Prefab Green Home: 1st Energy Audit Of The SIPs House Kit!

This is the FIRST of two energy audits.

Energy Audit #1, today's energy audit of the prefab modern house, is as we're at the "This is the modern house kit + cladding + the homeowner sealing around the windows stage", the second will be once we're "done, finished, kaput, as in done, done, done, done, don't ever want to think about anything construction related for at least another week DONE."


Our mission is to create tight, energy efficient, gorgeous passive solar house kits.  I admire rated, certified, even more stringent approaches, like Passive House standards, maybe we'll do this in the future, but we achieve what we want in an energy efficient home while incorporating great modern design on an average, reasonable budget.

Some highly energy efficient homes incorporate two door chambers to prevent temperature loss.
I picture the way I live, and it is just too chaotic and messy to make such an entrance successful.  Can you imagine a couple struggling with the stroller, dogs still on the leash, juggling a bag of groceries and a baby on one hip, getting the key in the door lock then screaming to the spouse...
"Quick honey, seal the chamber, we're losing LEED points!"
Obviously if you live in a severe climate, it makes sense. But we're in Normal Rest-o'-Tha-World here.

We're a muddy, raggedy bunch here... why do ya think we're bandits?
You can increase the thickness of the house kit panels, choose even more efficient doors and windows (our casa ti prefab green home is spec'd for Jeld-Wen and our, SIPs house kit with two stories, The R1 Residential, is spec'd for Marvin Integrity), seal it up even tighter... but my focus is on affordable energy efficiency in our prefab green homes, so we chose great solutions that fit within a moderate budget.

The average quote for the casa ti windows is currently about $9,000-$10,500. If you would like to spend more on windows to make 'em nano-crazy-efficient, go for it, we can adjust the shop drawings. But expect the added cost.

We hired energy rater Guy DuBois, of No Energy Loss, to come out and inspect the modern prefab house kit. 
These are the notes I jotted down during his cell phone call to me en route from the land. Mr. DuBois will guest blog later this week with more real data, but here are his initial verbal impressions of the still-under-construction, still-not-completely-sealed house kit:

"Well, we certainly smoked up your house quite a bit, there was nowhere for it to go!"

(Copeland's note: Ummmm, I assume he means it was some kind of smoke air test thingy? I hope he didn't mean he smoked in mah house?!?)

Ok, on to Mr. DuBois:

"Those windows - they are worth the money, they were very well sealed."

Copeland's note: Handsome Husband also sealed around the frames... OK FINE I will just stop commenting and just TYPE what he said!

"Your husband did a good job of sealing around the windows... there are two areas he also could look at if he wanted to seal further- along the south eave and that back door threshold.

It is surprisingly tight. I don't know why I say surprising, but I guess I didn't expect it to be so tight, even though I should have."

[Copeland's note: Um, yeah, thanks Mr. DuBois... ; ) OK, OK I'll stop commenting!]

"I'll go back at completion and run more tests.  This was a good time to go out there because if there were problems you could address them before everything was closed up.

As you know, it's so tight you really must have mechanical ventilation, which you will be installing (HRV), which is critical in these energy efficient homes. Most homes, most traditionally-built homes, leak willy-nilly so you don't ever have to worry about air quality, but in energy efficient homes like these they're so air-tight that air-exchange is imperative.

I saw very little air leakage... there is some thermal bridging you can address if you want but you certainly won't have a problem heating and maintaining good energy efficiency, that's for sure. How does it compare to a "normal" house? Superior!"

To continue to seal even further, concentrate on the areas where there is lumber vs. SIP (structural insulated panels)- the doorway header, add insulation around wooden framing, and if you're in really severe climates, you could add an exterior seal.

Mr. DuBois makes a good point:

"But you have to consider the climate- maybe if you're in Alaska or really south Florida you would want to consider that, but... we're in Virginia, how much gain will you really get by doing all that?!? You already know that with your off grid systems, comfort will never be an issue.

I will be punching in everything I did today and coming back with some data next week... you're not trying to get this house certified, so this is just more FYI info, but it will be cool to compare today with when you're done at the end of the project."

He also said that the amount of leakage currently (we're still not done sealing) in the prefab SIPs passive solar home is equivalent to about 6 x 6 inches, smaller than a basketball. Handsome Husband is chasing that number, with sealant in hand.


Later, Handsome Husband arrived home, and I had all these pictures and video to look at... and share with you now.

HOUSE KIT ENERGY AUDIT VIDEOS:
Mr. DuBois sets up...

