On Wednesday morning, I was preparing a ride to go to a walk in clinic since I wasn't getting better. Fortunately, I spoke with Rebecca before taking off. She's the wife of John, a fellow natural building intern, and parenting their little son Osha. Rebecca trained with an herbal guru so we decided to talk about my sickness and see what the best path to healing would likely be. Since I was fairly certain it was a virus and she agreed, a doctor wouldn't have been able to do anything for me. Even anti-biotics aren't effective against viruses, to my understanding, plus they can really mess you up. Thankfully, there are many anti-viral herbs grown around the property. For the next two days, I picked, dried and brewed myself many teas of oregano, thyme, and lemon balm, with honey and fresh ginger. My intuition had been telling me to fast (not eat) so we agreed that I would fast all Thursday.
It's really hard to fast when there's the yummiest super-healthy food prepared for you by a wonderful woman after all our hearts named Jan. And I did it! ...along with about 4 litres of the herbal brew. The next day, I was a bit weak but knew that I had been healed and have been since. Now I'm filled with energy and joy of being well again. Thanks everyone for your concern and support. Love.
Freya's Curvalinear Foundation
Last week we were in the dug foundation of Freya's house, the first of nine residences being built here. I totally geeked out when we were helping Gord calculate and position the rebar and forms for the foundation footings. There are two kinds of structure going on, timberframe and cob, plus 5 different kinds of footing designs. This is the kind of math I loved so much in high school that I went and majored in math in university. But since we didn't do any geometry and not even one application in university, I left that program after two years. The timberframing footings need to be accurate within 1/64 an inch. Cob is more forgiving so you can be within 1/4 an inch and still be fine. We used trigonometry, string, laser levels, and neat tricks to line things up.
We're teaching curvalinear foundation, which allows us to create a curved foundation for curved walls. The technique involves posting rebar, lining with curved wood forms and laying fabric to pour the concrete. Geeky fun times were followed by sledge hammering rebar into the ground. It's good for building confidence in your own power and motor skills.
We're teaching curvalinear foundation, which allows us to create a curved foundation for curved walls. The technique involves posting rebar, lining with curved wood forms and laying fabric to pour the concrete. Geeky fun times were followed by sledge hammering rebar into the ground. It's good for building confidence in your own power and motor skills.
My Computer and I Are Sick
Sorry I haven't updated in a week. My laptop died on Friday night with a hal.dll error preventing Windows from launching. So either I buy a copy of XP for as much money as I payed for the computer or I install Linux...hmmmm free stable operating system or $230 to a ginormous stinking rich corporation. hmmmm.
My body is under siege as well. Two weeks ago, this illness started as aches and a cold. For the past two days, I've spent several hours in the afternoon unable to stay awake. Other people on the ecovillage and in the surrounding area are sick with what seems to be the same thing. There are rumours that some end up with pneumonia. I feel like I have mono in waves throughout the day and I'm only healthy feeling in the morning. Anyways, if you have any idea what this is or what healing method I should attempt, please advise. So far, I'm drinking lots of lemon balm (an herb we grow here) and fresh ginger tea to boost my thyroid and immune systems. Maybe it's time to visit a doctor.
My body is under siege as well. Two weeks ago, this illness started as aches and a cold. For the past two days, I've spent several hours in the afternoon unable to stay awake. Other people on the ecovillage and in the surrounding area are sick with what seems to be the same thing. There are rumours that some end up with pneumonia. I feel like I have mono in waves throughout the day and I'm only healthy feeling in the morning. Anyways, if you have any idea what this is or what healing method I should attempt, please advise. So far, I'm drinking lots of lemon balm (an herb we grow here) and fresh ginger tea to boost my thyroid and immune systems. Maybe it's time to visit a doctor.
May 8: Solar Gain in Victoria
We spent Thursday visiting three different places in Victoria. First we visited Solar Crest, a booming solar hot water system company. Solar hot water is my second favorite solar heating technique. It's currently the most viable alternative technology out there. The system that Solar Crest installs is inexpensive, there aren't many links in the energy transfer chain, it saves so much money since heating water and space is the biggest drain on your energy bill, there's only one moving part, each tube costs only $10 to replace, the broken tube material can be recycled, the energy source never doesn't need to be transported to your building, water is used as a battery instead of toxic materials, the environmental cost of producing the system can be offset withing 2 months of operation, paying for the system takes around 7 years and after 30 years of operation, the tubes are still heating water for free. The system gets put on your roof and hooked into your existing hot water tank. The way it's hooked up, you're never short of hot water and the system only uses the panels if it can get enough solar gain so you're not cooling the water.
