Garlic Planting Day at Hart’s Mill

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Hope

by Margret Mueller

This bright, cool afternoon was perfect for planting our first crop of garlic on the land. Jeffry and Tain, encouraged by Eya, planted about 900 garlic cloves (one 100-foot bed, with 3 rows, approximately 3 cloves per foot).

Here’s how it works:
Garlic planting is generally done in the fall so that shoots have time to emerge but not grow too tall before we have any hard freezes. The largest heads of saved garlic from last year’s crop are separated into individual cloves (thanks, Tain!) and pushed into loose prepared (amended and tilled) soil. A layer of soil is raked over them, and pine straw mulch is scattered over the row. The mulch helps retain moisture and suppress weeds. (Since HM’s soil is already too acidic, we will rake off the pine needles at harvest and pile them up somewhere to rot instead of letting them deteriorate in place.)

Illustration from https://www.slugmag.com/interviews-features/garlic-planting-growing/

As soon as the soil warms in the spring, the shoots will, well, shoot up! Nitrogen fertilizer is applied during the growing season. Garlic is mature by late May, signaled by the tops starting to yellow and fall over. It is then pulled, allowed to dry, cleaned up, and Voila!  Ready for market.

 

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Chickens Come Home to Roost, and Other News from Hart’s Nest

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Hope

It’s a rare moment for Paul and me: sitting on the back deck in the afternoon calm, gazing at the tall oaks and fluffy pines just beyond the backyard fence.  Serenaded by the quiver of fading autumn leaves brushed by the breeze,  the ever-present insect drone, bird calls and chirps.  All is quiet and calm; a welcome respite after two  months of nearly constant motion as we all settle into this house with a big footprint and mission to match. 

Since moving in on July 25th, we have welcomed two residents interested in establishing a blueprint for shared housing for Hart’s Mill.  Marilyn Grubbs is a psychotherapist, Non-Violent Communication teacher, and singer.  Tain Collins brings a passion for permaculture and is helping Hart’s Mill to get the farm in shape.  He’s a singer/songwriter and master juggler as well!

We’ve also welcomed many visitors, housed overnight guests, and had meetings large and small.  The October 1 blog post below describes the major architecture meeting that took place here, with 23 folks comfortably situated for the whole day. 

Earlier in September, we greeted a steady stream of visitors for the Hart’s Nest Open House (or “Hart-warming”).  Guests enjoyed tours of the land, good food and drink, and a spirited performance by Jewelsong, a women’s vocal quartet which includes Marilyn as a member.  They filled the Nest with sweet harmony.

The most recent inhabitants of Hart’s Nest are…CHICKENS!   Randy donated a chicken tractor and we recently collected 6 young hens and a rooster that were outgrowing their coop from our friend, LaTarndra.  Tain and Paul worked to get the tractor ready and secured.  With just 2-3 months of growth under their wings, it will take awhile before there are any eggs to collect.  But in the meantime, this clutch gives verisimilitude to our name—truly a nest to incubate our fledging community in a myriad of ways!  And our resident old-soul dog, Eya, is intrigued…

 

Finally, our Third Thursday Potluck and Talent Show was a sheer delight.  We inaugurated our dining room table with 8 guests, enjoying live conversation punctuated with a “house concert” by the Hart’s Nest residents: a rousing rendition of Bright Morning Star Arising, followed by a little stargazing in the crisp, clear autumn evening.

P.S.  Back in June, I wrote a blog post on Hart’s Nest that I neglected to publish.  For those of you not familiar with our mission here, read on…

Hart’s Nest—Community Right Now!

A gracious place to incubate and nurture our fledging community…Our neighbors to the south, Ruth and Daniel Steenwyk, had the inspiration to offer to sell their large home on 7.5 acres of adjacent land to the Hart’s Mill Ecovillage.  Ruth and Daniel are Exploratory Members of Hart’s Mill and have been very supportive of our venture in many ways.  While they were looking forward to having us as neighbors, their life circumstances are calling them away.   Hart’s Nest will be available to our community in mid-August, 2017.  (To read a Hope’s blog post for the story behind the name, Hart’s Nest, click here.)

