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gobcobatron Archives - The Year of Mud

Dec 05
Love1

Our Natural Building Story in New Pioneer Magazine

By Media, Straw Bale Building, Strawtron, South Slope Farm, Cob Building

New Pioneer Magazine - The Year of Mud

This summer,  April & I were interviewed for the winter issue of New Pioneer magazine. In it, we talk about our natural building journey and experiences living at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage and moving to Kentucky. It’s been a long time since I built the cob house that started all of this business (9 years ago, in fact). And even though it was only recently that we sold our straw bale house, we began work on that structure 5 years ago.

Doing this interview conjures up all those weird feeling associated with time and memory — like, some things feels so far away yet so recent at the same time. Anyway. Jereme did a great job with fact checking and this story gets my “yea that happened” stamp of approval. The article captures our story of learning how to build with mud and straw and all the mistakes and successes along the way.

You can purchase the winter issue of New Pioneer magazine here.

Feb 01
Love0

A New Chapter for Gobcobatron

By Cob Building, Strawtron
Gobcobatron, Cob House

A new chapter for Gobcobatron…

For long-time readers of this blog, you probably know the story of building my first house, Gobcobatron. That experience was, after all, the inspiration for “The Year of Mud” to begin with. About a month ago, we sold Gobcobatron. It’s exciting, a relief, and an interesting stew of emotions to no longer own what was once so very close to me. Mostly, I’m really glad to be completely untethered from a building I can’t easily maintain living 8+ hours away. The experience of selling the house also causes me to feel old(er) in a way, and a bit nostalgic too. And it’s fascinating to think about the house having its own story and its own path now, separate from me.

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Mar 31
Love0

Visitor Season at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage Right Around the Corner

By Work Exchange, Strawtron
Visit Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage

Experience sustainable living at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage this year

Well, that came up fast. It’s April 1 tomorrow, and that signals a special time of year. In a couple of weeks, the visitor season at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage is about to begin. If you’ve been curious what life is like in an ecovillage or intentional community, now is the time to sign up and plan your trip for this summer.

There are a number of ways to visit Dancing Rabbit, but if you think you might be interested in living there one day, the visitor program is your best bet. Here’s how to go about setting that up.

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Oct 29
Love0

Cob & Cold Climates: What You Need To Know

By Winter, Heating, Moisture

cold-cob-climate

Some time back, I wrote up an article about why cob is not appropriate for cold climates, based on our experiences living in Gobcobatron for several winters. I continue to get emails from folks saying something like “hey, I live in northern Illinois and really want to live in a cob house… can you recommend some resources?” My usual response is then something like “hold on a second there… I think you need to reconsider… cob may not be the best choice for your location…”

Anyway, it seems clear that folks may still not be up to speed on why cob is not a suitable choice for more northerly or cold climates. I have revisited my original post and added some new information on why cob is not suitable for cold climates.

I hope you’ll check it out. There’s even more to be said, but the basic gist of the issue is there!

Oct 03
Love0

Our Cob House, Gobcobatron is For Sale

By Resources
Gobcobatron: Cob House Interior

The current Gobcobatron interior

I promised some big news earlier, and here it is! Gobcobatron, one of the most recognized homes at Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage in Missouri, is for sale. It is a cob house that’s been featured in Yes! magazine, Popular Mechanics, Parade Magazine, Treehugger, Lloyd Kahn’s Tiny Homes, overseas magazines, and other media.

The house is a great 3 season dwelling, and is currently being utilized for earning rental income. This house has a lot of potential for the right individual looking for a seasonal space, or for earning income while living in a popular intentional community.

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Jun 28
Love0

Something For Your Weekend

By Photos, Living Sod Roof

Cob House - Living Green Roof

Could it nearly be July already? Good gracious. Half the year is gone. Well, so it goes. Here’s a photo of Gobcobatron as of a couple weeks ago, during one of my favorite times of year for the little cob house — right at that time when mud is not so prevalent, and the sky begins to get a little bluer, and the grass on the living roof really comes into its own. The garden, though not mature at this point, shows signs of abundance to come. Ah yes… these are the little moments during the year that I enjoy the most.

Well, have a good weekend, doing whatever you may do.

May 18
Love0

See Our New Cob House Interior Design

By Cob Building, Photos
Cob House - New Interior Design

The latest look of Gobcobatron

Our work on updating the interior of our cob house, Gobcobatron is finally complete! I think this latest design might be my favorite so far… although of course it’s so exciting just because it is “new”, too. We changed things around to make it an even more appropriate and better place to stay for renters and people who come stay for weekends. I think they are in for a treat…

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Feb 12
Love0

5 MUDDY YEARS!

By Uncategorized
The Year of Mud

Occasionally, there is rest for the weary

I happened to look at my archives page and realized that The Year of Mud is now five years old. It’s been quite a trip thus far. There’s been much to learn along the way. The blog had fairly humble beginnings, and perhaps a bit naive, too, now that I look back on some of what I had written.

There has definitely been an evolution of sorts over time, in my thinking and writing, and through what I have been trying to achieve here.

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Feb 24
Love0

Building My Cob House: Updated Image Slidesow

By Photos

I’ve updated my (abbreviated) cob house construction slideshow. This is a great series of images to show folks who are curious about what it is like to build with cob, and to give a look into all aspects of the construction process. The slideshow has been updated to include images of the “new look” of Gobcobatron, including the renovated terracotta tile floor and lime washed walls.

Check it out!

Dec 30
Love0

The Year of Mud Top 10 News and Posts for 2011

By The Year of Mud Book, Natural Building Workshops, Wabi-sabi Kitchen, Moisture, Timber Framing, Lime Plaster, Earthen Floor, Strawtron
Pug Cone

Pug dons a dog cone in 2011... but that's not terribly related to the here and now...

2011 has presented us with a wide mix of events and emotions. It’s been everything from momentous, to extremely challenging, to gratifying, and everything in-between. Just like every other year, I suppose, right? Each year is not so different from the last, but at the same time, each year is full of its own unique experiences.

This was the year we experienced some significant health challenges, decided to build a new home, continued to do major renovations to Gobcobatron to correct some of its moisture and heat issues, made some advancements on our kitchen construction, hosted our first mini building workshop, began organzing two major natural building courses, got some rewarding nods in the media, and ultimately, just like last year, kept incredibly occupied.

Here I present the top 10 news and posts from The Year of Mud in 2011.

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