Apocalypse Now

Where: Hudson River from the apartment
When: October 25, 2010

Or at least, Apocalypse Last Night. This really doesn't get across the depth of red the sky and water had.

Sorry there has not been much posting recently - I'm in a very intense school segment, but things should ease up after November 11th, then it should be coasting for the rest of the semester. I hope.

Sunset in Kauai

Where: Kauai, HI
When: August 23, 2010

Where: Kauai, HI
When: August 24, 2010
"There is only one important point you must keep in your mind and let it be your guide. No matter what people call you, you are just who you are. Keep to this truth. You must ask yourself how is it you want to live your life. We live and we die, this is the truth that we can only face alone. No one can help us, not even the Buddha. So consider carefully, what prevents you from living the way you want to live your life?"
— Dalai Lama XIV

The yin to the yang

Where: East Montpelier, VT
When: October 2, 2010

Whoops - I hit post before putting anything in the post, sorry about that. I'm going to be writing a much fuller and hopefully more informative and coherent story about the Tiny House Workshop over the weekend, if I can get to it, so this is a shot I took while sitting by the campfire after the first day of the workshop to tide you over.

We hammered things!

This past weekend Dave and our friend Ralph and I went up to Vermont to learn how to build a tiny house! This is a workshop run by Peter King (check out the website - and look for upcoming workshops - here).

It was a two day workshop, and we were building a 12 by 20 structure for an herbalist who is currently living in an even smaller tiny house on the land. The house we helped with is laid out for a kitchen and main room (although no bathroom), and a loft with a dormer.

Here's Peter, talking to us about the basics, and the reasons that he decided to do these workshops:


The things Peter mentioned that stood out for me were that, for one, this stuff isn't rocket science. Anyone can learn how to build a structure - all it involves is basic math, and basic tools, and a few easily learned rules. And two, he believes strongly that housing is just too darn expensive, so downsizing in a drastic (for modern standards) way allows you to live debt free (so that you can work less!) while also having a lighter impact on the planet.

Here are Dave and Ralph, listening to said talk:


First wall, going up!


Our progress near the end of the first day:




Cutting out windows:


The next couple of days I'll post photos from the second day, and also a couple of details from both days. Overall, it was a fantastic way to spend a weekend, and we lucked out with a crew of lovely, thoughtful, interesting, fun and hard working people. It was also really great to meet and work with the owner, Khumpani, who is living his life with an inspiring level of dedication to his ideals and to the earth. Plus, he is friends with some fabulous cooks! I can't believe how well we ate all weekend - fresh baked bread, hearty soups, barbecue chicken, apple crumble, corn bread! Best weekend ever.

Also, Peter's ability to manage the project was remarkable. He was constantly juggling the roles of teaching and project management, and I thought he did a tremendous job. He somehow managed to keep track of all the little jobs that had to get done, kept everyone moving, paused to answer questions, and got a team of total novices to frame a house in two days. It was also fun to chat with him at meal times about his views on housing and lifestyle - he had really helpful things to say about finding land, books to read, and skills to acquire.