SIPs House Kit Energy Audit #1 of 2

They start do to the smoke test and pressurize the modern house kit. SUDDENLY, a clerestory window pops wide open!  It had looked closed, but hadn't been closed totally, which certainly that had also contributed to our loss of temperature this winter at night!  It is securely locked now... : )

Smoke And Open Windows In The Affordable Prefab SIPs House

So, they pressurize again...

Energy-Audit-#1 of 2 In The Affordable Prefab Green Home

And then....they freakin' fill mah house up with SMOKE!
Note the comment about the south edge- later they discovered that when the door was installed they didn't put any sealant under that south door.  You as a home owner can seal that more if you live in a severe climate area. I knew the windows worked really well for our budget, but am pleased with how impressed he is! : )

Energy Audit 1 of 2: Smoke And Windows

Here Handsome Husband decides he's going to track down that durned elusive number.


Energy Audit 1 of 2: Husband Wants Passive Perfect

Then they go tramp around outside looking for leaks.
If there were gaps, you'd see the smoke drifting out.

Energy Audit #1 of 2 of the Prefab Net Zero Energy Green House

Check out what it looks like when they crack the door (and how hard it was to open because of the pressurization - because the house kit was so tight!).

Energy-Audit-Of-Green-House-Kit

...And then they start calculating...
Which Mr. DuBois will go into more in his guest post soon.

Energy-Audit-01-16-2010-36 from Copeland Casati on Vimeo.

And thaz it, the latest from our passive solar green home!

Here is Handsome Husband's summary:

"This wraps up the initial test of the house kit. We now know what simple steps we have left to optimize the envelope of the SIPs house, and we look forward to the final testing after construction is (finally) completed. The general goal and idea of the casa ti has passed Mr. DuBois's testing with flying colors, as we already suspected in the prefab house kit's performance over the last few weekends where the design and structure were able to give us relative comfort in a hostile climate.

The great thing about the delays in this project is that we're able to thoroughly test the house kit without further improvements, this allows us to confirm the performance a passive solar house kit built with SIPs."

 

Prefab Green Home Takes On The Wind Chill. And The Passive Solar Net Zero Prefab Fabulously Triumphs.

Wind chill of 14? Actually, I was corrected: The wind chill was FOUR. 
It's a windy day at the prefab green home.

As long term readers might notice, during extreme weather our favorite game in the net zero modern prefab (still with no heating / power systems installed) is to compare the outdoor temperature with the indoor temperature.

We have no heat. We have no electricity.
But we certainly have fun measuring the effectiveness of the structural insulated panels + passive solar design in the prefab house kit on a dinky (one arrow missing that's supposed to indicate humidity) thermometer.

A Lovely Lady From Leeds : )  asked,

Mel, I don't know. We certainly can (and should) have someone measure it, but because it is our private home despite my being the founder, well, I previously thought, "Eh. It's more fun doing the dial-y thermometer thang."

Your interest has prompted me to take it more seriously and add it to the "to do's."

[I have a similar attitude towards LEED accreditation. Don't kill me! (The firms are all LEED accredited; I just don't see the benefit for the consumer to certify a house they don't intend to sell, and am approaching this house as an "average" consumer of my own house kit. ]


This is all stuff we as professionals know, documented by passive haus, passive houses, SIPs manufacturers, etc., but when I (even though we intelligently know it) put it into practice by turning a thermometer into a family game... oh, it's so much more fun. : )

In summer, we marveled at 100° harsh heat in the fields, yet inside the off grid prefab green home, it was a comfortable 85°, and the cross breezes from the open windows made it even more pleasant.  Now we test the prefab house kit in icy, bitter temps with a few intermittent days of overcast skies.


Handsome Husband reports: "Windchill is 4°.  Last night it went down to 18°, today's highs will be 27°.  Yet the prefab green house kit is 45° on arrival."

Yes, that's cold.
But it has been overcast for days in temperatures in the teens and twenties. This proves that despite daily temperatures being such, the interior of the prefab green home will not freeze.  This is great news.


After spending a day researching modern supercoolio wood stoves after discovering the promised family wood stove was mine no longer, I admit defeat: Why would I spend $1,500-$3,500 on a modern, cool  wood stove we will use so little in the energy efficient, passive solar SIPs house?

Yet the wood stove is comforting as back up once our solar systems are installed, there to dry wet mittens and sopping snow clothes and to cook on if need be.

