Photos as objective stories for processes, methods, and techniques.

Looking west from The Hive.

It is insane that I am out here, basically doing an internship / apprenticeship in construction out in the desert. It's now week 8 for me. I am getting to know myself so much better than I did before, and understanding. Seeing. Integrating shadow and light. Becoming acquainted with my own culture, process, and values.

Mike Reynolds: Dogma & Profits

Inspiration.

More Inspiration.

What's left of the Nautilus.

Bottle "wall" section & door at The Hive.

Ceiling over spiral staircase in The Hive.

The title for this blog being, "Photos as objective stories for objects, processes and methods," is all I can give for this extremely subjective experience. Where I am right now is purely subjective and my tendency is to be critical and analytical, and it's too soon. I want to evaluate my experience, and know - as of today - that my experience is to experience and not judge nor evaluate. I will leave the Mesa not knowing how this phase of my life will shape me or my near future . . . or rest of my days.

Water Organizing Module Schematic

W.O.M. team work assembly line.

Grey Water Botanical Cell: The Hive

Marissa plumbing through the stem wall, after jack-hammering through volcanic rock.

Round bottle wall for bathroom; vertical windows & gray water botanical cells.

W.O.M., Grey & Black Botanical Cells, Sewage with Lou.

Bilge pumps for drawing water from botanical cells.

Grey water pump that draws from bilge pumps.

Marissa & Kelley plumbing the bathroom.

Power Organizing Module set up.

Ready to take outside to test.

Electrical outlet

Light switch wired.

Builder's Level

"I'm feeling positive about this measurement." Dave.

Teamwork.

Trusses: Getting ready for the greenhouse.

Can mix matrix.

Kerouac

Brother Brett prepping for cement.

Coleman

Lay plastic, dirt, mesh, water and cement.

Pouring cement in the rain.

Curing for Saltillo tiles.

Backroad to the Castle. No joke.

No doubt about it, I am being challenged. I'm beyond my limits and expanding across the ceaseless horizons, and I'm not broken. I know myself well enough to see that there will be many, many times I will recall images, stories, people, smells and memories of my time here and see what a major impact it made in my life. I will long to be there again. I'll glean from it forever. It nudges me to be as present as possible and appreciate each moment.

Old Press Office with E.V.E. in the background.

Double Rainbow

Press Office / Educational Facility & E.V.E. Photo courtesy: Kristen

Skylight next to my bunk and shelves.

I left the skylight open while we were on the job site. It is now monsoon season. Big storm today. I came home to my thermarest soaked, my two wine boxes of clothing soaking wet, and not only wet but spattered with adobe that had melted off the walls. After laying cement all day, and in the rain, all I wanted to do when I got home was take a shower and put on warm clothes. I came home to this and spent the afternoon drying and washing ALL my clothes. I melted my IGT Stewardess outfit. Bummer.

Wet Clothes. Notice my New Mexico plates?

In closing: guidance given to me. Wisdom and vision apparently have the same Germanic root word, wissen. Wisdom is knowing our experience, knowing our past. Vision is basically seeing in our imagination or in the supernatural. That may not be the perfect recall, but it's basically the gist. In order to know where we're going, we have to know where we've been, know where we are by being in the moment and seeing into . . . what we want to bring into the world. So much of our experience is shaped merely by how we choose to think about it. I'm practicing mental alchemy I see.

I have not been dreaming since I've been here. That's strange to me. 

Blowing you inspiration, vision, joy, health, communication, and of course, love.

Autonomy & Community: Courage & Loneliness

Hi folks,

I’m seven weeks in since I left Chico on this adventure. I’ve been swimming in it, and have been going through massive intensity on a physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual level. Many of us at the Academy are experiencing similar things. Working construction at 7000 feet under 97+ degree weather in dry, windy and dusty conditions with a crew of 30, only to return home with 13 of them to share a tiny kitchen with a stove with only 3 burners, and then take turns to shower, eat and finally wind down to sleep – with folks partying or not in a home with absolutely no privacy is . . . It’s been quite the experience. You can tell by the run-on sentence it’s no joke.