Here are the main features of the property:

  • Size: approx. 4900 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, large living/dining spaces, very large garage
  • Sustainability features: solar panels installed on the roof in 2015, pure well water, septic system
  • Land: 7.5 acres including a fenced-in yard and a kitchen garden which has been soil-amended and organically farmed
  • Distance: a very short walk to the trail along our northern border, just to the east of the pond
  • Location: at the end of Ben Jones Rd., a private road shared by two households

This “nest” will enable us to nurture and grow several of our community goals:  

  • A beachhead next to the land which makes us look and feel “real” to all who are involved and interested in Hart’s Mill
  • Plenty of space to host community gatherings, meetings, trainings, and retreats
  • Varied living/working space to pilot our shared home concept for the village
  • Accelerate the farming initiatives by housing people interested in working on the farm as well as providing adjunct space for equipment and food  storage/production
  • A place to greet and offer on-site hospitality to members, visitors and guests
  • Additional land to increase our watershed and ecological diversity
  • A potential additional entrance/exit off the land at some point

Who will live at Hart’s Nest (HN)? 

  • Paul and Hope intend to live there
  • Others have expressed strong interest, and the vision is to invite people to occupy private bedrooms with shared common space
  • An expectation is that some who live at HN will work on the farm/land to some degree

Hart’s Nest offers a space for community living, gathering, building, and growing right now! 

Please contact Hope and Paul ASAP—let us know what excites you about this and how you might want to be involved. 

Hope Horton: hope@hartsmill.net; Paul Voss: voss@hawkweed.net

 

 

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Design Decisions Reached!

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Hope

by Anthony Weston

A major meeting on Sunday, 24 September marked the successful culmination of an intensive research and planning phase as we organize ourselves to head again into architectural design work with professional Design Partners.

Beginning in early August, four Working Groups, involving over 18 HM members in total, focused on specific basic in questions concerning Sustainability, Equity and Economic Accessibility, Style (architectural design), and Cost (construction and operational). Each group developed increasingly detailed reports, many shared with each other and Planning, Design, and Development (PDD). In early September we began to coordinate the reports and focus them into proposals in the sociocratic format – starting with our Principles and Intentions and ending in specific and applicable proposed measures. These were then shared with all Working Group participants in advance (though on a tight schedule, sorry…)

We met in the great living room of Hart’s Nest – appropriately, our first official community meeting there. Question rounds included all members who attended, many of whom were active on the Working Groups and had followed proposal development carefully online. General Circle made the ultimate decisions. Discussion was grounded and immensely aided both by the coordination and parallel structuring of proposals – credit PDD and the Working Group conveners: Christina, Charles, Hope, Katy, and Anthony –  and by skillful facilitation both by our impressive inside talent (yay, Maria!) and an outside facilitator, Mark Molitor, who joined us for the day as well as offering his sage counsel in numerous lead-up planning sessions (with Maria, Hope, Jeffry, and Anthony). Most of all the success of the work was a credit to the focused intent of all who attended – many thanks to all!!!

Style: In a miracle of major and unprecedented proportions, we have actually consented to a basic design concept. “Sunslope” features a large south-facing, low-pitched roof as the prime roof for each unit, to be largely dedicated to solar (PV) panels. A smaller roof section on the north side attaches at the same pitch but in the other direction, making an asymmetrical gable roof – a kind of modernized and adapted “saltbox” design. Inside layouts remain to be decided, but one natural floor plan places living & dining rooms under the lower end of the big roof, with its sloping ceiling creating “lift” above. Under the upper end of the big roof could be a half second floor with bedrooms and a bath, over a downstairs kitchen and another BR or study. (This is the basic 3 BR version.) Stairs rise from the living/dining “great room” to the second floor, allowing for a balcony overlooking the lower area. A detailed and illustrated Sunslope proposal can be found here.

