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Photos Archives - The Year of Mud

Photos from Around the Homestead

By Photos, Homesteading

I take a lot of photos, and living at the new homestead provides even more opportunity to do so. I try not to flood this blog with too much non-natural building related stuff, as it can easily become a bit unfocused.

However, you can still get a little insight into our lives here in Kentucky — check out our new instagram feed to see more photos from around the homestead. Expect a lot of gardening, woodworking, mushroom and wild food, craft, and other current projects there. Be sure to connect with us to get regular updates!

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The Off-Grid Straw Bale Cabin: Workshop Photo Gallery

By Photos, Straw Bale Building, Natural Building Workshops
Straw Bale Workshop Site

Working on the site of our 2015 Straw Bale Workshop

I’m writing from the past for the future — I should be in Vermont as you read this. I scheduled this little post to self-publish so you’d have some fun photos to look at while I’m PDCing it up during this latter part of August.

Here’s a photo gallery and slideshow from our recent July Straw Bale Workshop in which we built the straw bale walls of a small, off-grid octagonal cabin in the Kentucky foothills. It’s always amazing to me to see the walls go up and instantly take the house to a whole new level of completion. I love the gradual defining of the space from digging the foundation trench, to building the frame and roof, and then the stacking of the walls themselves. Even once the straw bales are up, the house is still ultimately a ways away from actual “completion” (whatever that means), but my goodness it feels good.

Read ahead to see the evolution of the small straw bale home in the woods during our course!
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This Mayne Island Cob House is Stunning

By Cob Building, Photos
Mayne Island Cob House 00

This Mayne Island cob house is one of the most beautiful, built in 1999

This cob house is one of my favorites out there. Built by CobWorks and the Cob Cottage Company in 1999, it’s the first fully permitted cob house to be built in Canada, specifically on Mayne Island, BC. Read ahead for more beautiful photos of the home.

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Timber Frame Workshop 2014 Slideshow

By Timber Framing, Natural Building Workshops, Photos

Hewing Hatchet

Here’s one last round of photos of our 2014 Timber Frame Workshop that ended a couple short weeks ago. If you’re interested in getting a firsthand look at our finished pavilion, the building will be up and in use during the Clear Creek Festival from August 29-31. We’ll likely be making pizza during that same festival out of our new cob oven, too… so look out. Anyway, click ahead for the slideshow.

Photos of the completed structure should be up soon, too!

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A Slice of Japan in Philadelphia: Shofuso House and Garden

By Timber Framing, Traditional Building, Photos
Shofuso House in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia

The Shofuso House in Fairmount Park, Philly, PA

I may never get to Japan, though I’ve dreamed about it on and off for many years now. I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find that there’s a little slice of Japan here in the states, right inside Philadelphia in Fairmount Park. The Shofuso house and gardens are an impressive little site, representative of 17th century Japanese architecture. The home is complete with authentic traditional carpentry and building techniques, and the garden features native Japanese plants. And it’s beautiful.

I thought about asking if they wouldn’t mind me shacking up there for a bit to be able to experience the house a bit more fully…  Here are some photos of the house and garden.

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Celebrate BUY NOTHING Day

By Photos, Woodworking
Russian Spoon Carving

Family carving spoons in Russia, early 1900s

Today is Buy Nothing Day. Why don’t you celebrate and Make Something instead? Follow the example of these Russian folks around the year 1900, for example. Their spoon carving operation is a family business, and their wares are brought into the bustling town in huge, brimming baskets. I love these great photos. It’s sad that you would never see something like this today.

One can hope, though. Click ahead to see more sweet spoon carving photos from early 20th century Russia.

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Roundwood Timber Framers Unite: More Timber Frame Workshop Photos

By Natural Building Workshops, Photos, Timber Framing
Roundwood Timber Frame Workshop Group Shot

The fearless band of roundwood timber framers

Our most excellent group of students have disbanded for now, as our 2013 Timber Frame Workshop has come to an end. The group took on the challenge of working with roundwood to construct a traditional mortise and tenon style timber frame, and I must say — they did a great job given the lack of previous experience. Check out a few images of them hard at work below!

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If Some One Offers You a Drill, Take It (Timber Frame Photo Update)

By Natural Building Workshops, Timber Framing
Roundwood timber frame

Students take on roundwood timber framing this year

Recently, one of the timber frame participants wisely said: ‘if some one offers you a drill, take it.’ I think this quote has wide application, and plan on remembering it. Our instructor Tom Cundiff says he prefers to teach students with minimal or no experience with working wood or timber framing. In his view, those individuals are more open to being taught and absorbing new information. If some one already thinks they have the answer, it can be harder to teach something new or different.

The students this year are doing a great job thus far. Most have had zero or little timber framing & carpentry experience, but it’s amazing how quickly people catch on in a workshop setting. It’s really fun to witness that. The sponge effect is definitely happening. It’s also interesting to see the evolution of understanding — how experiencing different parts of the timber framing procedure gradually create a more fully formed image and understanding. All of a sudden you’ll see that “a-ha!” moment. I know I’ve felt that myself, too.

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See Our New Cob House Interior Design

By Photos, Cob Building
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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Sweet Hobbit House Pictures From The Hobbit Set

By Photos
Hobbit House

The quintessential dream house

I really enjoyed stumbling upon this tumblr page dedicated to a boatload full of pictures from The Hobbit movie, specifically of hobbit houses from the Shire set. The close-up captures are great — all the little construction details are really quite stunning. I only wish… well, that they were real. I know that sounds really dumb, but it pains me to know that it’s probably mostly a bunch of nasty foam we’re seeing, and not actual carpentry, living roofs, and really cool brick work. Oh well…. but the hobbit house pictures are really quite inspiring, nevertheless

Read ahead for more pictures!

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