Whether one is an introvert or extrovert, it doesn’t matter. Humans undoubtedly are social creatures, but we all freaking need some privacy. We all need space and autonomy to breathe. The living situation I was in at the Castle was something I knew wasn’t going to work out for me – day one. I made plans to move to the R.E.A.C.H. Community, and then decided that I would invest some of my energy into the Castle as an action-oriented solution to the situation, to leave it better than I found it. The Academy coordinator was excited about my ideas, I emailed her my plans, and I have yet to hear from her.

Nonetheless, before week five began, and after living with 13 folks in a hostile situation (dorm), sharing a bachelor pad kitchen – think back to being 18 or so – it was stressful. For me there was a lot of negativity surrounding the food and kitchen situation. Food is one of the most important things in life, and for there to be bad vibes and exclusion surrounding food in a “community” setting, is for me, absolute conflict. Realizing the situation was draining my energy, and feeling the lack of inspiration I knew I had to address the situation, which was to simply move out.

I’m now living in the Education Facility, which was the original visitor’s center back in the day. So I’m actually living in an Earthship! I’m living with 5 awesome and generous, positive women, and a ton of living plants and light. I just had the best shower I’ve had since I’ve been here. I can already feel the better flow of energy.

There have been so many things going through my mind since I’ve been here. I’ve wondered about my life and what’s going to unfold, and obsessing about decisions that I don’t have to make. I’ve wondered about moving back to the southwest, curious if I’ll meet that special romantic someone, and if I’d be offered a job with Earthship. The crazy thing is, I miss Chico and the abundance of food, friendship, community, connectivity and love that it contains. The great thing about me following my heart is that I have discovered what I don’t like, which has made things really clear for me as far as what I want. My mom and grandpa say, “Honey, you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince.” It is insane that I would even consider working for an architectural firm when I have a new job waiting for me in California. I get to co-create a position that I want, that will employ all of my strengths, and I will be working closely with the owners to grow their business. Did I mention how awesome they are?! It’s really a dreamy situation.

Earthship Biotecture logo drawn by Osmany Cabrera.

Coming to New Mexico has given me a lot of space I needed. Here I’ve been struggling for space, which is funny to me because I thought I was struggling to get it at GRUB. Since I’ve been here I have had the biggest fucking reality check on the planet! I had to be willing to give it all up. I was. I did. I let go. Am I letting on that I know what the fuck is going on? ‘Cause I don’t! I’m at a crossroads where I am letting it all unfold; following the path of least resistance.

I love the adventure and the unknown; the unknown also freaks me out. I’m not scared. I don’t even think about the courage it takes to do what I do. I get freaked out wanting to know what’s going to happen, and knowing that I can’t know. Then I have to sit with those emotions and let it all be. These are moments the tears fall – letting go.

I drove out onto the Mesa to get some personal alone time as I was sitting with all the emotions and energy running through me. Feeling frustrated, annoyed, yearning, and knowing I had to let it be, let it go, I saw a group of horses gathered at the edge of the fence. I pulled over right away and hiked over to them. I didn’t know if they were going to get scared and bolt or permit me to approach them.

They let me approach and two let me pet them. The black one was so sweet and responsive to my caresses that I could see its musculature relax. I too let go and let the tears flow. To stand in the middle of the Taos Mesa with its majestic island mountains and sporadic peaks surround me as isolated thunderstorms ground their energy around me, and to be connecting with these creatures that have been beside humans for so many years, it was just what I needed. I was feeling lonely, even amongst all these people, and feeling homesick, sad and unsure, I wanted to be in someone’s arms. It was so perfect and so comforting to come across that pack of horses and be with them and interact with them. I am so grateful for them. I’ll have to return to bring them little treats (other than my affection).

To organize my life, delegate tasks onto others, find someone to take over my job while I’m here on sabbatical, leave behind great people, a full and rich life of inspiration, and to cross the desert to reclaim a part of me I left behind 10 years ago, immerse myself in the extremist of climates to do construction with a group of people I don’t know and swim in the desire of wanting to build a home with a companion . . . is no small thing. Was I loosing my mind?! I guess I want it bad enough to risk it all to learn how to do it. It’s a shock and stress to the systems. I am undoubtedly homesick, and am living in a stressful situation.