Sustainability. We are defining Sustainability as having the least impact on the environment, the longest life, lowest maintenance, greatest damage resistance, lowest cost to maintain, maximum attention to the human factor, and reducing toxicity as much as possible. A detailed proposal breaks down sustainability goals by major categories: Energy (ways to get at least to net zero and hopefully better); Water (self-sufficiency in the long run); Materials (major durability and longevity with least impact, and highlighting some highly attractive potential new options); Appliances and HVAC; Lighting; Food (permaculture zones 0 / 1 would be our porches!); Waste; and other Design Features. We reaffirmed our intention to design and make full use of Common House facilities and community wide solutions to reduce individual house space and appliance requirements, and to promote life style changes to assist in that goal as well. A full and consented-to Sustainability proposal can be found here.

Equity: Hart’s Mill Ecovillage is committed to promoting affordability, demographic diversity, and social and ecological justice for ourselves and the land. Housing affordability—short and long term—is a paramount (though not sole) concern if we are to be able to attract and retain members across spectrums of age, race/ethnicity, gender, agrarian skills, etc. The Equity Working Group therefore brought a specific proposal to GC whose key features include pegging our house cost goals to affordability for people earning 85-100% of Area Median household Income (about $46,000-$54,000 for two people in Orange County in 2015), along with flexible housing options, such as shared housing and farm housing, and energetically pursuing sources of subsidies and alternative financing. The GC discussion was highly supportive, and fertile, leading to development of the proposal, with final consent pending adjustment and further development. A detailed background report can be found here.

Cost: The Cost Working Group offered a detailed report rather than a specific proposal. Included are an update and summary of overall development costs and key construction cost take-aways. Good news is that looking at average construction cost over a plausible mix of HM homes at 2017 prices, we are comfortably below the $150/SF working target. We also learned that with current costs for standard grid-tied PV panels (without battery backup) and utility power rates, the monthly cost of financing an installed PV system can offset the monthly utility bill dollar-for-dollar for the same amount of energy!

This work generated not only necessary and significant decisions, as noted, but also a rich resource of background material and wide-ranging member expertise as planning goes forward. The meeting ended with rounds of mutual appreciation and delight. ¡Adelante!

photo by Joe Cole

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FOUND: Equinox Adventures at Hart’s Mill

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Hope

Butterfly cloud over Hart’s Mill

My ears strain to catch the sound of trickling water.  If I can find the wetland or the stream, I’ll know where I am and can shadow it home.  Is that it?  No, it’s giggling trees being tickled by the breeze.  What about that?  No, it’s a shower of yellowed leaves taking the autumn plunge (and not going quietly.)  Now, it’s silent.  There’s nothing but scrub trees, brush, and brambles all around me, and I’ve lost my way.  The Equinox sun is high overhead and not providing a lick of aid, at least not for my rudimentary navigational skills.  It’s hot and I’ve been out here for hours and don’t have any water.  Help me–which way do I go?

I was happily exploring, seeking the cardinal east and southeast nodes on the Hart’s Mill 120-acre sweep    of land.  I didn’t mean to do it; the plan was to take a quick morning walk on a groomed, woodland trail before getting back to work.  But lately I’ve been powerfully drawn to the wetlands, seeps, and traces along our uncharted eastern border and was lured as by a siren’s song to stray from the path. 

Turns out that this was excellent timing.  The sun rises due east on the Equinox and sets due west.  (It has something to do with the celestial equator which I haven’t figured out yet.)  Honestly, I thought, all I have to do is head directly towards the sun, pick my way carefully through the thigh-high stilt grass, jump over a few rivulets, and I’m golden.  With my single piece of equipment—a sturdy hiking stick—I can slice through the woof of spider’s webs threading a loose weave through the trees’ warp, pound the earth at every step to discern snake-free, firm ground, and endeavor to spot the hot pink surveyor’s plugs sunk nearly flush with the fallen leaves.  Should be easy…right?

