Drylandfish

Living off grid in the boondocks of Kentucky while managing chronic illness and doing what I can to realize a more authentic life. Topics here might include: Modern homesteading, off-grid living, practical permaculture, Chronic Lyme Disease, pushing away from consumer culture, unplugging from the media machine, voluntary simplicity, frugal living, unjobbing, simple pleasures, privacy, small business issues, weight loss, fitness and nutrition

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Here's a tip via a short video on how to turn a standard plastic drum into a lidded container that will shed water outdoors. My delivery is a bit shaky. Afraid I've not done any public speaking in over a decade. Maybe I can get the knack back in subsequent videos. I do resolve to post more. Working on some offline projects at this time and living under circumstances that tend to eat up my day. Working to get things simplified and document a little more. Thanks for your patience.

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Latex Cement roofing

Here's an experiment I pecked at over the last few weeks during outbreaks of decent weather in the evenings. 

It was a partial success in that we've ended up with a small roof over the frame of a structure that can be used as a tiny toolshed this winter.  More refinement over the next attempt will surely yield a better result. 

Yes, it did develop some hairline cracks in the first layer that resulted in some seepage of moisture during heavy rains.  I believe this may have been due to the use of inferior paint in this layer.  I have remedied the leaking with a successive layer and an overkill application of epoxy paint I got for a song.

The exciting thing about this concept is that it could be a low-cost roofing providing a person can come up with inexpensive latex/acrylic paint (or even better, refuse acrylic/latex sludge from a paint plant).  Since paint is regarded as a hazardous waste, there are often paint reclamation stations to be found in many communities.  I found mine for pennies on the dollar at a construction surplus thrift store.  You can also check your local dump to see if they reclaim paint.  The other components are ubiquitous.  Fly screen, portland cement and sand. 

I'm excited to give it another try when time and weather permits.

I was inspired by these guys:

http://books.google.com/books?id=Uu11_JPY83UC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.youtube.com/user/tscglobal#p/a/u/2/96JNexmQlAI

http://ceae.colorado.edu/mc-edc/pdf/Acrylic%20Concrete%20Roofs.pdf

I like the following paragraph contained in the PDF above:

"So, Test Procedure Number 1 is: built it, and climb on it. If it sags, stiffen it with props and/or add another layer of acrylic concrete. If it collapses just be certain that only the designer is standing under it at the time."

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Big Island neighbor Jay gives a provoking and inspiring talk at TED Hilo.  Very much worth the listen.  One of a handful of folks I know who are walking the walk when it comes to sustainability.  Much thanks to he and his mate for the sharing of wisdom, experience and friendship.

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A hungry mantis watches our peppers while we sleep. 

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Little slideshow of a shack I built in the jungle during the winter. 

Been a little tied up since coming back to the mainland in the spring.  Hope to have some time to organize and post more content in the coming months.  Busy, busy, busy.

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New beginnings...

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Cheap eats with thermos soup.

Thermos cookery is easy. It saves energy, time and money. All you need is a decent thermos. I recommend the Stanley. And of course a few simple ingredient which you can swap around for variety.

The secret to success is to pre-heat the thermos by filling it with boiling water and capping while you prep your ingredients.

Dry ingredients like lentils, rice, or barley work well in quantities no greater than the volume of your thermos cup. Add your favorite veggies, seasonings, maybe a bullion cube and a trickle of oil.

Here's a good one I've been enjoying lately.

1.5 tsp olive oil

Couple leaves chopped kale

2 cloves garlic

Tsp curry powder

1.5 tsp tomato paste

1/3 thermos cup brown rice

1/3 thermos cup lentils

Bullion cube or salt.

Preheat thermos as suggested above.

Uncap, pour water out.

Quickly insert all ingredients.

Top off thermos with the hottest water you can generate. Cap.

Don't forget to screw the cup on too, as it contributes to the insulation of the contents.

Agitate well.

Be careful with boiling water!

Do this at breakfast and have lunch or dinner completely sewed up.

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Odd Hawaiian morel?

Sorry to say I left my field guide in Kentucky.

Orange fungus in Kalapana.

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Raised bed Hawaiian-style.

A small raised bed I helped assemble out of lava rock and guava poles. The little wall/fence is more about shielding against dogs and wild pigs than soil retention.

Being relatively young islands mainly composed of porous rock, finding enough soil to grow things is challenging.

Homesteaders soil-build with lots of organic material. Terra preta techniques are also being used with some success.

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As some of you know, I've taken a sabbatical from the Kentucky winter and have spent a little over a month on the Big Island of Hawaii. I'm currently caretaking a beautiful homestead in Kalapana. No Internet out here in the boonies, so posting is limited to my recently restored smartphone.

Part of Kalapana was inundated with lava in 1985, destroying a community and some very nice shoreline I'm told. This is the view from the "new" beach at Kaimu. Residents have taken it on themselves to seed this expanse of lava rock with thousands of coconut palms.

No nice DSLR photos for the next bit. All phone pics, but at least I'm back online.

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More of Elsa and Kazak hiking though the fall leaves.

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Elsa and Kazak cool off in a "green hole" after a hike.

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I was very pleased at how the frog sculpture turned out out after the glaze-firing. 

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This is the Gillette company telling me they believe I am too stupid to determine when my razor has become dull.  Insulting really.  And manipulative besides.  The colored strip always wears away before the blade becomes useless.  

Also-  Get this, you can actually sharpen such blades on an old pair of jeans or anything with corrugated denim fabric.  I was skeptical at first, but it really does work well.  Just strop the blade backwards maybe 10-20 times.  Quadruples or more the life of such blades, in my opinion.  Try it!

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The pumpkins don't yet realize it's fall.  Still reaching for something to grab onto and climb. 

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Over the past 7 months or so, I've been attending a ceramics class once a week.  While mainly focused on wheel-throwing, I really wanted to learn more about firing sculptural work.  As I have progressed, I'm glad I now have a foundation in making pots.  Here is a frog sculpture, freshly dipped in glaze and awaiting final firing.  I've had little time to sculpt lately.  I do want to get a few more pieces done before the big move.  I know we'll not be able to take much, but at least I'm creating some Christmas gifts. 

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Shiitakes, 2nd flush

Altered the path of our hike tonight to check on the shiitake logs again.  Despite the dry conditions we were pleased to find another flush ready for harvest.  Stir-fry tonight, soup tomorrow. 

Chicken-of-the-Woods update:  I was all ready to sample what was a very tender and nice looking specimen (pictured a few entries down).  I revisited the stump with knife in hand only to find something had eaten all but a nub of it.  I was disappointed, but have resolved to find another before the month is out and the prime season is over.