I am amongst incredibly inspirational people, in a beautiful and harsh place and doing whimsical and important work. Being here in the desert is all about survival. It’s full of potential, everyone wants to live here and or work for Earthship somewhere on the planet. Mike is constantly talking about breaking down dogma, finding your own energy band where everything is possible. It’s just a constant letting go. It’s all so raw. I feel raw, vulnerable, and . . . human. We’re growth-seeking beings.

I want to live in community by having communal space, and privacy and autonomous space. I’m working on designs now. I will discuss my ideas and the structural integrity of my designs with Mike Reynolds when he returns the end of July - possibly as an independent project. 


Now I attract to me land and the resources and access to these resources to build . . . 

Energy Band

One Room Global Model

Welcome to week three. I left home five weeks ago. I didn't expect to miss Chico so much. I actually miss my land and housemates incredibly. I strongly encourage everyone to take vacations to have some solo and quiet time for oneself, as well as to take the space from the folks you love. It really puts things into perspective.

Door bucks and framing up and braced to receive vigas on Wednesday.

Keeping this blog is an interesting experience. I think about who my audience is because I want to keep it interesting for you folks. There is of course all you community and co-op peeps (foodies & co-habitating stewards), you burners, artists and spiritual comrades, and you guys who are interested in exploring sustainability, autonomy, and alternative architecture. I seriously rack my brain on how to structure this blog without re-writing any of Mike's books, and to keep you all interested. I'll let the pictures tell the story this time around so I can just stream my consciousness to you.


All things divine.

Scaffolding. Still need to dig out dirt to create even subfloor.

I live on the very compound Mike Reynolds moved to many, many moons ago. It is the very location where his vision began to take shape. It's truly an honor to be here living with the Castle. (I'll include photos later.) What makes Earthships so effective in maintaining temperature? Thermal mass. Allow me to reiterate, it is not possible to live in an Earthship. One lives with it. These homes have character. They actually have rhythms and a nature that your biology has to become accustomed to.

Creating structure, the framework to take and distribute the roof load. This is the backbone of everything. Tire walls are the foundation.

Backtracking a smidge to thermal mass, the idea is these rammed earth thermal mass structures, can or bottle walls, act as a battery. These walls absorb the heat of the sun throughout the day, while keeping the space cool. In the evening, or early morning, as the temperature drops, the stored heat in the walls - or batteries - releases into the home warming it up during the coolest part of the morning. Depending upon some variables, the mean average temperature inside the dwelling ranges right around 70 degrees (plus or minus two degrees).

My sleeping rhythms were shocked by my new home. It has taken about two weeks or so to finally acclimate. It was rough. I'd go to bed tired and beat from doing hard work. I expected to sleep solid through the night. Did I? No. Why? I'd fall asleep then wake up because I was too hot. I'd kick off my bag, toss and turn a bit, then get out of my bunk to go to the bathroom or grab some water. I'd crawl back into bed and fall back asleep. Then I'd wake up because I was cold. I'd snuggle back into my bag and fall asleep again . . . in between worrying if I'd roll off the top bunk. I'm just on my sleeping pad on a bunk with a lip, so I have plenty of room. Psychologically I worry about rolling off my mat, thinking I'm going to roll off the bunk. (I still do that.)


I'm cozy and sleeping. Then the sun comes up and shines through my window right on my face. I've got a system where I prop up my pillow in the night so I can sleep a little longer. This off and on sleeping was wearing me out. As we learned about thermal mass, I found myself having a language to describe my sleeping changes. Before I knew it, many of my fellow Academy students and I were all experiencing the same thing. After we talked about it, I've been sleeping well. Assimilating into the Biotecture life.

1 of 3 buttresses. Smooshed concrete into lath and covered can wall, which levels the tires for the roof.

I share a room with three women, and a bathroom with 8-12 people. Speaking of housemates, Phillipe (originally from Chile, now living in Spain) just brought me a crepe with dulce de leche inside. Glucose is brain food! Delicious. Okay, so there's 4 guys staying in the pod on the property (a simple Earthship), 4 guys in the other room in the castle and us ladies. We all take turns spending the night out in the pyramid. It's aligned with the cardinal directions, solar activity, and magnetic fields.

