Summer Solstice

We attended The Summer Solstice celebration at The Botanical Gardens here in Asheville. What a spectacle. Drama! Singing!Dancing!Kazoos! this celebration had it all and there was a potluck feast afterwards.

We went to the Ashevillage town meeting. Thank you Mark Lakeman and Lydia Dolman from Portland, Oregon for such a moving presentation.

getting plastered on earth

Friends, families, and priceless volunteers came out to AVI during the First Annual Ashevillage Building Convergence. Our house was a project site along with others around town that hosted super cool awsome stuff like construction of rainwater catchment systems,cob garden shed and living roof at a couple of local elementary schools. Other projects included building a living garden trellis out of willow, huge mural under the 240 overpass, urban plant walk at the Edible Garden, and earthen plaster at our house!

(upper left) Sean is a massage therapist and he is working his magic on our wall. (upper middle) A mini volunteer gettting his hands dirty. (upper right) Somebody got fresh with Ben and by that smile I think he liked it. (lower left) Our new buddy Noah who swept into town and hit the ground running. Thanks for all your help, Noah! (lower middle) Trapper and Leah are having a heated discussion about dirt. (lower right) Matthew is another of our priceless volunteers.

(upper left) Mountane is awesome. (mid left) Gwen has a beautiful smile. (lower left) earthen plaster detail being finished on our window. (upper right) Jeremy is an angel when he's asleep. (mid right) another angel. (lower right) Molly is a phenomenal natural builder and she facilitated our site... Ben and Trapper are working that mud.

Are we?

Gwen's momma called her and said," you are at the epicenter of the environmental counterculture...are we?

Beekeeping 101

The bees in our backyard...We got two hives. The queen is in there somewhere, can you find her? Hint: I couldn't.

They are not astronauts...they are future beekeepers. This is Chris Mathis. He is a beekeeping ninja who is very passionate about caring for bees and beekeeping them happy. Since 1985, Over half of our bees have disappeared. They leave their homes and no one really knows why. Bees are a priority. What happens when they are not around to pollinate our flowers anymore...So long and thanks for all the food? One of my fellow students is studying a bee frame. Chris is using a smoker to calm the bees before entering the hive.

#1 or #2?

compost toilets anyone? thoughts?

soft focus

tony took a picture with my camera......so, anyway, i am diligently working on this blog and our workshop flyers....next up is our natural building workshop and our wild fermentation workshop...can't wait!