It's 11:00. Handsome Husband calls to say the prefab house is already 49-50° from him just moving around. Imagine how fast a big wood stove would heat that efficient, insulated space...and then overheat. If it's easily 50s inside when the temperature outside will not rise above freezing today, our original concern is correct - we would easily overheat the house with a big stove.

I researched battery-powered heaters, but they were either too small or not exactly safe for indoor use. [Understaaaaaatement!]


So... we bought a wood stove.
It's ugly. It's not a nostalgic family hand-me-down.

It's definitely not modern. 
Handsome Husband is consoling me with, "Well, you could kinda cook on it..."
*sob*

After spending the past 24 hours frantically researching what new products have come on the market since I last looked (a lot of nice modern wood stoves now), in the end I said, "Fine, solve the issue NOW, let's pay someone to install this NOW, so we can freaking enjoy our prefab modern house kit NOW."

Each dollar we spend on something unexpected (like the unexpected cost of a $1,000+ wood stove) is a dollar that should be going to off grid solar systems and hiring local labor to install them.

We will now bemusedly note how many years the original, "free" wood stove given to me will sit in my parent's basement until Mr. Wil "I Will Sue You For Everything You Own" Sakowski claims it... IF he ever does.


[Readers: Please bear with me in these last two posts as bitterness tinged these references... My life, and my dear, lifelong friends are an entirely happy different story. It's all good. : ) Besides, being a bandit is much more rewarding and adventurous. ]

Handsome Husband calls:
"I'm leaving! And in the prefab house kit it's 54 degrees." (3:40 p.m.)
Me: "What'd you do?"
[Understaaaaatement!]

He...

• Met with the roofers
  
• Unloaded the modern bed and put it together
• Installed the Danish mid-century daybed
  
• Drove to Appomattox and bought a wood stove
• Examined the scouting camera (Awwww, Bambi!)
• Sorted some of the VMI basketball wood
  

Y'know. That's all... ; )
Stay tuned...
The next post is where I rearrange all the furniture.

 

Prefab Green Home Systems Post #1 For A Net Zero Off Grid Modern House Kit!

In Virginia it is 22 degrees. Handsome Husband is off cavorting in Florida (Ok, fine, it's work, but *I'm* stuck with the chilluns, dawgs, chickens, fish, and feral cat!), so I will not be visiting the net zero off grid prefab green home this weekend as the logistics to do so alone are overwhelming.

So here come the net zero off grid prefab systems posts, guest written by Handsome Husband: Part One: Rain Water Systems.

**NOTE*: *OUR* systems choices are so minimal and bare bones, you will almost certainly want to consider the more robust packages our partners offer. But our focus as a family is to do as much as possible with as little as possible.**

"I will post our system choices for the casa ti prefab over the next few days. Every post will focus on a subject, beginning with how we plan on supplying the casa ti with water.

We will use rain water collection as the water source. In our area in central Virginia we receive sufficient annual precipitation to easily provide water for a 4 person house hold without having to dig a well. Rainwater collection begins with the choice of roofing materials. Asphalt shingles are not the material of choice as new shingles could leach petroleum products and contaminate the rain water - we chose a metal roof on the southern side of the house for this reason. The northern half of the roof is wrapped in a rubber membrane as a basis for the green roof (vegetation that is as everything seems to carry the term "green" these days). Rainwater from the vegetated roof area should not be used for potable uses but can be used for irrigation and other non potable needs.

We will use a WISY WFF 100 as the primary rainwater filter. This filter receives the rainwater from the downspouts, and separates debris from the water routed to the cistern. We will need to design the downspouts so that they all merge into this single filter. http://www.rainwatermanagement.com/product.php

Next comes the cistern. The first choice is between an above-ground cistern and one that is buried. We are considering going in between in that we would place the cistern in the root cellar. Root cellars are semi-buried structures that enjoy some of the same benefits as geothermal heating: In the winter the stay above freezing and in the summer they don't heat up as much as the ambient temperature. The same will be true for our water!

We plan on using a 1500 gallon polytank intended for freshwater storage (http://www.watertanks.com/products/0005-028.asp).

Now that we have collected, filtered and stored the water we need to pump it into the house. We will extract the best quality of water from the tank which is just below the surface using a floating inlet filter. This type of filter is connected to a floating ball and collects water 4 " below the water surface and comes with 8' of hose to connect to the pump http://www.rainwatermanagement.com/product.php.

