Bye-Bia Hiatus, Hello Full Time

So green right now, so many flowers too!

      Where the hell did we go? Ha ha ha! So much to tell. It was never discussed, but I was always living in L.A. and driving into the desert, either for the day, or just overnight, sleeping in my car or camping on build days. 150 miles separated my regular life from the dome and the Mojave Desert. I lived on the westside of L.A. and the rent was getting out of control. The combination of my lease being up and needing to decide if I would renew or do something else demanded a decision. Well, something else won.
      While driving home after a build day a few months back, it hit me that there might be a little homestead cabin or simple home somewhere in the desert, cheap enough that I might be able to live for many months for the same cost of my overpriced westside apartment. If I could just find a cheap enough place, I could build for a few months everyday and then go back to L.A. to replenish the coffers. If I could find a more humble place in L.A.  or simply a better deal, for a few hundred dollars less, it might cover the mortgage of a desert cabin.
     Long story short, I found a little place within 35-40 minutes drive of the dome. It will afford me the ability to work most days for the next month or two so I can complete the Solstice (Perennial ;) ) Dome, and then... wait for it...

BEGIN CONSTRUCTION on "EL BAÑO DOME"

     The Baño Dome will be a 7 or 8 ft diameter dome with a composting toilet and sink inside. The sink will operate via gravity and be completely off grid. There will be a doorway similar to the Solstice Dome, but one side will wrap around into a tight cove with a heated "outdoor" shower that runs on propane. Outdoor is in quotes because the shower stall will be enclosed except for the doorway, which will most likely be wooden. The shower will be open to the sky but constructed to retain warmth after the water is turned off. There will also be a utility sink or some sort of sink connected to an outdoor spigot which IS connected to "city" water.

     So that is GOING to happen. In fact we are upping our game, because I just set up a generator/cement-mixer combo platter! This should make time travel, I mean, pouring the floor possible. There are still some fun surprises for the main dome floor, involving little sea creatures, in a similar vein to the marble stained glass window above the door. That's maybe 4 build days away. It's hard to say how productive I'll be by myself with the mixer.

In other milestones, Raquel and I FINALLY climbed the Goat. Yes, that looming mountain that photo bombs many of the pictures of the dome. Raquel and I climbed Goat Mountain last Sunday and it was a beautiful day for it. Strangely we had commented earlier in the day about not having ever seen a snake in the desert, and wouldn't you know it, we saw 2 yes 2 separate RATTLESNAKES! Their markings seemed different but we did see rattles on both of them. It was somewhat strange to see 2 snakes after commenting on the lack of snake sightings after over a year in the desert and the same thing happened a few weeks back lamenting the lack of Desert Tortoise encounters and literally the same day, less than a few hours later, a Desert Tortoise was in the middle of the road. We did a quick u-turn before another car had the chance to hit it and jumped out to grab the endangered reptile. We took pics with it (him or her) and debated where (off the road) we should place it. We settled on a spot based on a mixture of logic and faith and went on our way blissfully energized by our good fortune and synchronicity. Okay on to the pics!

To paint or not to paint. There is something to be said for not being able to really see it from Goat Mountain. You can't tell it's a "house"

Its' so ON!

Yesssssssssss

So many desert flowers!

"We are almost to the top!"

"That hike was so easy!"

Can you see the dome?! Seriously, its dead center!

See it yet?

Oh my gosh, tell me you see it!

Summit Sock Shift slash/ Selfie

Actually this was the second one we saw

This was the first Rattlesnake we saw, I practically stepped on it!

When you got it, flaunt it!

Oh yeah we saw 2 Coyotes as we were checking out the Noah Purifoy museum.

http://www.noahpurifoy.com/joshua-tree-outdoor-museum/

Lots to see here to get inspired!

Bees sleeping in flowers is a thing in the Mojave Desert, sometimes up to 5 in a flower. It is freakin' cute.

Small dome floor slab dry

     3 cement pour days total. 1 base layer and 2 halves top layer. The center of each half runs the Winter Solstice axis. There was a bit of a lip but I managed to sand it smooth(ish). With the concrete sealer I think it will be fine. This room will have a bed in it anyway. Raquel did excellent touch up work in the main dome, smoothing transitions between older surfaces and inconsistent applications. I like being able to see the progression of skill, up to a point. I want this place to feel good, and not look shoddy or unclean. But you can nit pick the stucco to death. One of the main concerns now is that the white color is not even. Some patches seem stained or just a bit "wetter" and we don't quite understand why it is inconsistent. Maybe that explains why there is even a white color additive you can mix in with this La Habra 100 stucco. Maybe without it, this is what happens. I guess I'll have to paint the inside. That will make the color even, and actually prevent stucco from crumbling. Of course I will run it by Cal-Earth Alumni, as they have solved most problems you could encounter, but if you manage to stump them, there is still a hashing it out process that usually takes place. The few times I hadn't gotten a clear answer in time, experience gave me the answer I saw seeking, with minimal heartache.

     Today's sky's were stormy and breezy, with the kind of magical light you only get in the afternoon on such windy overcast days. It sets off shadows and glows all around the mountains, plains and valleys of our corner of the Mojave. After several weeks measuring work by the wheelbarrow-full, it was nice to be mixing stucco by the pan-full which goes an extra long way when you spread the claylike mix thin and even! It was satisfying to stucco around the "marble stained-glass" window above the door, the last interior space yet to be covered.

