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| This the site after the stump removal |
We chose the location for our cottage based on availability. We had this great little spot but it was covered with stumps and old slash piles. We began by removing years of old branches, stumps and some trash that we dubbed from the "Samite People" as sort of a joke. We recovered lots of old rusty nails and various other rusty objects that formed a pile and some probably still exist. I wanted to clear the spot by hand to begin to get a feel for the location and I don't like the idea of just getting out a machine and blasting away. We removed 13 stumps, several we took to the dump before they told us no more. We then moved the rest into a stump graveyard way out of sight. We also had to relocate a giant Cedar stump that we moved using a tow chain that was given to me that very day from a nice man I rescued at the local dump I will commonly refer to as the Colburn Mall. This is also the location we retrieved countless boars and free materials. So with the giant stump relocated I began the task of separating weeds and roots from the top soil which we used in low spots. This task took a month at least until our site was accessible and the vision for what to build began to display itself. I originally had in my mind that I would build 400 square feet and thus approached the planning department. Where I live I need a placement permit but no building is even available. Great! There is no cost for a permit for 400sqft so I got my permit and away I went. Within about two days I received a letter in the mail stating that they were retracting my permit. No explanation but an apology. So I made my way back to the permit office to ask what gives? They said that I could not build a guest house on my property. They did say I could build a play house or an art studio or several other things but I could not let my friends or anyone else sleep in it! I asked them to please show me in the books where it gave a description of what I could or could not build and she simply pulled out a GIANT book and set it on the table. I asked her to show me where to look but she had no idea and quickly removed the book. So I asked to speak to someone who could tell me and this is what I got, verbally for the man in charge after several phone calls and a return visit. He said it cannot be a habitable structure. So I asked what determines a habitable structure? Plumbing was his answer. Once pipes pass through the wall or floor it becomes habitable! It can have a small fridge and even a microwave and a bed but no pipes! Snicker....to me. Ok! No problem. Also if I built at 200sqft I needed no permit at all and that is 200sqft of interior floor space! Snicker...to me. Ok thanks!So there it is. I am building a 200sqft STUDIO with no plumbing! No problem!
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| Not the giant stump! |
A 200 sqft circle is about 16 ft diameter. I wanted one square corner for a bunk bed and thus removed an equal portion with an S curve making a fun shape since I so wanted to shape a curvy wall. We knew that we wanted to use Cob (Sand, straw and clay) for our walls but we were not sure what method we wanted to use. As it is we used mostly Straw Bales for our walls and a small portion of split wood stacked cord wood style. But I am getting ahead of myself now so back to the ground work.
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| This is the final resting place for the BIG one! |
I sunk a post in the center of where I wanted the cottage to be,
got a string and a can of orange marking paint and made a circle with an 8 ft
radius. I then made my square side and my curve. Then i drew a second line 2
feet outside that line and got out a shovel and a pick. That is where I will
start in my next post. The foundation!
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| This free push mower is a beast! Thank you!! |
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