Next we will install whole house sediment filter. Given the design of the inlet filter I don't expect this filter to collect much of anything but hey, these filters are relatively cheap and collect objects down to 1 micron. (http://www.purewaterforless.com/site/675488/product/PE-SPF-34)

There is some debate about the need for UV light as an additional purification method. We will have the water quality tested once the system is installed and will see, whether this will be necessary in our application. Until then we will bring bottled water and just cook/shower with water collected from the sky. As with any water system, it is important to have the water tested for water quality. Additional filtration may be necessary once the system is installed and tested. Any water system including wells should be tested at least annually to ensure the water quality remains at the highest level for human consumption.

That's it for this first systems post for the net zero SIPs passive solar prefab, casa ti! Our next post will describe our approach for heating the water (DHW)."

There you have it, straight from the Handsome Husband's mouth.
Now if only he'd only hurry home so I can take a break!
We will be visiting the prefab next weekend as we have a meeting with our Fabulous Contractor regarding our next steps for the net zero prefab green home.

 

Prefab Modern Net Zero House Kit: The Temperature Drops

I just love this time of year here. During the drive to the modern passive solar prefab house kit, I look at each repeated scene, field, and farm we pass, over and over through the seasons and years, and I never tire of it, never fail to be amazed again and again by each moment of beauty.

In the pinks and golds of dusk, you really understand O Purple Mountain Majesty / Above The Fields Of Grain...

Ok so maybe I mangled our national anthem a bit, but that's what I see: the brown tinge of autumn, bales of hay still in some fields, the silvery wood of old barns in the slanted winter light... and in the distance, the blue ridge mountains, and they ARE purple.

Being here now means the temperature drops to 30, so we dragged in a propane heater from the shed to help the passive solar prefab during these bitter black nights. And yet, arriving as the last light waned, we found the prefab to be a comfortable 61 before we added the heat!

Oh the stars... the winter stars, so clear and gorgeous no pictures can show you so I don't even try.
When we awoke, the soil was ice.
Inside, it was 57/58. We fired up the heater and quickly it rose to 64.

Thanks to our solar cooker, I served a hot meal to friends without having to stand over a stove.

(Check it out! Passive solar house + passive solar cookin' = I can have more fun!)

It was a good thing we packed a lot of food (we served butternut squash soup made by Handsome Husband, a casserole I made the night before, and homemade bread/butter), because Mrs. Esh had her store closed, which led to lunchtime speculation over a possible Amish wedding this weekend... : ) (November is when Amish wedding season begins.)

Living like this makes you appreciate systems so much, but I admit I savor the edge it brings, just as I remember what it was like to camp here in our 1960s teardrop camper just a year ago.

Speaking of systems, Handsome Husband will guest blog for you technical people this week on Everything You Wondered About The Systems And How The Heck They Are Fitting In The Net Zero Off Grid Prefab. As for myself, I am off to take my first shower in three days.
Yes, I want my net zero prefab systems too. : )

 

Prefab Zero Energy House Kit: Interior Framing Begins!

It is morning in the prefab zero energy house kit, and I am sitting here, in the middle of nowhere, typing on a laptop.

It's a little weird, good, sad... by having better internet connection (remember the boat battery hookup with the blackberry??? I'm no longer on the new boat battery for power, I'm on the old tractor battery! AND have an added device, a "personal hot spot" to better telecommute.), I can work from this rural area for longer periods of time.

However, let's face it: shouldn't I be outdoors right now?

Well there's plenty of time for that: I'm just on my first cup of coffee, so while I wake up I'll update you guys on the prefab interior framing progress!



So, now you can now walk around the inside of the prefab house and finally "see" the dimensions of the rooms. Several people have asked me if "there is enough mechanical / closet space." And, as I trace the spaces, the dimensions, I can't help but think, "who the heck needs more?!?" Seriously, folks, not only are the closet dimensions adequate, in my opinion they are generous- don't forget the ceilings are really tall so you could use that upper space for even more storage. (How many shoes do you need? ; ) )

I wondered what the spaces would feel like with framing. I do not feel confined, in fact, the front area, even with the addition of the dining table that seats eight, feels open and airy; the bedrooms are ample. The air mattresses we currently sleep on are Queen-sized; so you can now see, with the framing outlines, that there is plenty of room for desks and dressers.



But then again, I'm the owner. Of course I think it's perfect! However, yesterday Dolores, a house kit enthusiast, paid us a visit. So this was our first real-live non-biased non-family/friend visitor who wants to build a prefab casa ti in New York but wanted to check it out first. (Don't forget we're having an official Open House the weekend of September 26th & 27th to coincide with a lot of fun stuff in this historic area if you want to stop by! More on that soon, mark your calendars!)