It’s a nice day for a walk, and this exploration is not just a whim on my part; it’s a sacred trust.  Our community is being gifted with a Land Dome Ceremony* by one of our members, Maria, who follows the Sweet Medicine teachings brought to us by the Deer Tribe Metis Medicine Society.  It will take over a year to prepare ourselves and the land for this offering, which is scheduled for Earth Day, April 22, 2018.  At this stage, we are placing shepherd’s hooks festooned with pertinent symbols at each of the 8 directions along the border of our land.  All are done except the East and South East, which lie in a frontier where few of us have yet ventured due to the wide, soppy spread of beaver-dammed streams and rills barring the way. 

I’ve already participated in a several stages of preparation for this Ceremony and learned that it’s a systematic and multi-layered way to clarify and attune our human intentions with the land.  Done well, it will form a harmonious and coherent container to support and foster our goals.  Ultimately, it will help us to attract people and energies aligned with our intent and prevent energies that are counter to the intent from entering the land. 

So today, I decide to be a scout.   I’m not wearing the super-duper rain boots that help me feel invincible to mud, pools, ticks, chiggers, and slithery things; just regular old sturdy shoes.  No matter; the water level is low and I know my way across the wetland by now.  For the first time, I’m carrying a google-earth map of the land.  Though the bright-red boundary lines are firm and clear, the landmarks are fuzzy and hard to discern from the ground. 

I head slowly up the rise beyond the marsh, hugging the eastern line (and the sporadic mature hardwood trees) as best I can, basking in the forest sounds and soothing shade, reading the dips and crags with my feet, pausing at a rare assembly of boulders, and keeping the sun ever to my left.  But mostly, I’m following my nose which after a while surprisingly takes me in a westerly direction for several yards.  Randomly looking down, I see a boundary marker at my feet, though it’s a pipe with orange tape, not a pink disc.  I nonetheless declare this to be the southeast node, marvel for a moment or two at my luck, and decide to turn back, fervently wishing I had a roll of surveyor’s tape to mark the way. 

This is where it gets confusing.  I move in a supposedly westerly direction down the hill.  But that can’t be right, because at the verge of the wetland, I look down and miraculously see another survey plug, the right color this time.  Amazing!  But is this east, or west?  Well, I’ll figure that out later; it’s getting late.  The stream here is wider and deeper and I can’t cross it, but wait—around the next bend there is a little fallen- log bridge.   Perfect!  I’ll just step over it and follow the stream to the left.  In about 25 minutes, I’ll be home.

This is where it gets interesting.  Suddenly, nothing looks familiar.  I come upon a mini-meadow with a wide, weed- and briar-choked path on either end.  Choosing one direction, I encounter a substantial wooden deer blind 20 feet up a tree.  Never seen this before.   Bumbling on, thorns sink into my cheek, tear at my dirty clothes, and scratch my sweaty arms.  I decide to head into the shrubby woods again, but that’s no easier, and everything looks the same.  I admit that I’m utterly lost, can’t possibly re-trace my steps, and turn up the volume on pleas to the greater intelligence to show me the way.   Ultimately I find the wide, overgrown path again and go in the opposite direction, pledging to walk it to the end no matter what.   At last, I come to a gate, and a road, and eventually figure out what it’s called and where I am—miles by car from home.    My husband is out of town, and my roommates aren’t at the house.  What am I going to do now?

I call my dear friend, Elizabeth, who lives nearby and who just at that moment has passed the Hwy. 40 Efland exit on her way to work in Chapel Hill.  Hearing that I’m stranded and have no water, she makes a U-turn to return to said exit, come get me, and drive me back to Mebane.  Did I mention that later in the day she’s driving to Wisconsin?  Oh, and she gives me her water bottle, too.   And she delivers me to my door, safe and sound. 