    I saw a wild hare, (bunny wabbit) spring out from a bush as I walked the acreage to turn on the water to the hose. I didn't get a picture of this one, but I think I have photographed some in the past. He/she looked like them, grey and slender with darker ears, long and twitchy.

Looking south off Gilman Springs Rd was so green we had to detour.

Raquel wanted before and after pics, but she was too fast and this is before... most of it was fixed.

Another angle, before-ish

After major smoothing, row reconstruction. oops no before pic, go to last weeks pics for the before photo.

Holistically it is perfect, it's just when you look closer you realize it is just madness.

Super zoom on the Sand to Snow Monument. Thanks Obama!  

Zoomed back out, Sand to Snow. 

Flat Top Mesa and Three Sisters Peaks West

Future site of fruit cellar or EPIC hot tub/pool. TBD

Then the sky started doing stuff.  

The sun was like, "hey, see y'all tomorrow, but first lets get wild."

And across the valley the light was creating nice contrast. 

Raquel was taking advantage of her iPhone and the magic hour.

Checking fb or reviewing photos? :D  

What pretty ladies! XD 

Holy Bob Ross in Heaven! That sunset sure is purdy.

Aaahhh!

Just get rid of that black line and I think this shot is done.... 

The circle is the center of the dome, the line is the solstice axis.

Same note about the black line. Raquel is crushing it.

You don't want to know how sausage is made. Mandatory before pic.

Feeling pretty good about it!

I can't wait to scrape all that off the window.

I had to redo the wood area above the door, the original stucco was too thick and it separated from the wood. This new layer is very thin, less than a quarter inch thick. Also I scored the wood to help it receive the stucco and keep it stuck.

Form follows function, clearly!

Small dome floor pour part 2

Last week I had to work, the week before was torrential rain all day. Maybe it is the other way around, but in any case, today was beautiful and mild. We got to see the result of the second layer pour, part 1. After the difficult time trying to level a whole floor in one slab, with no place to sit and trowel, I had to split it up, and even in half was pretty tough considering I have about 30 minutes horizontal troweling experience. Wall troweling and floor troweling are only similar in concept, the feel and demands are extremely different. Wall troweling is difficult but forgiving and fast, where as floor troweling is like a game of twister where you are the only player and you keep getting the same color on every spin! :( That means feet, knees, hands elbows all in the same small spot, now in this compromised position, tired from hand shoveling and mixing the cement and sand, try to create a masterpiece, or at least something that resembles a smooth surface. On the upside, I got to spend the day with Raquel and until she got tired and annoyed with an overly wet batch of stucco, she was in a silly fun mood, despite the non stop heavy metal soundtrack. (okay there was some Sturgil Simpson in there too) Raquel focused on blending some of the harsher stucco transitions in the big dome, and I thought she was very successful despite the wet mix. 

I discovered a scarab beetle chillin on the outside of the dome, near the practice sidewalk slab, which by the way turned out pretty sturdy. The scarab is the coolest beetle ever! I just discovered these facts about the dung (scarab) beetle which I will delightfully share.

The ancient Egyptians believed that Ra, the sun god's role was to sail across the heavens during the day in his boat called the “Barque of Millions of Years.” In the morning when Ra emerged from the east, his boat was named, “Madjet” which meant “becoming strong.” By the end of the day the boat was called, “Semektet” which meant “becoming weak.” At the end of the day, it was believed that Ra died and sailed on to the underworld, leaving the moon in his place to light up the world. Ra was reborn at dawn the very next day. The morning manifestation of Ra is known as “Khepri the scarab God.

Morning Ra

Scientists had long observed dung beetles (Scarabaeus satyrus) dancing on their poo balls, and suspected they were looking for cues to help them navigate. New research confirmed that at least one species of African dung beetle, Scarabaeus satyrus, uses the Milky Way as a guide to steering its dung ball home. The researchers placed tiny hats on the dung beetles, effectively blocking their view of the heavens, and found the dung beetles would only wander aimlessly when unable to see the stars!

Ra knows it's all about the MERCHANDIZING!

We were just barely getting started and it's the sunset magic hour already!

I mean, shiii .. righ...?

Prepped like a superadobe slacker!

That weird bubble gap will get filled in by the other side and make like an interlocking puzzle piece. That was the plan all along, yeah, that's the ticket!

I am 99% sure "they" do not "do it" like "this".

Raquel in the stucco zone. Btw, its probably 65 degrees F in the dome at the moment this photo was taken. :D 

Raquel's smooth work in progress. 

Workhorses. Some folks out there are under the assumption these are called "wheelbarrels". Read a book!

"Oh look at those sweet wheelbarrows!"  "Yes, I love wheelbarrows!"

This is the exact same photo as the last one except I took about 3 steps to the right and it is 5 seconds later. Details matter.

Extreme zoom in an attempt to get the snow-capped mountains.

This is the slab from last time. It's only 3 inches thick or so and it is very strong, at 20% cement / sand. I found it a nice place to stand and change into my plaster pants. 

Fab slab

Wet floor

Wet floor, higher exposure 

This second pour alone used 3 wheelbarrow batches

Stucco Sculpter!

Next time we need to wrap up big dome plaster, and start dividing up the floor into pourable sections.