We also visited Burnside Community Centre and got a tour of their LEED Gold building. Neat place and I love what they do for Victoria but almost the entire building was cement, which made all of us rather skeptical of the LEED system. Natural builders could pursue LEED certification and get it fairly easily but I don't know any of our buildings that have. It's an improvement on conventional building but sometimes the bigger picture gets disregarded. I'm glad it exists but it doesn't appeal to us all that much.
Last on our tour was Energy Alternatives who install mostly solar panels and wind turbines but do delve into other alternative technologies such as composting toilets.
We also visited Burnside Community Centre and got a tour of their LEED Gold building. Neat place and I love what they do for Victoria but almost the entire building was cement, which made all of us rather skeptical of the LEED system. Natural builders could pursue LEED certification and get it fairly easily but I don't know any of our buildings that have. It's an improvement on conventional building but sometimes the bigger picture gets disregarded. I'm glad it exists but it doesn't appeal to us all that much.
Last on our tour was Energy Alternatives who install mostly solar panels and wind turbines but do delve into other alternative technologies such as composting toilets.
May 3-4: A Hundred People at the Ecovillage Convergence
As part of the natural building interns' escape from the Ecovillage Convergence, we had an 8am to 4pm workshop on Project Management for Homeowners with Randy on Saturday and Sunday. He gave us a great intro to what and who is involved in the building of a house. It can be overwhelming and intimidating when one learns just how many blocks are presently in the way of natural building. We talked about what makes a good site manager, who is good to have as your architect if you want/need one, what papers do you need an architect or engineer's signature on, how to schedule the critical path of a project, insurance, budget, and some other stuff.
I hopped out of the workshop from 2-4pm to lead a cob mixing workshop for the Convergence participants with Dawn. Cob is a mix of roughly and quite variantly 1 part clay to 2 parts sand, some water and some straw or other fiber, like hemp stock. It was fun. A couple folks took off their boots and socks and got right in the mud to mix it up real good then we started building a cob bench and garden wall on the stone foundation the Convergence folks built together under Elke's instruction.
I expected myself to get really excited about having so many interesting people here and would get to know the visitors. But almost all the interns, including myself, retreated into hiding from it all. I guess 100 people in your living space can be a little overwhelming, especially when they're not used to living communally. The Convergence actually went really great. Check out the call out for participants here, if you're interested in what it was all about. There will be another one in September.
I hopped out of the workshop from 2-4pm to lead a cob mixing workshop for the Convergence participants with Dawn. Cob is a mix of roughly and quite variantly 1 part clay to 2 parts sand, some water and some straw or other fiber, like hemp stock. It was fun. A couple folks took off their boots and socks and got right in the mud to mix it up real good then we started building a cob bench and garden wall on the stone foundation the Convergence folks built together under Elke's instruction.
I expected myself to get really excited about having so many interesting people here and would get to know the visitors. But almost all the interns, including myself, retreated into hiding from it all. I guess 100 people in your living space can be a little overwhelming, especially when they're not used to living communally. The Convergence actually went really great. Check out the call out for participants here, if you're interested in what it was all about. There will be another one in September.
May 2: Alcove Awakening Alder
Randy, one of our instructors who specializes in timber framing, gave us a safety run-through on the art studio work site. After a thorough discussion, we all got back to work. Dawn taught me how to operate the cordless circular saw and I cut her some pieces to frame in the rear art studio room windows. Fun fun. Earlier in the day, some alder saplings were cut down to make way for vehicle access to Freya's house which just had the foundation dug last week. In spirit of salvaging materials, I'm using a draw knife to skin the bark off the saplings to be used in a shelf John and I are building into the cob wall above the sleeping cove bed in the art studio. I'll have pictures when it's done, I'm sure. I really loved using the draw knife as it felt like a part of my body and was very meditative to use. It's an old school hand tool with two handles that you pull towards yourself to carve off strips of wood or bark. I was exhausted from the day but even late that night when I closed my eyes I could see myself still doing it and wanted to go back for more. I'm actually going to go do some right now as a break from typing. Hehe...Okay, 3 hours and a bowl of vegan chili later, I'm back. On Wednesday, Elke, John and I designed and started fabricating the bed, and loft storage shelf to build into the cob alcove in the front room of the art studio.