On this wild walk today, I learned what our land is NOT.  I also know that I was impetuous, charging ahead and not listening to my gut which knew that I was standing on foreign ground.  But it was also kind of fun to get lost, and be rescued, and have a story to tell.  I won’t forget that this adventure happened near the  Equinox, a day when both hemispheres are equally illuminated by 12 hours of sunlight, when I knew not east or west.  When intuition led me to the exact cardinal directions.  When hubris got me into the weeds, surrender showed me the road, and love rescued me.   I’ll remember that the Equinox brings us the blessing of balance and wholeness no matter how far we’ve strayed. 

One of the pledges I made when going into those southeastern acres is that I am going to get to know this forest and wetlands really well.  I’ll take it slow, visit often in every season, make friends with the trees and memorize the landmarks, sit by the stream, be serenaded by gentle beaver-made waterfalls, greet the wildflowers by name and squint at the birds flying by.  I’ll always know where I am because this will be my home, too.   I imagine that the Land Dome Ceremony will sweetly feed this feeling until it’s full to overflowing and I can carry this orientation to all the Directions, rooted to place, for the first time in my life, by heart.    

*For more information about the Land Dome Ceremony, and to participate, contact Maria Silvia, mariastawsky@gmail.com

Land Dome Ceremony, blessing the Medicine Items (photo by Joe Cole)

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Labor for–and from–the Hart

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Hope

This Labor Day’s work weekend began with a tractor workshop led by Jeffry on Saturday afternoon. Tain, Margret, and Virginia were given a very thorough and clear explanation of all of the red beast’s bells and whistles—well, more like levers, pedals, knobs, fluid reservoirs and quirks.

Then we each got a practice run in the field by the farm. The goal is to enable as many as are interested to mow and maybe even plow on occasion. Others have expressed an interest in learning also, so we will try to have another workshop later this year.

At the same time, Anthony, Paul, Virginia, Tain, John, Christopher, Maria Teresa, and Marilyn tackled the Hartery trail improvement project. We ended around 5, laid a fire in the fire circle, were joined by Hope, and had a lovely shared meal and marveled at the early sweet potato progress  as night fell. 

Sunday dawned clear and warm, and work began before nine. After a near miss involving a rear tire and the container shed, Margret got the tractor safely backed out and headed for the fields. After mowing for more than two hours she reports that it was great fun and tremendously rewarding. 

Charles cleaned and reconfigured the guttering on our tractor shed, so that it more efficiently directs rainwater to the collection tank. He also spent some time trying to get Harts Nest’s generator working.

Meanwhile, two painting teams formed up and headed off in opposite directions around our land’s perimeter, marking trees and occasionally clothing with purple paint. Purple swatches on trees are the commonly-understood sign meaning “No Hunting”. Painters included Jeffry, Paul, Donna, Virginia, and Anthony.

A climax to the afternoon came in the form of a bonus discovery by Jeffry of a cluster of fresh, Chicken Mushrooms, which are considered choice edibles

 

After one more go at Hartery improvement and brush clearing along the dam, which now included Lisa and Amy, the weekend was deemed a success. Many thanks to all who participated!

 

 

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Mastering Plastering

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Randy Dodd

Clay Plaster Recipe

Dig up red clay and mix with water to create clay gumbo

Pass gumbo through hardware cloth screen

Mix 1 part gumbo with 3 parts sand, adding water as needed as you would if making cement. 

When sand and clay gumbo are thoroughly mixed, add wheat straw chopped up with a weedwhacker.

Ta da.  A low carbon/high beauty plaster.

However, the plaster doesn’t jump on the wall, so next is the fun/frustrating/ meditative/….. part; finding the right trowel and technique to get the plaster to stick to the wall and not slop to the ground, slump, be uneven, or done in a way that risks future cracking or falling off.

 

 

 

The next level of craftsmanship involves composing the little details around windows, rafters, and foundation and smoothing out the bumps and undulations in the wall.

 

 

Next up this coming Saturday we’ll be doing the same for the inside walls.  After that, we’re looking at scheduling a weekend in October to put in a rocket stove and bench. Stay tuned, and by all means, come join in if such activities are calling you!

