How it started~



The Grass Hopper~ 5x8

      About six years ago, I had a heart attack. This was the beginning of my retirement. Could not work anymore. Ok? I healed up, thanks to my doctors care and a complete change in my diet. So....about three years went by, while I lived in a couple of different studio apartments. My last studio apt. I didn't like the place or the owner. He was a drunk, and still is, but that's his problem! I was sitting in the apt. one day watching TV and  the commercial came on. I looked up at the wall, then looked at the wall to my right, then the other two walls! I had a question for myself. What was I doing here? I couldn't answer!! I thought that I should be out enjoying life. You know traveling, discovering a new pyramid or something!! That's when I decided to travel the western states, visiting all the state and national parks. Ok? I had no RV type trailer of any kind, but I did have a beautiful sand rail that was nothing but a money pit!! So..... I sold the rail and it's trailer, and only cried for two weeks! Ha! (just kidding) That was when I decided to build a teardrop trailer. I found plans for one called a Grass Hopper, of which there is a couple of photos of the little bugger up top. I spent the next three months building the Grass Hopper at my friend Jim's shop. Thank you Jim. I have a special thanks to Jim's son, Kory for helping with the build, and especially for helping and doing  the wiring. The Grass Hopper trailer came out beautiful! I hit the road jack, and wasn't planning on coming back no more, no more!! I became.....I don't know, I just became!!

How it went~

     Well....I traveled throughout CA and found it beautiful! The whole time I spent traveling I looked for rural property, you know, out in boonies, the middle of no where. I was searching for a place to put my roots. My travels took me into AZ This is where I fell in love. Not with a woman! The stark beauty of northern Arizona is what I fell in love with, but AZ has much more than it's beautiful desert. I drove through Flagstaff and decided this was an area where I would like to make my home. I returned to CA an started searching for property. Well, low and behold, I came across some photos of 4.66 acres located near St Johns AZ

 with cedar and pine trees scattered about the property!! Something inside me said this was the place! Buy it John! So I jumped in with both feet and bought the property, sight unseen! I have yet to look back!! Did I say rural? The parcel of land is nine miles off of hwy. 191 on county maintained dirt roads and 30 miles north of St Johns. The altitude of the area is 6600 ft. So there will be plenty of snow for my water needs using a roof water catchment system. Did someone say electricity? All my electric needs will come from Mr. Sun and a few solar panels. This will be enough to power my lights, and laptop for now. I am beginning to understand that living with less means more. Welcome to Cedar House. I'll post more later on the bathroom facilities and heating of the home to be built with Cob. Ok!! This was how three years of traveling went in my GrassHopper Trailer. I am one happy ex-camper!! 

How it's going~

   

     Above are my plans which have been changed for the 30th time from this original drawing, and a photo for my 2-story home. It will be built out of cob and straw bales. The walls of the home will be about two feet thick. Cob is a mixture of dirt~clay~sand and straw.  The home will not actually be a two story, but tall enough to have a loft. The square footage will be about 200, I changed this from 240 because of AZ codes, which only allow 200 sq. ft. without permits. It will not be my first building to live in, but my final residence after I slowly build it. Which I figure it will take me, 2 to 3 years. The house will be built with as much recycled material as possible. I have plans for using fallen trees for lumber in the roof, windows and door frames. A car windshield used as an east facing window in the kitchen. Broken concrete and rubble for the foundation. My wish is to build my home so that it becomes part of the land, and not just, a house built on it. My plans on the home call for 12 volt lighting from solar panels. My refrigerator will be a Sundanzer chest type with  PV solar panels. Which is quite an interesting set up, because the refer gets it's power directly from the panels and batteries. No inverter is needed, as the refer is 12 volt. So..... join me at  Cedar House Ranch