My Visit to PonderThis Country

[cletus1]

Yesterday I was in Douglas a County and decided to pay Ponder a visit. Ponder, just like the story of the three little pig decided to construct a house out of bales of straw. I had never seen a house made out of straw and mud and if found this house interesting and of course unique.

The exterior walls are approximately 3 feet thick with mud from his property covering the straw like a natural plaster. The house resembles an adobe style home like you often see in the Southwest US. I was impressed learning a comfortable home can practically be made from "stuff" you find in the yard.

There was no need to build a straw and mud house other than just doing it because you could. In fact, Ponder owns a traditional house across a field that looked quite nice. He rents out the nice house and lives in the mud house. If you thought Ponder was a little eccentric, then you were right. Anyway, I had a fun afternoon and enjoyed the visit.

I also encouraged Ponder to help us save the RVF by posting once in a while. He is getting more stuff done by not spending time on the RVF, but that is not the point. He has some interesting ideas and projects that might be fun go talk about. He never retired his account so maybe if I bug him some more he will visit us. He is getting weak I can feel it.

I told him Wonky quit, but TVguy was still around. I also said I would say Hi to TVguy for him.

[Scrapper]

I miss Ponder. I'm glad you went for a visit... and reported back. I hope he is doing well.

[GPnative]

I'd like to see Ponder posting again.

[Valuesize]

Did you get a contact high?

I regret not making it a point to invite myself over to Ponders while I lived in the area.

[cletus1]

Did you get a contact high?

I regret not making it a point to invite myself over to Ponders while I lived in the area.

Some people that smoke bud are much more productive and successful the the people criticizing them for being "stoners," not that you were criticizing anyone. I know Ponder has owned some successful business and he still owns a lot of property. So much for the myth that weed smokers are typically an unmotivated group.

Ponder is extremely curious about a lot of things. That makes him a interesting person to talk to. When I think about how so many people lack curiosity about most everything but pop culture, I find Ponder's company refreshing.

[Valuesize]

Did you get a contact high?

I regret not making it a point to invite myself over to Ponders while I lived in the area.

Some people that smoke bud are much more productive and successful the the people criticizing them for being "stoners," not that you were criticizing anyone. I know Ponder has owned some successful business and he still owns a lot of property. So much for the myth that weed smokers are typically an unmotivated group.

Ponder is extremely curious about a lot of things. That makes him a interesting person to talk to. When I think about how so many people lack curiosity about most everything but pop culture, I find Ponder's company refreshing.

I agree 100%. It wasn't criticism just a stupid joke. I would love to see his property and wish I had the resources and knowhow to do such a thing.

I wish one of you would post some pictures of both inside and outside.....

[Scrapper]

Did you get a contact high?

I regret not making it a point to invite myself over to Ponders while I lived in the area.

Some people that smoke bud are much more productive and successful the the people criticizing them for being "stoners," not that you were criticizing anyone. I know Ponder has owned some successful business and he still owns a lot of property. So much for the myth that weed smokers are typically an unmotivated group.

Ponder is extremely curious about a lot of things. That makes him a interesting person to talk to. When I think about how so many people lack curiosity about most everything but pop culture, I find Ponder's company refreshing.

I agree 100%. It wasn't criticism just a stupid joke. I would love to see his property and wish I had the resources and knowhow to do such a thing.

I wish one of you would post some pictures of both inside and outside.....

It seems like he posted a couple of pics back during the building phase. Any one remember that? It would be awesome to see photos of the finished home.

[GPnative]

Did you get a contact high?

I regret not making it a point to invite myself over to Ponders while I lived in the area.

Some people that smoke bud are much more productive and successful the the people criticizing them for being "stoners," not that you were criticizing anyone. I know Ponder has owned some successful business and he still owns a lot of property. So much for the myth that weed smokers are typically an unmotivated group.

Ponder is extremely curious about a lot of things. That makes him a interesting person to talk to. When I think about how so many people lack curiosity about most everything but pop culture, I find Ponder's company refreshing.

I agree 100%. It wasn't criticism just a stupid joke. I would love to see his property and wish I had the resources and knowhow to do such a thing.

I wish one of you would post some pictures of both inside and outside.....

It seems like he posted a couple of pics back during the building phase. Any one remember that? It would be awesome to see photos of the finished home.

[cletus1]

Did you get a contact high?

I regret not making it a point to invite myself over to Ponders while I lived in the area.

Some people that smoke bud are much more productive and successful the the people criticizing them for being "stoners," not that you were criticizing anyone. I know Ponder has owned some successful business and he still owns a lot of property. So much for the myth that weed smokers are typically an unmotivated group.