People from many parts of BC but mostly Vancouver and Victoria started arriving for the Ecovillage Convergence happening Saturday and Sunday. By tomorrow afternoon, there should be an extra 70 people on site staying for two days of some yummy back to nature and community goodness.
People from many parts of BC but mostly Vancouver and Victoria started arriving for the Ecovillage Convergence happening Saturday and Sunday. By tomorrow afternoon, there should be an extra 70 people on site staying for two days of some yummy back to nature and community goodness.
May 1: Dreamcatcher
Each One Teach One is what we're calling the workshops that each intern will create and give all on their own. This week was Kata's workshop. She taught us how to make our own dreamcatcher from cedar branches, string, slices of shells, and feathers that she collected herself. I brought some rain forest jasper stones and a piece of cedar "leaf" to add to mine. It's delicate and strong hand work, meditative and tense, real world meets dream world. I'm so glad I can make these now and pass on the gift onto my friends.
April 30: Design, Moziro cafe and Elkington Living Forest
In the morning, we got talking about what group design projects we want to commit to. Ideas include:
Gathering station/chalet design for the Living Forest Community's Elkington eco-forestry housing development;
Moziro coffee shop improvement design;
Eco-four-plex in Yarrow (Brian's project);
Majlis Community Art Centre (a project I'm working on in Toronto);
and within O.U.R. Ecovillage:
Bicycle shed
Meditation/hermitage space
Yoga/library space above art studio
Natural renovation/expansion of office and main house
We need to each choose one to help design. It's so hard to decide. They all sound so cool
Later, we visited Moziro, a coffee shop close by in Shawnigan Lake who are sponsoring some the internship. In return of their support, we visited the cafe, had amazing mochas bean roasted behind the counter, and discussed what design project they'd like us to work on for them. There was some brain storming around replacing their back deck with something, maybe making a rocket-stove seating area, more patio space, more bean roasting and packaging area, flowers and/or berry growing, and some way to celebrate and encourage the compostable cups they use for take-out coffee. It's such a cute space and a really nice couple running the place with their kids often hanging out there.
After heading back to the ecovillage for yet another super-healthy meal prepared by the one and only Jan, we piled back into the carpool and drove 25 minutes up into the mountain range to visit the Living Forest Community development called Elkington Forest. For many, this was our first time seeing first-hand the devastation of old-growth logging. My eyes teared up as we were driving up an otherwise pristine mountain that was being turned into 5 acre house lots and subdivisions. It went on and on with pavement, logging, street lamps, and dump trucks. Terribly sad. Our saving grace was the Living Forest group of environmental developers that are setting up their 1000 acre area to regrow the old growth and regulate the building practices of new residents. Almost all of the old growth forest on the mountain range that was hundreds of years old had been devastated in the 20s and so the 2nd growth forest is now about 80 years old. In the 90s, loggers had cleared many areas throughout the range, leaving about 50% of the trees dead in it's wake so they could only take the cream of the crop and leave the rest to off-gas it's fuel uselessly through decomposition. It had been explained that although decomposition is good for topsoil, an optimal amount of fell trees is about 25 square metres per hectare whereas most loggers leave 200-300 metres, which also creates a fire hazard. We hiked up to the top of the mountain range and enjoyed the view. Eleven kilometres later, were back at the cars, enjoyed some coffee and vegan baked goods then went home to storm up some design ideas for the Living Forest Community.
Gathering station/chalet design for the Living Forest Community's Elkington eco-forestry housing development;
Moziro coffee shop improvement design;
Eco-four-plex in Yarrow (Brian's project);
Majlis Community Art Centre (a project I'm working on in Toronto);
and within O.U.R. Ecovillage:
Bicycle shed
Meditation/hermitage space
Yoga/library space above art studio
Natural renovation/expansion of office and main house
We need to each choose one to help design. It's so hard to decide. They all sound so cool
Later, we visited Moziro, a coffee shop close by in Shawnigan Lake who are sponsoring some the internship. In return of their support, we visited the cafe, had amazing mochas bean roasted behind the counter, and discussed what design project they'd like us to work on for them. There was some brain storming around replacing their back deck with something, maybe making a rocket-stove seating area, more patio space, more bean roasting and packaging area, flowers and/or berry growing, and some way to celebrate and encourage the compostable cups they use for take-out coffee. It's such a cute space and a really nice couple running the place with their kids often hanging out there.