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A Joyous July at Hart’s Mill

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Hope

A lot happens in a month at Hart’s Mill Ecovillage!  Here are the headlines from July:

The July 3rd Work Day sizzled with activity—gardening, cobbing, trail building, and even excavating a seeder axel-deep in the mud(!)—followed by food for all. Thanks to our fearless leader, Jeffry, and all who showed up. Stay tuned for news about a work camp over Labor Day weekend!

The Hart’s Mill architecture process is picking up steam. Thanks to Anthony for keeping the train moving on track and to all of you who are responding with wisdom and heart to the requests for input and participation. More opportunities are coming and you’ll hear about what YOU can do very soon.

Preparation for the Land Dome Ceremony continued with a discussion on July 11 with Dance Chief, Michael Stein. Michael offered a riveting talk about this shamanic tradition in general and the ceremony in particular. Those who attended were moved and impressed by the magnitude and potential power of this offering. Thanks to María for making this possible!

Presenters from Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) came to Arcadia Common House for a 2-hour workshop.  Twenty-two people including fourteen Hart’s Mill members convened to learn about the ways in which racism operates in our society today and how we can work against it. Thanks to Rita for organizing this inspiring and thought-provoking event, and to Randy for offering the location. There will be more to come!

Our Third Thursday Heart Sharing Circle nourished connection and deep expression for all who attended. Thanks to María and Joe for this beautiful offering. If YOU have an offering or idea for a Third Thursday, please be in touch with Hope – what can we cook up?

Cob Haven is ready for plastering! This is a great chance for you to put your mark on a cottage built with community clay by many hands. Come on over for the September 2/3 work weekend (more details from Randy to come).

 

Hart’s Nest is now available to the Hart’s Mill Ecovillage Community! Paul and Hope closed on the home on July 6th.   Many members have helped us to pack, move, and spruce up the place. There’s still a lot to do, but we would not have been able to manage without all the support and good will from YOU in the process. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all who have helped us get this far, and to all who will fill this space with love and possibilities. Contact Paul and/or Hope if you’d like to stop by.

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Hot As a Firecracker–July 3 Workday

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Hope

We had a lovely, but hot summer morning for our July workday. Fortunately most of the work took place in the shade. Anthony, Amy, Margret, and Donna cleared and upgraded the entire McGowen Creek trail while Paul and Jeffry made significant headway clearing the overhanging limbs on the Frazier Rd entrance to make way for a dump truck of gravel to be delivered and spread.

Meanwhile Bailey and Lisa worked under the hot sun to weed and groom the community garden. There was also a large crew (Greg, Matt, Geri, Chris, Randy, Anika, Amy (#2), and Joe), led by Randy, continuing to play in the mud – and the walls of Cob Haven near completion.

 

At noon most gathered at the Cedar Pavilion for a much needed rest and lunch. After lunch Paul, Anthony and Jeffry managed to free the seeder that was mired to its axles in the Far Field.

Thanks to everyone for another successful workday!

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Heart to Hart–A Sharing Circle Focused on the Architecture Process

Posted on July 6, 2017 by Hope

People work hard at Hart’s Mill, traveling distances to come to meetings, work days, social gatherings, workshops, not to mention doing research, making phone calls, and preparing agendas and materials in-between.  We have accomplished a lot and built bonds of strong connection in the process. 

But lately, we find ourselves still in the thick of an architectural process that has not yet brought us to the finish line despite over a year of consistent engagement in an intentional process between skilled and well meaning people.  

Hmmm, could we be missing something?  How about if we add a different ingredient to the mix and see what happens?  It was in this spirit that members María Silvia and Joe Cole offered their home and expertise to facilitate a Sharing Circle on July 2nd. 

Nine Hart’s Mill members gathered in the “tower” at María and Joe’s home.  After a thorough and helpful introduction to the process and setting an intention to deeply listen and receive each other, we began to speak, one at a time….

