Happy New Year!

After a month of rest in Florida, Don is hard at it...preparing to plaster the inside straw walls. But the house was not absent while he was gone...I was there on weekends, staining the posts and beams, and applying a polyurethane coating to protect them from the clay that is surely to get on them, once we start plastering.

Frank and his son Eric have been hard at work putting up the drywall walls...so it looks completely different.

And in the middle of the living room floor are boxes and boxes of cabinets that will be installed after we do something with the ceiling...we are not looking forward to sanding and mudding the ceiling so are considering a stipled ceiling or textured paint. All ideas are welcome!

I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving...

I now have a new (used) camera and can share the latest pictures of Green and White Acres.

Don did it! He sealed up the outside...but for a few spots, it's ready for the final color coat next year...take a look...

Now it's time to leave the trailer to the mice...the trailer has no heat except for the electric blanket...below is a picture of Don all bundled up...

And Welcome to our new home...

Notice the ceiling has been installed by Frank Wyrick and his son Eric, and 18 inches of insullation...nice and cozy...

And here are our new digs...

Pretty messy, huh? But warm!

And now it's time to move our operation indoors...so Don has hauled up powdered clay and sand near to, and into the garage for making clay during the cold winter months...

Speaking of which...it's a busy time of year for everyone...but if you're feeling the need to stuff a few walls, or get your hands muddy...we'll be at 'The Acres' this weekend for our last 'official' work party of the year! Please RSVP to coni.barlow@wayne.edu so we know to expect you. If we don't see you...

Have a very happy holiday and a peaceful New Year!

So much is happening, I can't even keep everyone informed of all of the changes, it's hard to remember everything...so here are just a sample...

Windows are installed! Not all of them, not just yet, we still have some trombe wall work to do, but there are no more breezes blowing through the house! Yeah!

Plumbers, electricians, and the well folk have been hard at work...with the focus of getting heated water running through the pipes in the floor (Aaaahhh Heat!)...and again, we are not quite there yet. There a lot of intricate parts including the propane tank, pumps, a water filter, a water softener, and a water heater. But Don tells me we're almost ready to light it all up.

Pictured below is some of Bill's handiwork, 3 pumps, one for each heat zone (garage, work room, and house):

This weekend, we were visited by my family (sister Lisa from California, my Dad from Lake Orion, my bro Jon and his wife Diane from Sterling Heights) and by Curt and Kathy Hofer from Novi. Thanks for their help and moral support! Here's a shot of Jon getting into mudding the corner of the garage:

And lastly, a shot of Don's catalog find...these are fancy rain chains...they are installed in lieu of downspouts which would have to follow the large overhang on the house, and would not be quite as attractive. Water will run down the rain chains into rain barrels in the front, or drain down into the pond at the back of the house.

Oh, the bad news...my digital camera has bit the dust...so no more pictures for awhile...you'll just have to make the trip out to the farm to see our progress with your own eyes! We will be working again this weekend and everyone is welcome to join us...if they are so inclined...with maybe a time-out to watch MSU beat Minnesota on Saturday night.

First, I must right a wrong...in the last article, when there wasn't much to say, and no pictures...I failed to thank Jeannie St. John who came out and mudded one Saturday in the cold, and Lynda Waldecker who has come out the last two Sundays after her soccer games. Thanks to both of them and of course, to Jerry Reid, who is always around, and whom we couldn't live without!

There have been a lot of changes, both big and little...watch for gutters in the following pictures...they're new...but they match so perfectly to the roof that you can hardly tell they're there!

The first noticeable change is that we now have a propane tank installed. The folks from Swan Propane came out and hooked us up...

Next came the Serious Windows...arriving in a huge truck. I had to direct the driver as he backed the truck onto our drive WITHOUT hitting the mailbox or the Green and White street sign. With only the driver to help us unload, I can tell you, from experience, that some of those windows are VERY heavy!

Three windows didn't make the first shipment but Don tells me that they are now, all delivered. And Keith Gipfert and company have already been there and installed many of them...can't hardly wait to see them installed!

In preparation for the windows, Jerry and I worked on attaching the metal foil to all of the trombe walls. The contact cement needed to hold the foil to the brick is cold sensitive...so we had to use the opportunity on Monday, while the temperature was higher, to attach the foil. The foil will absorb heat from the sun, low in the south during winter months, and transfer it to the brick walls, and eventually through to the rooms beyond.

Don is still hard at getting as much mud on the walls as he can before things freeze. And we're now well on our way to hooking up the radiant floor heat...at which point, we will be able to move inside even if the weather outside is too cold!

