blocks and the garbage warrior

24.2.2011

BUILDING NEWS

After months of little progress things seem to be occurring at an increasingly frenzied pace. Early this morning a monster truck and trailer arrived with the first load of blocks. Apparently we have two more loads coming today. Mike also arrived and he has started to dig out the trench to put land drains behind the slab. Luckily he dug out exactly the right size space before, so his digger fits between the slab and the earth bank exactly.

Yesterday we picked up sleeved drain piping from Healesville and the chippings were delivered so once the trench is complete we can put the drains straight in. The difficult bit will be the ends, especially on the East retaining wall. Mike does not seem worried but it looks impossible to me. They tell me that they will take the drain out to the flat area and put in a collection pit before putting in a pipe going out to the dam.

We had a lucky break last night because Michael Reynolds, the garbage warrior, is back on another lecture tour in Australia. Much of the inspiration for our house is based on his concept of an earth ship. This is a building that sustains those who live in it by producing it’s own power, water, food and temperature control. He has been over to Haiti and helped people who are still homeless after the earthy quake to recycle their garbage as building material.

Here we do not have much garbage, but I am doing my best to recycle every salvageable bit from our old house. Edd helped me fetch the old veranda railings up and conveniently there are just enough sections to make my garden fence. I have now taken three tractor loads of the better bricks down to the house site and they are stacked neatly on a pallet. There are plenty more to go I am afraid.

Another interesting bit of news was that yesterday Michael gathered a team of people like engineers and surveyors and actually got provisional consent to put up an earth ship just north of Yea. If that sort of construction was allowed we might be able to rebuild our host farm accommodation at a price we could afford! Wow, this is all very exciting.
It is still possible that the brick laying might start on Monday! Edd is still collecting information about water proofing methods. Once we are back into reasonable living conditions we will be in a much better position to evaluate our situation and decide what to do next.

OTHER NEWS

My mother found someone to rescue her from the safe, care home my sister had found and get back into her own home. The trouble is that she thinks she injured her foot in the fall and cannot stand on it. Nearly two weeks later no one has really looked at it. My sister has been on holiday this week but she should be home soon and my cousin, Judy, is coming down from Yorkshire to help. This is an enormous relief to me because living at the opposite side of the world I am not much help in emergencies.