According to community consultant, Laird Schaub, the purpose of a Sharing Circle (or Heart Circle) is to give participants an opportunity to speak, without interruption and generally without time limits, on something that is meaningful to them or a topic the group has chosen. These sessions can be powerful community building experiences and may be used for these reasons:

  1. When the group wants to go deeper together and strengthen bonds with one another.
  2. To share feelings, issues, or concerns that don’t easily come up in regular meetings.
  3. When the group wants to access more information about a topic that can’t be achieved by normal discussion in meetings.
  4. When the group is dealing with an emotional situation—a member leaving, a death of someone significant to the group, an emotionally hard situation, etc.
  5. It can be a time for just sharing with one another, whatever is in your heart about your life at the moment.
  6. Generally it is not used for making decisions or to resolve a specific conflict (although it is a great forum for people to reflect on what is going on and their feelings about a contentious situation or conflict the group or individuals are experiencing).

…and each person had the space and time to express what was in their hearts about where we find ourselves now.  Comments were infused with thoughtful reflections–hopes and dreams, grief and frustration, joy and gratitude, unresolved questions, excitement about possibilities, commitment to the vision of Hart’s Mill and what it could become and hold for each of us—all poured into the circle space and held with respect and love by the listeners until our cups were both emptied and filled according to each person’s need.

 As for me, I was astonished to feel mainly delight and deep caring for the Hart’s Mill vision emerge when it was my turn.  Far from venting my fears and concerns, I dropped into a stream where commitment, passion, love, and possibility infused the waters that we swim in together—may they be rough or smooth—and tears of joy and gratitude for all we are and all we mean to create and become together flowed freely.

The entire process lasted less than two hours.  After the final words were spoken, we continued to sit in silence, loath to leave the richness and connection created in this simple, almost primal way.  It was as though we had just watched a really good movie together and didn’t want to exit the theater even after the credits finished rolling and the lights came up.  Gradually, we stretched and stood and made our way out into the world, carrying this experience of connection with us…

The effect of the Sharing Circle on the architectural issue remains to be seen, but that we who participated were touched, moved, and heartened in various ways was evident.  Joe and María have generously offered to facilitate more Sharing Circles at Hart’s Mill with topics ranging from the open-ended to specific.  Your whole-hearted engagement is welcome! 

NEXT SHARING CIRCLE: Thursday, July 20, 7pm, Chapel Hill.  Contact María Silvia for information.  Please RSVP if you plan to come: mariastawsky@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Social Events and Gatherings, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Striking it rich (from a cobber’s perspective)

Posted on July 4, 2017 by Randy Dodd

Yesterday the walls of Cob Haven grew another foot or two, a notable outcome given the seasonably warm and somewhat muggy early July weather.  Cob Haven itself provided some respite with the growing amount of thermal mass and now complete roof. Greg, Matt, Geri, Chris, Randy, Anika, Amy (#2), and Joe all chipped in (apologies if I missed anyone during the little buzzes of activity).  Matt hit a vein of really nice clay in the future root cellar which contributed to what was generally regarded as the best cob yet, and no doubt to what appeared to be the most cob applied in a single day so far-even surpassing the day with mortar mixer assistance. Headers were put in over the windows and door, along with wine bottle windows. 

Good news: the moist spot in the straw bale wall (a remnant from when the tarp rain protection failed before the roof was up) seems to have dried out and should be good to go for the long haul.  Another, and possibly/hopefully last day of cob wall work (possibly some living roof work, too) is scheduled for July 15th (all welcome, RSVP appreciated but not essential). After this there will be a lull to let the cob dry and for me to take an August vacation). 

After that, a work/play weekend is tentatively scheduled for September 2nd and 3rd (maybe 4th, too?) to plaster the exterior and interior walls and paint the windows and door, maybe more depending on who shows up and what wants to happen. If this sounds appealing, pencil it in; more details forthcoming in a few weeks.

The home stretch approacheth!

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