A large group of people from across the globe gathered outside Grants, NM to help build the home of Kent and Gillian. What started out as  series of vehicles stuck in the mud (cars, trucks, and RVs) turned out to be a great week. Apparently, this part of New Mexico received just shy of their annual rainfall in the month of July alone, so things were wet and muddy. The road on which the property is located is called “Bad Road,” literally. It lived up to its name by claiming several vehicles on the way in. Luckily Seth, the builder of the home, was as skilled with a toe rope as he is with a hammer and saw!

The participants worked really hard to get the home completed and we created a truly beautiful baling job in the process. The interior has exposed natural wood beam lintels above most of the windows and doors which are a fine reflection of the rustic New Mexico landscape. The soft curves of the bale walls play wonderfully into the lines of the lintels as well. As hard as they worked, we all still had time to relax, play and hang out. The weather opened up for us and we had a week of glorious weather with one dramatic rain storm mid week. We all had a wonderful time playing music and telling stories around the campfire. The shooting stars and coyotes rounded out the perfection of the location. As always, great friends were made, and much was learned by both the participants and me. Each week is a new adventure and a new gathering of great people.

About the Author

Andrew Morison is a specialist in straw bale and green construction. He has shown thousands of people how to build their own straw bale projects through his comprehensive series of instructional straw bale, concrete foundation, and plastering DVDs. You can check these out at www.LearnStrawBale.com..

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