We'll be working on Sunday, with a little break when sister Lisa from California arrives for a 'look-see'. Maybe we can persuade her to get some mud under her nails!

Sorry no pictures today, but the windows are on their way...yeah! Don and I will be there on Sunday if anyone wants to come out...bring your long johns!

Thanks so much to Dennis Propst and 4 MSU students from his class on "Environmental Attitudes and Concepts". They came by on Friday and helped on the interior of the garage. In order to give them a broad experience in a short time, we had them stuff with dry straw, then stuff with straw clay, then we sprayed the wall with clay slip, and finally, they put on the first coat of clay. Pictured below are Alex, Kelby, Jeff, and Ben.

Hurrah for the MSU win over UofM in the Saturday squeaker....

Janet Kiley came by for a while on Sunday and helped mud the west wall...she says the blue suits do help to keep you warm!

And Don and I worked Monday on the east wall of the garage under thunderous skies...note that the roof is completely finished thanks to Keith Gipfert and his brothers who attached the roof vent in that short window of sunshine (really non-rain) on Monday.

And lastly, we had a visit from a fellow who 's supposed to bring good luck...

We'll be working both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, with maybe a little time off to watch MSU beat Illinois. If you can join us, I'm thinking about making Pear Pie from the pears harvested off of our pear trees.

Hello, it's now October 1, and we're still working on the house...and a few brave souls showed up last weekend to get muddy! Nancy (Don's sister) came out to help. Janet Kiley came, even though she had a bloody finger (an accident with a knife) and Lynda stopped by after her soccer game. They worked with trowels to finish a portion of the outside wall...

My friend and co-worker, Julie Zhu and her son Jonathon came to help on the inside walls. They came later in the day with the hopes of using Jonathon's telescope to see the stars...but although we had a perfectly clear day, by nightfall, the clouds had moved in, making star gazing impossible. Besides the help on the wall, they brought Chinese dumplings and some sort of steamed vegetable buns which greatly improved our dinner menu! Thanks Julie and Jonathon!

In other news, Bill the plumber has installed the gas line for our future stove ...

And Keith Gipfert and crew came and installed the two sets of French doors to the...

Work room...

And Living room...

And drumroll... (not the greatest picture...but it's sure a lovely door)...the front door...

We are anxiously awaiting the windows (brrrr...the doors helped but the wind is still blowing in throught the open window bucks!) which are not expected until Oct. 14th...two weeks away...yikes!

And, I just know you were wondering about what's happening this weekend...well, on Friday, we are expecting a group of MSU students who were given the option of working on a selection of worthwhile projects in lieu of taking an exam. We will let you know next week how many students chose to 'get muddy'. Then we're taking Saturday off to cheer on the Spartans to a hoped-for victory over the Wolverines. But rain or shine, we will be there on Sunday, with my famous Southwest Stew planned for a hot and hearty finish to the day. Hope to see you there!

PS. Don has requested that anyone who has access to cattails, gather a few and save them for us...the cattails are opened and the shredded fluff inside is collected and added to the finish coat. It's similar to adding straw to the first and second coat, the fiber helps to strengthen the plaster but the cattail fluff is much more pleasant than straw in a finish coat.

Well, the nights are getting colder, reminding us that we have to keep plugging away at wrapping this house up for winter. But the days are still warm...so we're thankful for that.

Here are some pictures of our muddin' crews from last weekend:

On Saturday, Wayne Appleyard came and helped...

Linda was eager to help wash the mud off of Fred's face...

And even Jerry had mud on his hands...

On Sunday, some of the St. John family was back...with a little different configuration...

Pictured below, from youngest to oldest, is Maeve, Jenna, Megan, Kate, their Dad, Jason and Grandma Karen.

As for what's new on the farm...There's the good news and what Don calls 'challlenges and opportunities'. Pictured below is the other part of the roof that has been completed (note the two solar tubes that have been installed). But there was a 'challenge' installing the roof vent so we're now awaiting parts for that...

The electrician Dave has been wiring like crazy and the plumber Bill has been there too, installing shower pans, gas lines, and the new water heater...pictured below is an electrical box fastened to a Dracula stake (courtesy of Jerry) and pounded into the strawbale wall.

You remember Frank and his son Eric, who installed the garage doors. Well, they came back and installed the garage door opener, the attic step ladder (giving us access to the storage above the garage), and the whole house fan! And good news, our doors have arrived and are ready for pick-up!

We are still mudding the outside walls. The 'challenge' there was too much mud, too fast...so we've had to slow that operation down, applying it slower, and allowing the mud to set-up a bit before adding more...

