I’m working away on my Half-Acre Homestead book.
Our own Driftwood Shacks book has arrived in the USA. It should be available from our website by late January and in bookstores soon thereafter. It looks really good.
Due to all this, I haven’t had much time to create new posts.
Earlier postings on them: www.lloydkahn.com/?s=higginbotham
Another of the many great videos by Kirsten Dirksen of faircompanies.com. I really recommend taking a look at her work!
Brad Lancaster’s home is featured on pp. 186-189 of Small Homes.
It’s raining raining — hallelujah! — and I played my favorite rainy day song,”I Love the Rain,” by Toots Hibbert on the fabulous Toots in Memphis album (www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u7YY-jQ0XU)
The next song that came up was this:
We have always sent free books to prisoners. In the 90s, we sent dozens of copies of our book on weight training, Getting Stronger, by Bill Pearl, to any prisoners who wrote us. Eventually, many prisons decided to eliminate gyms, so requests for this book tapered off. In recent years we’ve been getting requests for our building books. One came in today from a federal correctional institution in Butner, North Carolina; some excerpts:
“…you were kind enough to send me your latest books on Small Homes, Tiny Homes, and Tiny Homes on the Move. As a result I spent most of my time drafting very small homes of my own… Then a little over a month ago, I was awakened at 3 AM and told that I had a court date and was taken into the federal system, and I lost the books in the process… Anyway I’m not working because of my health right now so again I’m asking you, please send me some of Lloyd’s books so that I don’t go out of my mind with boredom. They give me such inspiration and I’ve written many of the builders, trading letters with them about designs…”
We sent him three books, with a note telling him to let us know if they were received, and we will send a couple more. Many prisoners have told us that after they read the books, they put them in the prison libraries so other inmates have access to them.
The offer is still open to anyone in prison. Any prisoner can write us and we’ll send whatever book(s) are requested, free of charge. Or, if you know anyone in prison, let them know. The fitness books can help them stay in shape (Stretching, by Bob Anderson is especially good), and the building books give them ideas for what they might do when they are released.
Definition of “parkour”: The activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping, and climbing.
From Maui Surfer
Jay Nelson’s latest treehouse, now under construction in a redwood grove in Northern California. It’s about 10 by 11 feet in floor area. The round window pivots open on center pins. There are two climbing ropes attached high up so Jay and Max can work on the curved roof. Almost all the wood (except for floor framing and plywood sheathing) is used.
This is a 2002 Mercedes 311cdi Sprinter double-cabin (7 seats) truck with a hydraulic bed lift. I call it Le Benne-Benz. I wanted the 7-seater because we live in collective and it’s cool to go to festivals in only one vehicle! All the stuff (tent, mattress, etc.) is in the truck and there’s only one driver! It’s also good for a hot tub and a good stage for a concert!
I travel a lot, so I had to make a place to sleep and live during my travels. The idea to make a removable cell came to me because I like to sleep under the stars, and sunbathe nude, so the open roof was mandatory!
For the shell, I made 10 arches in laminated poplar wood (9mm × 8 layers) and I glued 2 layers (2 × 6mm) of poplar plywood for the shell.
I have a big lifting frame in the forest where I suspend it, and it’s possible to sleep inside while it’s suspended (off the truck) like a big swing seat!
I travel with “Sucette,” my cat, and under my bed I have space to put my paraglider, my longboard, my accordions, and a lot of Cabanophiles books to sell during my travels.
This structure cost me less than 300 Euros!
I can level the bed with the hydraulic lift, which means I can find a lot more good camping spots! 50° max!
To use a van with a camper shell is a good way to be “unruly” because now in France its illegal to make your own rolling home. With this technique you can be so creative! I like to be unruly in this world; we need to be creative and have fun!
I will put Le Benne-Benz in my next book Cabanophiles II, in 2 years!
Note: Yogan published a book about his travels called Cabinophiles (for which I wrote the intro). It’s in French, but he’s translating it into English. www.cabanophiles.com
Here is more info on his Mercedes: yogan.over-blog.com/2018/08/dans-mon-benne-benne-benz.html
Finally, here is Yogan and his pal Menthe visiting Shelter two years ago:
www.lloydkahn.com/2015/11/french-carpenters-stop-by-shelter-on