustically-insulated space in which to cut the aluminum siding, a process that sounds more or less like the world is crashing to an end.  Bob restricts his super-noisy activities to daylight hours on weekdays, but all the same, the neighbors will probably be glad to see the back of us.