We will be working both days this weekend...if you're in the neighborhood...stop by and get your hands dirty. No promises, but I'm thinking about mixing up a batch of corn chowder for supper...

First, we want to show some pictures of our volunteers that we missed last Friday...

Below is Sarah, Karen, Marty, and Blue St. John...Blue didn't help much but he didn't get into too much trouble either...

Below is Judy and Richard Parker...

And our Labor Day crew of Fred, Shelly, Eric, Emma and Megan(who mostly played vidio games)...

And here is our new septic system going in...

It looks complicated...doesn't it?

On Sunday, Don III and Fred started the second coat on the outside...

While a new volunteer, Janet Kiley, who wants to build her own strawbale house...took a turn at stuffing inside...unfortunately, she ran off before we could get a picture...but she's a very interesting woman and I hope she comes back. She makes her own bio-diesel fuel for her VW Diesel car out of old cooling oil! Now that's green!

Anyway, her work allowed me to start inside with the first coat...

And finally, the latest picture of the house and almost an entire new roof!

Sorry about there being no pictures...I'll add them when next I get my hands on the camera!

First I want to thank newbies Marty (Jeannie's brother)and Karen St. John and daughter Sarah, and Richard Parker for coming and plastering last Friday. Wife Judy (Jeannie's sister) and Jeannie, of course, were there to show them the ropes. The St. John's brought bagels and Judy brought some mmmmm,mmmmm, scrumptious cookies!

And then I want to thank Shelly (Don's daughter), Eric, Emma, Megan, Fred, and Lynda, for coming on the holiday. Emma made a really great fruit salad and Renae (from down the road) provided a yummy dessert she calls Blackberry Goodie...made from blackberries she collected from our bushes!

Between these two crews, the entire outside of the house and garage has been plastered with the first coat of plaster!

What made the weekend twice as sweet was the 44 to 3 victory of MSU over Montana State...wooh, hooh! We're hoping for the same sort of performance against CMU this weekend...

Well, I'm back to work 3 days a week (boo hoo)...but Don tells me that roofing crew has finished the south and west side, and moved to the north side of the house...the electrician has been hard at work, and the septic tanks have been installed...along with the donated freezer which is going to be used as a root cellar.

Welcome back Jerry. Jerry and Janice are back from visiting their grandbaby in Madison, Wisconsin...

And we will be hard at work on Sunday, if anyone feels like helping out. We might start the second coat on the outside (requires a different plaster mix)...or move inside to begin work on a bathroom...hope to see you on Sunday at Green and White Acres!

Go Green!

There are a lot of things to be thankful for this week...the wonderful crew who came out and plastered this weekend...with two new volunteers...got the first coat of plaster on the whole north side of the building...Yeah!

Pictured is new volunteer Judy Parker (Jeannie's sister) in her HASMAT suit...

And new volunteer Fran Pierce (she can't really believe she is doing this!)

And the entire crew...getting plastered...

Thanks to Curt and Kathy Hofer for the scrumptious chicken, and corn bread they brought for dinner. Thanks to Missy for her fruit surprise and thanks to Janice Reid for her yummy cake.

Thanks to Frank and his son Eric, who came and installed new doors, a large garage door on the East side, and a smaller tractor door on the West side.

And roofing arrived...

Thanks to the crew, who started to install the roof...see how nicely it matches the garage doors...

And, last, but not least....thank you Consumers Energy...we now have electricity!!!!! yeah!Yeah!YEAH!
Out of the dark ages....and into the light!

Now, if the smiles on that plaster crew have got you interested in getting plastered with us. We will be working Friday, Sunday, and Monday this Labor day weekend, finishing the first coat, and beginning the second coat. We hope you can join us...if not have a happy Labor Day weekend. Note: we won't be working on Saturday.

Boy, are we stuffed! First we stuffed with straw, deep into any crevice we could find. We stuffed...

And we stuffed ...

And we stuffed some more ...

Then we trimmed ...

And we trimmed some more ...

And then Don got out his new toy, and sprayed...a mixture of clay and water that had been screened so that it would be fine enough to use in the sprayer...

And then we were back to stuffing ... this time, we got suited up in our HASMAT suits and stuffed the seams between the bales with a straw/clay mixture ...

The volunteers then rebelled...saying that once the wall was sprayed, it was too hard to see the seams between the bales...so the spraying stopped...and we stuffed some more ...

The 'Gave It His/Her All Award' for last weekend has to go to our son Don and his wife Vanessa...Don suffered from hay (really straw) fever the whole weekend...He worked with tears running down his face and it made me miserable just to look at him (although he is quite a handsome lad)! Vanessa gets kudos for staying the night in a tent where there was no shower...not even running water!