So, dear readers, meet Dolores:
Here is what a total stranger thinks about our prefab off grid house: (she doesn't want to be seen so until I can get the sound off the video I'm just going to put her text here- just imagine her talking with a cool New Yawk accent : ) :)

"Hi, my name is Dolores. I'm visiting the casa ti because we're interested in buying it, and it's a lovely place.

They have dogs around (laughs, dogs amble into camera view)... and they've delineated quite nicely the space (sweeps arms)- You can see where the rooms are, the doors, closets... and it's enough closet space for people who are not pack rats. (we laugh)

Um... (looks up) the ceilings are quite high, so you can add extra storage up above you... and (starts walking through the rooms) it has a nice feel to it. (looks down) The concrete is beautiful. And the bathroom is an okay size (nods)... I'm from New York so I don't require too much space, this is a nice house for people who want a simple life and a clean slate to come to or live in.

(sweeps hand to front room) Out here is a living room/ dining room / kitchen combination that's not complete yet but it's quite lovely- you can see the windows and doors drape across the front of the house, there's also a side door for extra light and another entrance... and it's an angled ceiling so it gives the space a greater feel.

It's quite gorgeous, I think that you'd love it!"
(Thank you, Dolores!!! We do love it!!!)

Now, 'round here parts, strangers don't stay strangers long. So after Dolores got her fill of the house kit I said, "Hey, I'm going to go find the Amish, want to come?" She did.

Everyone told me where it was (remember the original stand we visited moved), but in these parts the directions are, "Well, you go down route X and then by the guy who sells shotguns, then look over near there on your right and They'll. Be. Right. THERE."
Oh.. of course.

So Dolores and I headed out down the road until my internal navigation system suddenly deemed that "this feels close." We slowed, and there was the Amish saw mill. Dolores turned in. "Oh, no, you can't do that!!!" I warned, but Dolores is from New Yawk : ) and dismissed my being-raised-with-farms-rules with a, "Maybe we can ask some one..." and there was no one, so she turned down a drive and as my protests rang further we saw a woman by a barn. I apologetically grimaced as we approached, and as we neared, I saw she was Amish. Not only was she Amish, but she was hitching her horse to her buggy, which was loaded up with her family.

"I am SO SORRY we couldn't turn around and are lost and are trying to find the stand to buy bread..." I quickly apologized, but thankfully was met with a smile. "That would be my mother, Lydia Esh, and they are just the next road down. " We thanked her profusely, apologized again, and headed off, where we then found her mom. Now you know you can't take pictures of the Amish, which is why the house kit construction pictures never showed the crew that built our prefab house. But I wonder if Mrs. Esh will let me take a picture of her store; I will ask her next time to show y'all how nice it is... there are quilts, wooden chests, children's toys, jams, relishes, breads... and even a pet chicken named Betty, yours for $5.

Both of their homesteads are beautiful: solid, immaculate homes and structures, bountiful gardens... happy farms. And when we passed Emma in her buggy on our return, we all waved at each other... Turns out her brother, Lydia's son, with others, were the ones that helped put together our prefab house kit! Thank you, Dolores, for going with me!

Now, one thing you need to know about farms: If you do not know the occupants, whatever you do, do not go on the land. This is why I so strongly protested when Dolores turned down the drive. One of my friends almost shot an encyclopedia salesman a few years ago similarly: seriously, think about it: You're in the middle of nowhere, on hundreds of acres alone, and a stranger is trying to access your house? What would YOU think? (The poor salesman- he was peering into windows at dusk when my friend showed up behind him with a rifle at the ready... )

However, if you KNOW the farm, around here it is the opposite: People come a-callin'. Telephones are often out, cell phone coverage is spotty, so when you know someone is "at home," well heck you just go and visit 'em.

So we had several friends stop by yesterday, including James Scott, whose family used to own this land and whose parents still live two doors down. Mr. Scott tells us so much history about the area, about the land we now own, and what he thinks we should do with it, and we listen: he knows all about the things we have discovered, and more. He thinks we should put a pond in near the old tobacco barn and knows all about the spring-fed stream and old breached pond...

We were all sitting there, enjoying nice breeze and the view inside as we discussed the prefab construction (he was very interested in the structural insulated panels) when, suddenly, there was a buzzing and bumping heard against the clerestory windows.
"Dag," I thought, "that's one big horsefly!" It wasn't.



We then decided to install the rest of the window screens...

...Our adventures continued further yesterday, but I wouldn't want to bore you.

