The Red Rockers’ 60-foot dome in Colorado, built from math in Domebook One. Jack Fulton and I dropped in on them unannounced on a snowy Saturday night in 1972 when we were on a trip shooting photos for Shelter (published in 1973). We lucked into a venison dinner and then a rock-and-roll band in a small nearby town.
The Rockers had moved to Colorado from LA and built the communal dome.
But as time passed, couples wanted more privacy and began building little outlying sheds.
This the last part of a 7-minute video titled “Shelter – A Video about author Lloyd Kahn” made by Jason Sussberg (shooting 35mm film!) in 2009, when I was 75. He shows Lesley and me doing stuff around the homestead.
Jason included a minute or so of me skateboarding, with the sound guy on his crew (a skater) skating behind me and alongside me with the heavy 35mm camera.
Then I sat on the curb (in front of my skateboard) talking about housing.
Sorry this is so blurry, Jason’s work is clear, we copied this from YouTube.
Lloyd Kahn’s books were instrumental in Josh and I creating our very own off-grid cabin. Please consider this an open invitation to visit us anytime! Please see attached photos of our cabin that Josh built entirely by himself, as well some of our favorite treasures!
Peace and copious amounts of blessings upon each and everyone of you for all that you do! Keep up the good work! We love what you’re creating! We look forward to hearing and collaborating with you soon!
Take good care,
Jessica and Josh Courson
See our recent book, The Half-Acre Homestead: 46 Years of Building and Gardening
We were talking about old cookbooks with a friend the other day and pulled out this gem, circa 1890. This was in the ’70s, when we were doing some small-scale farming, and trying to relearn skills of the past (as documented in, ahem, The Half-Acre Homestead).
Note: We have an unconditional guarantee on all books. If unsatisfied, call us and we’ll refund price and postage; no need to return book.
Also, we have a 30% discount on two or more books — which usually beats Amazon — with free postage in the USA.
Just sayin’.
NYTimes
By Ivan Penn
March 13, 2022
“Citing more blackouts, wildfires and higher electricity rates, a growing number of homeowners are choosing to build homes that run entirely on solar panels and batteries.”
NEVADA CITY, Calif. — In the Gold Rush, Northern California attracted prospectors looking for financial independence. Now, this area is at the vanguard of a new movement — people seeking to use only the energy they produce themselves.
Angry over blackouts, wildfires caused by utilities and rising electricity bills, a small but growing number of Californians in rural areas and in the suburbs of San Francisco are going off the grid. They can do so because of a stunning drop in the cost of solar panels and batteries over the last decade. Some homeowners who have built new, off-grid homes say they have even saved money because their systems were cheaper than securing a new utility connection.
www.nytimes.com/2022/03/13/business/energy-environment/california-off-grid.html
From Maui Surfer
I’m going to put on a new roof soon, working by myself. Hardest part is getting the shingles up on the roof. I’m building a gable patio roof at the same time so I don’t want to rent a lift several times to load different roof areas as it progresses. While doing a search for info I came across this:
–Lew Lewandowski
A little blurry, but you get the idea. I’ve asked Lew to send us a video of his version.
Bundles of asphalt shingles are heavy!
From our pal and kindred spirit Deek:
Check out some of Deek’s other ventures and adventures here: www.lloydkahn.com/?s=deek
Picked up one of these at REI last week, 5 gal. Bucket, about $20. Looks to me like much better solution than the typical campers’ shitting in plastic bags, which end up in landfill. Ugh!
I would use either peat moss, sawdust, or rice hulls to cover each deposit. Ward Hensill makes an upgraded model of this and uses a plunger to compress everything.
No urine. Have 2 of these so when close to full, you let one sit while you fill the other. Then back into soil. Circle (cycle) completed.
Lesley’s been weaving shawls, blankets, scarves, and knitting hats for her Open Studio event on Thanksgiving weekend. I’ll post a reminder a week or so before.