Can wall base lined up with buttress. Will go to ceiling. We are digging the dirt floor 1" below the base of these cans to create an even subfloor.

Everyone who is involved in the Academy brings so much to the table. I'm really honored to be swinging pick axes, sledgehammers, hammers and shovels with these people. I'm surrounded and immersed amongst well-traveled, talented, brilliant, articulate, innovative and respectful people. Folks who are filled with passion and vision, willing to do the hard work and to live a life of autonomy in community. There is so much energy and excitement, along with the stressors involved with living in tight proximity, doing intense work in raw conditions and being immersed in social situations.


It is necessary for everyone to break away, to take some down time in order to have space.

The threshold in brown, Tyrex (1'6" each for 3" total), and 1" lower to the footing is our guideline. Dig down 1" below to create subfloor. 

I feel at home in the desert. I've missed her.

This job is a bitch. Pick axe, shovel, buckets. Jackhammer to break up volcanic rock. See those big rocks? I dug that shit out today.

This last weekend I got caught up in some high anxiety. Fears. Tears. Hard decisions. Communication. Really having to let so much go. It was intense for me. Here I am in the midst of the Academy, with a build or two ahead of me before heading back to California. I don't fully understand what I'm doing or how it's going to happen. Will I return to Cali in August? September? October? November? Nonetheless, my mind has this fierce desire to know how. Structure. Organization. Planning. Ah, sigh. Mike calls this letting go of the dogma and getting into the flow, intercepting natural phenomena.


My entire situation has changed due to unforeseen events and expenses. So this was the reason for my freak out. I went to the mountain to get grounded. I set up my lawn chair next to the river, along with a friend, and just listened to the river flow by. It's my way of being grounded in the flow. To honor the flow of energy and to root into the earth, into my inner knowing is something I have to do to keep my sanity. I think it is also becoming necessary to practice rituals and ceremonies for the shifts of energy within and around me. I travel with a broom for crying out loud!

Example of digging down to the subfloor. Lesson learned: Hire a back hoe to come in to level out the site before construction begins!

I work with energy. Cleaning space, moving space, creating space and moving energy is something we humans have been doing for a long, long time. It's literal, figurative, and metaphorical. I like to bring healing to places and hold space for healing for people.

Air tubes. 30'. These cool the house through convection with the greenhouse.  Concrete scratch to left and right over lath. Adobe pack out above.

I'm currently exploring three different projects.

North side of air tubes. Have Tyrex boxes as a vapor barrier and keep critters out.

1. One is to find employment with the company while I am here so I can feed myself, pay my bills, put gas in my car - while here, on builds, and on my way home.

Almost buried cisterns, tucked in with insulation to keep from freezing.

2.The second project is seeking help with logistics so I may line things up to do my second phase of my Biotecture degree, which is a start-to-finish build - while currently being in phase one. I lit that fire today.

Can wall above with the beam to take the load of the vigas and roof. Vigas are being planed or de-barked as we speak!

It's looking like I may head to New York with a couple friends to do the Ithica build in August. I'm hoping to catch a ride with some of the core team back to New Mexico to do the Albuquerque build in September. There is also the possibility to get involved with the autumn Academy for a month. I have a friend who has offered to take me with him to another job site to learn some finishing detailing work. Texture stuff. I have a feeling it will be my forte.

I never imagined I'd work with concrete. 

The third phase of my degree is to do an independent project. I am doing these two builds so I am ready to be a project manager / foreman (with an experienced team and guidance if need be) to build an Earthship on campus - to offer a class to college students, to offer experiential learning for interns, apprentices, and future Academy students. (I'll be working on this after returning to Massa Organics.)

Respect the concrete.

3. The third project is a remodel proposal on the Castle. I ran it by today. I need to type up a point-by-by-point memo for it to be run by Mike because he knows this structure better than anyone else. I would then be leading a remodel side-by-side with Mister Reynolds. Fucking awesome!

Builder. Creator. Grower.

"The human being can surrender to a greater consciousness just as a caterpillar surrenders to a butterfly. The energy band is the natural evolutionary 'current' that energizes these transformations. Surrender to what you are and become it. This will lead you to your energy band. When you find your energy band there will be no more barriers." - Mike Reynolds