Productivity!

First, we had lots of help lately(Adam, Jeff, Lilly, Jessa's mom, Nathan, and random other visitors.) These people have been providing lots of entertainment, as well as energy and extra hands to do some work.

Second, we found a quicker method of filling bags. Instead of using the dirt that was excavated, which needed to be sifted because it was full of large rocks and clay chunks, we are using rock dust, which comes from the quarry up the road. We fill a bucket about halfway with rock dust and then dump it into a bag that is being held by someone who gets the (oh-so-difficult) job of sitting on a bucket, holding a bag. (I don't really like that job.) This goes a lot quicker, although the bags weigh more. The bags are about twice as thick though, so we won't need as many to build the dome. (There was a point where we thought we might need twice as many bags as originally predicted. I'm not sure what the new estimate is, although, since these bags are fairly small, we will be putting in a second order.) Right now, the rock dust pile is at the bottom of the hill, so it needs to be hauled in a truck up to John's site (but tomorrow someone with a bobcat is coming to move the pile to the top of the hill.)

While half the team is filling bags at the bottom of the hill, the other half has been at the top of the hill, placing bags, tamping and barb-wiring.

We are about a third of the way done with our fourth layer.

It rained today. Not for a long time. Just enough to cool us down (and get our clothes wet.)

(Just a note- we are tying extra bits of wire to the barbed wire that stick out a few inches towards the interior of the building. This wire will later be used to tie chicken wire to the walls. This chicken wire will help the earthen plaster stick to the bags better. Ingenious.)

None of this is particularly easy work. Some parts are more labor intensive than others. My order of preference (so far) on these jobs is as follows:

1. laying barbed wire
2. placing bags
3. filling and pouring buckets
   
4. holding the bags as they are filled
5. tamping

But I'll do whatever I'm told. (Although I suck at tamping, so far. I am good at barb-wiring.)

My back has been a little sore lately (which is why holding the bags as they are being filled is so low on my list- it just hurts.) I'm fairly certain that my posture is terrible. I bought a back brace today at Lowes, although I'm not sure if my ego will allow for me to wear it. We will see. (I also bought a pair of gloves similar to Jessa's- I have worn them and know that they fit and that I like them. I want to wear them everywhere. I also bought two cheap-o pairs of gloves for my guests who are helping out. Also bought some new headbands, since mine are getting so gross so fast.)

Jeff is going to be with us for the summer. The original plan was a two week visit (which would be over tomorrow- hard to believe) and then he'd be off to do some natural building in Spain. The Spain thing got canceled, so he's going home for a week or so and then coming back. I think he wants to learn more about plastering.