Day of the Dead

Every November 2nd, Mexicans celebrate the "Day of the Dead". This is when they have a festive celebration to remember those who once lived. In the Ghost Town Cemetary in Terlingua, locals gather to follow this same tradition. Being that it coincided with the chili cookoff, the gathering was much bigger than usual. The candles placed on the ground at each gravesite appear as a reflection of the night sky. Locals brought food for all, including deviled eggs, black bean salad, and sweet creamy cornbread.

NBCTX

The Texas Natural Building Colloquium ( NBCTX ) in Kerrville was an eye opening and brain expanding event. Over 200 people gathered from all over the world for ten days to learn directly from experienced natural builders, many who are also published authors. Days were filled with workshops and presentations. Nights were filled with music. It was appropriate being that this site is also the site of the longest running folk festival in the country. We shaped the natural earth into useful structures. We used sand, clay, straw, rock, Junipers, and reclaimed wood and metal. We refined the recipies for adobe bricks, earth bags, and Cob, in order to make it work for the locale. We ate macrobiotically... compliments of Casa De Luz ( Austin, TX Macrobiotic restaurant ). We had pizza parties and hoe downs. We baked in the sauna. We swam in the river. We left buildings for many people to use for many years to come.


Not a bad way to spend 10 days.

Pictures are at the this link ( various photographers ). The Sand Castle is by "Amazin Walter"

new structure

Don has a new idea for a building, which he wants to start on right away. This will be a cylindrical building with straight, not sloped, walls. The diameter will be 24 feet ( on the inside ), making the square footage 452 feet. Since the walls will be two feet thick adobe, the diameter from the outside will be 28 feet. We'll come back to the dome, but right now we'll be working on this new project. The past couple of days, we have been digging the foundation ditch, about two feet thick and a foot deep. I proposed making an arm out of C-bars and pitched the idea to Don. He said "what doesn't work is doing nothing", so we did it. The arm is a lo-fi version of one that Don has made for a giant 45 foot diameter structure that he has planned. The arm helps us keep consistent with our circumference. Don questioned whether or not we even need to dig a foundation, being that the ground is very rocky and thus very stout. He looked at the mountains and said, "Look, the mountains sit on the dirt just fine. We'll be putting into the foundation the same stuff we are taking out". We decided to go ahead and finish the foundation, since we had already started it. Don sits and breaks up the soil with his pick axe, and then I shovel the dirt away. Don said "sitting is the best way to work. You don't get tired and backached". Yesterday, while Don was taking a siesta, I sorted our excavation into three piles...Big rocks, gravel, and adobe dirt. I used a lathe screen as a filter, which made it easy. We'll be using the Rock, gravel, and adobe in the structure later on. I made a fourth pile of fossils and gem stones that I found during the sorting. Don mentioned that you can pay someone with a tractor to dig the foundation in a few hours, but they "always get it wrong." We also would be missing out on the free workout and jewels.



JEWELS !

I was very fortunate to find a rideshare partner out to Terlingua ( who'd have thunk ? ). Cynthia is spending two weeks out in the Big Bend area to visit friends before she heads down to Mexico. Splitting expenses from Central Texas, we each only spent $25 in gas. We found that we have some friends in common, though she is friends with Lucinda Williams and I only wish I was. Ridesharing out here is a huge help, being that distances are far in this remote region. There is no area Craigslist ( where I've had the most success with rideshares ), but there is a Big Bend Bulletin Board where rides ( and other things ) can be posted. The pictures in this post were taken by Cynthia. Click on them for larger photos. Cynthia also has a blog, where you can find out about the papercrete studio she built in San Marcos, among other things.

I have a phone now

For $10, the Big Bend Phone COOP not only extended an underground phone cable a half mile to get to my property, but they also cleared me a driveway. My new phone number is 432-371-3002. Good luck reaching me there at the moment. It's still just a outdoor phone box. I'll try to remember to plug in a phone when I am around. 

Domes in Israel

The Big Bend area in West Texas is very similar in terrain to parts of Israel. This picture shows a dome neighborhood being built by the Lotan Kibbutz in Israel. They offer a ten week Green Apprenticeship workshop in the fall and the Spring. I haven't done it myself, but it seems like a great program.

Work on the dome will continue in the Fall. We're still honing in on a date. If anyone is interested in helping out during this time, please let me know. Mostly, what's needed, are some extra hands to help mix and apply adobe. If this is something that you have been interested in learning about, then it's a win win situation. I can offer free camping ( and water ) during this time. There will also be phone service, and wireless internet onsite, as well as solar power if you need electricity. I can also point you towards the sights in the area. This is a very special place worth exploring if you haven't before. During this time of year, there are a few festivals in the area worth checking out, such as the Chinati Weekend in Marfa, and the Terlingua Chili Festival in Early November. If you are interested in lending a hand, learning more about the project, or just visiting, please send an email to terlinguajournal @ yahoo.com. Thanks.