After heading back to the ecovillage for yet another super-healthy meal prepared by the one and only Jan, we piled back into the carpool and drove 25 minutes up into the mountain range to visit the Living Forest Community development called Elkington Forest. For many, this was our first time seeing first-hand the devastation of old-growth logging. My eyes teared up as we were driving up an otherwise pristine mountain that was being turned into 5 acre house lots and subdivisions. It went on and on with pavement, logging, street lamps, and dump trucks. Terribly sad. Our saving grace was the Living Forest group of environmental developers that are setting up their 1000 acre area to regrow the old growth and regulate the building practices of new residents. Almost all of the old growth forest on the mountain range that was hundreds of years old had been devastated in the 20s and so the 2nd growth forest is now about 80 years old. In the 90s, loggers had cleared many areas throughout the range, leaving about 50% of the trees dead in it's wake so they could only take the cream of the crop and leave the rest to off-gas it's fuel uselessly through decomposition. It had been explained that although decomposition is good for topsoil, an optimal amount of fell trees is about 25 square metres per hectare whereas most loggers leave 200-300 metres, which also creates a fire hazard. We hiked up to the top of the mountain range and enjoyed the view. Eleven kilometres later, were back at the cars, enjoyed some coffee and vegan baked goods then went home to storm up some design ideas for the Living Forest Community.
April 27: Critical Path
After our bow-in ritual, which I'll explain in a later post, the intern crew started hammering out our critical path, which is a fancy project management term for schedule. Turns out, to meet the workshop deadlines and complete the art studio, we need to do in about 9 work days what should take a building crew a month. We're going to frame the walls, infill them with a light clay mix, frame the roof, build scaffolding, a bench, closet, bed, storage, take care of an over-extended beam, design a yoga studio slash library upstairs, install electrical, prepare for the brown (base) coat of earth plaster by roughing in the windows and doors, and fix some cob areas built last year. We're really feeling deadlines now but we all know we'll bang, bang, bang, get it done (inside joke) easy because we're an awesome team.
Over the course of about two days, I had been rather freaked out by my commitments made as a board member of the New University Cooperative before I knew I was coming here in March. Due dates were coming fast and I could barely even find 20 minutes to check my emails in days. After working it out in my head, I needed to let my board members know that by reducing my current work load, I would be benefiting them in the long run since everything I learn here is applicable and very useful to our future plans to create grassroots ecological, affordable, accessible, alternative universities across Canada. One of my tasks that I kept is to improve our website www.newuniversity.ca. Check it out. My request was well received by my fellow board members and as a result, I am de-stressed, more productive and back to being present in my growing and building here. In that time of worry though, my immune system weakened and I received the illness that had been passed around to a few people. Thankfully, since I took care of the source of my weakness, I got over it in a matter of days with the help of oil of oregano and a tonic of ecchinecia (sp?) that really kicks you in the face. Heheh. Yay.
Over the course of about two days, I had been rather freaked out by my commitments made as a board member of the New University Cooperative before I knew I was coming here in March. Due dates were coming fast and I could barely even find 20 minutes to check my emails in days. After working it out in my head, I needed to let my board members know that by reducing my current work load, I would be benefiting them in the long run since everything I learn here is applicable and very useful to our future plans to create grassroots ecological, affordable, accessible, alternative universities across Canada. One of my tasks that I kept is to improve our website www.newuniversity.ca. Check it out. My request was well received by my fellow board members and as a result, I am de-stressed, more productive and back to being present in my growing and building here. In that time of worry though, my immune system weakened and I received the illness that had been passed around to a few people. Thankfully, since I took care of the source of my weakness, I got over it in a matter of days with the help of oil of oregano and a tonic of ecchinecia (sp?) that really kicks you in the face. Heheh. Yay.