Jerry Reid and Jeannie St. John get honorable mention for being here every weekend and sometimes in between!

As for this weekend...we're going to get plastered! That's right, we haven't quite finished all of the stuffing, but for those volunteers who have had it with stuffing (apparently, there is a general concensus that it is NOT a fun job)...there will be plastering going on...we will still need rubber gloves and the HASMAT suits (provided)...but this should be more fun than stuffing. Hope to see you here! Our friends Curt and Kathy Hofer have volunteered to bring dinner on Sunday if you're tired of my cooking! Please let us know if and when you are coming by emailing coni.barlow@wayne.edu Thanks!

And now...drum roll please...this is my favorite part...I have REALLY, REALLY, good news!

We had a visit...actually two (and we are hoping for one more)...pictured below is our pole crew...

And our trench crew...

And we can now ... finally ... see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Thanks to the crews from Consumer's Energy ... we may very, very soon...drum roll again...have electricity! No more dark ages...And, no more worrying about our generator going bust...Some may think Don and I are pioneers building a straw bale house...but we would NOT have made real pioneers before electricity and running water! So keep your fingers crossed...we need one more visit from the crew that hooks up the line to the pole...and then we'll move into the 21st century!

One more thing...Don and I became movie stars this week...check out http://homtv.net/index.asp?view=watch&page=archive. Look for Meridian Magazine 915 dated Tuesday, Aug. 25. Go to about 15:30 in the video to see our interview!

We have come so far from where we started, and again, we could NOT have done it without the help of friends, family, and our new neighbors!

Jerry Reid came through for us again...he introduced us to our neighbors, Don and Margaret Brown....what a Godsend! We were counting on 18 inch bales but we forgot to check with the farmer about that and ended up with 19 inch bales. We needed some way to cut 5 inches off of the top of a bale of straw...not one bale of straw...but 75 bales of straw! Well, there's the old fashioned way...the hand saw...oh my! There's a more modern tool called a chain saw but we weren't sure what kind of job that would do on a bale of straw. And then there's Don and Margaret's portable sawmill! Yeah! We were saved! It's a wonderful machine...now my MOST favorite power tool!

And look what a nice job it did to finish this wall...

And again, thanks for our small Saturday crew: Jeannie, Jerry, Lynda, and Nancy...

And to our larger Sunday crew, pictured below:

Alex (Michael's friend), Michael Hofer, Don, Kathy Hofer, Curt Hofer, Coni, Don Brown, Jeannie St. John, Jerry Reid, and Margaret Brown. Much thanks for a job well done!

Please RSVP to coni.barlow@wayne.edu if you are interested in helping this weekend...we will be stuffin' the holes in the walls to prevent that cold north wind from blowing between the bales....maybe we'll even start plastering! Hope to see you there!

We are going to be out there again this weekend finishing the walls off and stuffing! (and I don't mean the kind that goes inside the Turkey at Thanksgiving) So if you are interested RSVP to coni.barlow@wayne.edu to let us know you are coming. Everyone is welcome at whatever skill level you are... bring a loose long-sleeved shirt and gloves (if you have them). We will be up to our elbows in straw!

We had our first work crew out on Saturday and they were troopers...those that came worked all day in the rain...we were soaked! But our thanks goes out to everyone (I've never seen so much rain...)!

Below is the Saturday crew:

Pictured from left to right are: Linda and Dennis Brack (Dennis was Don's college room mate), Winston (sorry Winston, I don't know your last name!), Nancy Bissell (Don's sister), Jeannie St. John (best bud since junior high), Bernie Ethridge (a fellow honey bee person and Zoo volunteer), Wayne Appleyard (our architect), me, and Fred McGlaughlin (a future straw bale builder)

Below is the Sunday crew:

Pictured from left to right are: Jeannie St. John, Lynda Waldecker (a future straw bale builder), Linda Schober (best bud at WSU), Missy Neff (best diving and roller-blade bud), Renae (one of the 'cow girls'), Shelly Goetcheus (our daughter), Pearl (the other 'cow-girl'), Fred and Don, and Jerry Reid (a new neighbor)

Thanks goes out to all of our help this weekend...it was either wet or hot and sticky, but they continued to toil... Special thanks to Jerry for his ideas...we changed how we were tying bales together mid-stream...to a faster (not especially green) way using electrical ties. He also took our bale needles home and modified every one using his bench grinder...so now they go through the bales like butter!

And Ta Da .... walls of straw!-

Hopefully, more pics in a few days!