Ponder is extremely curious about a lot of things. That makes him a interesting person to talk to. When I think about how so many people lack curiosity about most everything but pop culture, I find Ponder's company refreshing.

I agree 100%. It wasn't criticism just a stupid joke. I would love to see his property and wish I had the resources and knowhow to do such a thing.

I wish one of you would post some pictures of both inside and outside.....

It seems like he posted a couple of pics back during the building phase. Any one remember that? It would be awesome to see photos of the finished home.

Yep his house looks just like that. Although, Ponder has a better outlook on life than Eeyore. Must be the weed.

[kadylady]

I would love to see pix of his house.

[PonderThis]

I'm fine if someone wants to post some, I've had poor success with cameras through the building process, construction is hard on cameras and I'm not vain enough I've been sending anyone pictures of myself, either.

[chuck white]

I'm fine if someone wants to post some, I've had poor success with cameras through the building process, construction is hard on cameras and I'm not vain enough I've been sending anyone pictures of myself, either.

Seems like you did post some pictures once. A quick search didn't find one. I did find a posting of a straw house from Clone.

[Valuesize]

A little like this? Though I remember the roof (with a much larger overhang) was built first with column supports from trees gathered onsite. Then the house structure built under that?

[PonderThis]

Yeah, I had pictures that far along that I posted. This was taken with camera #2:



Besides, when is an owner built house really "done"? The inside is still getting a 2nd coat of lime stucco, I don't think I'll be happy with my mud floor until I cover it with Mexican tile, and I'm still waiting to put the bathroom sink in until that's done. The outside has at least one more coat of mud to come, and then possibly its own coat of stucco depending on how happy I am with it. It's finished to that point, so far.

Some of you naysayers will be amused to find the tax assessor only has this assessed at $45,000. He told me he knew just the roof structure alone would cost more than that if I were to hire it done, but I had built it in such a way as would appeal to the fewest number of potential buyers.

[kadylady]

Yeah, I had pictures that far along that I posted. This was taken with camera #2:



Besides, when is an owner built house really "done"? The inside is still getting a 2nd coat of lime stucco, I don't think I'll be happy with my mud floor until I cover it with Mexican tile, and I'm still waiting to put the bathroom sink in until that's done. The outside has at least one more coat of mud to come, and then possibly its own coat of stucco depending on how happy I am with it. It's finished to that point, so far.

Some of you naysayers will be amused to find the tax assessor only has this assessed at $45,000. He told me he knew just the roof structure alone would cost more than that if I were to hire it done, but I had built it in such a way as would appeal to the fewest number of potential buyers.

Wow!! That's beautiful. I love the log supports.

[Valuesize]

Wow!! That's beautiful. I love the log supports.

Kady,
The roof is a living roof too!

Ponder,
I've never seen this photo. That is awesome!

[Jeep]

Ponder, did you have to fumigate the straw before stuccoing the house? I was thinking that maybe rodents or bugs could move into the straw bales and weaken the structure.

[PonderThis]

Thank you, all.

[PonderThis]

Ponder, did you have to fumigate the straw before stuccoing the house? I was thinking that maybe rodents or bugs could move into the straw bales and weaken the structure.

No, that's one of the reasons straw is used for houses, and not, for example, hay. Hay has all the seed heads and the nutrition in it (and, thus, provides a handy ever present meal for rodents and insects), while straw is only the stiff stalks and stems that are left after the seed grain has been removed and taken away (and, represents no food enticement for critters). The other reason straw is used, rather than hay, is straw is more structural. I also opted for the most structural straw of all, which is rice straw, which I imported a truckload of from California special for this project. People that worked with the bales said they were the tightest bales and the toughest, most structural bales they had ever seen used on a straw house.

Most people build a framework of 2x4's on top of the foundation, that they stack the straw bales on, and that provides a handy space that can be covered with floor moulding and can run wiring in. While I can see the handiness of that, I opted not to do that because that continuous perimeter 4" high space looked like perfect harborage for rodents too, and after having lived in my travel trailer during construction which was infested with mice I was determined to never set myself up for that again.

I also used sandbags full of pumice for my foundation, I'm not sure how structural that is since the real weight of this house is carried by the log posts (setting on concrete) rather than the straw wall. Use of the pumice filled sandbags did give me a good insulated barrier all around the perimeter though to keep cold out in winter, and there's 15" of loose fill pumice under the mud floor for insulation similarly, too. Pumice has an "R" value of .6 per inch, for those I haven't bored with these facts previously.

[kadylady]

Wow!! That's beautiful. I love the log supports.

Kady,
The roof is a living roof too!

Ponder,
I've never seen this photo. That is awesome!

Even better! Love it.