April 26: Earth Day in Duncan
We gathered into vehicles at ten to 8am and took off for Duncan's Earth Day celebration. Duncan is a town near the ecovillage called the town of totems and there were plenty of them to enjoy. We arrived and set up the tent for O.U.R. Ecovillage. There was an area we set up to build a demonstration natural building model out of cob, sticks, and stones – ancient building materials with durability, solar thermal mass and breathable walls with a skylight doubling as a smoke escape hole, of course to be closed up temporarily during rain. The booth explained what the Ecovillage is and does, who lives there, what progress has been made and what the plans are for the coming years. Every time you looked at the tent, people were talking, local people, other environmentally concerned people and just anyone curious enough to ask. All outside, many tents were set up to present locally made goods, food, campaigns, and teachings. I visited one woman, Rommy, selling her handmade “heart song” flutes from all different types of wood. She played one for me and as much as I was drawn, I intuited that it's not my time to play this instrument, that this is something for when I'm a bit older and wiser. My time will come.
On the main stage, people played drums of many kinds, played guitars, and sang. Kata, Brian, Jacob, myself and William, our yoga instructor and part-time builder on site at the ecovillage, got up on stage and performed yoga in a way that I doubt many have ever even thought of. It was a performance of rythmic Iyengar, painted faces, draping clothing, bows, sticks and a mask worn by William to transform him into a magical being. We danced our yoga, chanted, hollered when we felt it and flowed in the energy exuded by William, echoing his freedom and expression of harmony in the four quadrants of the native medicine wheel. As we were warming up, I got a feel for the first time of the sticks that William created to assist poses. I felt the flow of my yoga more than ever before. I felt my asanas were finally complete and I knew exactly what my body and spirit needed next. In bare feet and a painted face, I moved in new ways that felt more me than I ever felt following a yoga instructor or book. The crowd was entranced, from what I was told and we had a blast. After the gratitude circle before dinner that evening, William heard my appreciation of the yoga sticks and gave me his. One is darker wood than the other, to express the balance of light and dark, yin and yang, something I have been integrating more and more into my being. I give thanks.
After packing up, some of us went over to a much loved place called the Garage which is a cafe, bookstore, and healthy goods store in one. I bought some awesome biodegradable soap and conditioner. Kata was deal-making with a local jewelry store owner to buy her gorgeous handcrafted jewelry made of rare stones and silver. When we went to collect her, I stumbled upon a nautilus shell for meditation and abalone shell to burn incense and smudge with, both of which are so beautiful. Everyone was pretty pooped and joyful when we got back to the ecovillage. What a special day. I'm glad we got to share O.U.R. spirit with the local community.
On the main stage, people played drums of many kinds, played guitars, and sang. Kata, Brian, Jacob, myself and William, our yoga instructor and part-time builder on site at the ecovillage, got up on stage and performed yoga in a way that I doubt many have ever even thought of. It was a performance of rythmic Iyengar, painted faces, draping clothing, bows, sticks and a mask worn by William to transform him into a magical being. We danced our yoga, chanted, hollered when we felt it and flowed in the energy exuded by William, echoing his freedom and expression of harmony in the four quadrants of the native medicine wheel. As we were warming up, I got a feel for the first time of the sticks that William created to assist poses. I felt the flow of my yoga more than ever before. I felt my asanas were finally complete and I knew exactly what my body and spirit needed next. In bare feet and a painted face, I moved in new ways that felt more me than I ever felt following a yoga instructor or book. The crowd was entranced, from what I was told and we had a blast. After the gratitude circle before dinner that evening, William heard my appreciation of the yoga sticks and gave me his. One is darker wood than the other, to express the balance of light and dark, yin and yang, something I have been integrating more and more into my being. I give thanks.
After packing up, some of us went over to a much loved place called the Garage which is a cafe, bookstore, and healthy goods store in one. I bought some awesome biodegradable soap and conditioner. Kata was deal-making with a local jewelry store owner to buy her gorgeous handcrafted jewelry made of rare stones and silver. When we went to collect her, I stumbled upon a nautilus shell for meditation and abalone shell to burn incense and smudge with, both of which are so beautiful. Everyone was pretty pooped and joyful when we got back to the ecovillage. What a special day. I'm glad we got to share O.U.R. spirit with the local community.
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