It was an unusually cold summer evening, so we closed the windows.

I awoke this morning, then, sleepily, after awhile, thought out of curiosity to check and see what the temperature was inside the prefab house kit, it read 75. (Handsome Husband says the weather service said it was in the 50s last night...) And that's with NO SYSTEMS installed yet to heat the house other than the energy efficient SIP and passive solar design!

Now I have finished my coffee, so am off to play outside this prefab-ulous house. : )
...Off to pick blackberries for breakfast!

P.s. Interior design:

• You may have noticed we added a reused dining table originally from our local modern design store, La Diff, to the house kit - it seats eight, and we also are reusing some Xylon chairs by Giancarlo Piretti, which we bought after being used originally in the cafeterias of Circuit City. We picked them up for a very good price to reuse in the casa ti!

• ...Handsome Husband also nailed up more sconces to the walls. #designfight

Ok, ok, maybe they're looking rather cool now... and heck, we only have one camping lantern and no lights yet, so any illumination is welcome...
Hmmmm...

 

Itchin' for Prefab Off Grid House Kit Completion!

Hope y'all are having a great weekend and had a great Fourth of July!



This is the latest in the prefab house kit journey I thought would have been over with and completed last year. But as we are taking a frugal "pay as you go" / incremental approach, it just takes longer to achieve. This goes against my "Point A" to "Point B" nature. ("Are we done with this already?") But it has also taught me some valuable lessons, and this whole experience has made my life better.

Ron is framing the interior walls, I will ask him to send some pictures if he has time... and our next steps for the prefab house kit will be to get final estimates from the electrician and plumber for off grid systems installation.

I want to talk about something I have been chewing on over these weeks: With every change of direction and pause, our course might change, but it frees us to new experiences.

I was thinking about that over last weekend, which we spent on the Bay.

Two stories:

• Story 1:
  This spring we eagerly awaited the annual return of The Amish Childrens' Stand (their stand is open from March - November).
  For over four years, our ritual has been to, after traveling for an hour and almost at the land, stop, purchase our cookies, bread, and relishes, then unload- and remain- on the land.
  
  Finally, after several checks to see if they had opened yet for the season, we drove past and saw the stand, open! But as our car slowed, we realized it was not the Amish family but another farmer selling flowers and not the food we love.
  
  Where to find the Amish children?
  We were told they now operate their stand off of their homestead.
  
  Their homestead is the same distance from our land as the original location; but now, instead of stopping off the interstate, visiting the stand, then ending up (and remaining) on the land, we now have a new course:
  
  Unload on the land, unpack into the prefab house kit, run about, then head down a beautiful country road below our property to their homestead; a direction we would not travel unless to go a further distance to Charlotte Courthouse, which we now can explore and enjoy as part of our weekend perimeter... enhancing our interaction with the community and area.
  
  All those years camping in the 1960s Scotty camper, stopping at the Amish stand, then tumbling onto the land and remaining there? We were so happy! But insulated.
  
  Story 2:
  
• After a lifetime of driving from Richmond to my parent's house on the Bay, dropping our suitcase, and heading for the water, we were suddenly compelled to search for our own, rowdier pool. I mean, if you were my aunt, would YOU want a bunch o' chilluns running loose willy-nilly all the time? We decided to seek more chaotic waters... and give her a break from our dishevelment.
  
  I asked friends involved with a local boatyard if maybe, just maybe, they might create a "family pool membership" for those who didn't need a boat slip but just wanted to use the pool that were already customers.
  They did.
  And it opened a whole new world for us.
  
  We are now part of the boatyard community, where you see the same families often but also meet new people passing through from all over the world. We now drive through the town, which means again that we are integrating ourselves more instead of, like on the land prior, insulating ourselves.
  
  And we're having a heck of a lot of fun: at the boatyard pool, by using shared community space (very smart growth, no? : ) ) you can strike up friendships and conversations over all sorts of stuff - last weekend I was swinging my legs in the pool with another woman, our children splashing us, while discussing the cemetery industry! (And yes we discussed green burials.)
  
  When we have dinner at the boatyard, strangers and old friends come together, each with their own dish, to create a FEAST, and a special evening full of interesting, kind people and fun.
  

These are just two ways my intended, efficient path has diverged this year, making my life richer. How about you?

Next up:
Pictures of interior framing of the house kit, zero energy systems installation, and landscape architecture!!!

Yes, I got the landscape architecture plan this week and am SO excited to start talking about it soon... all I can tell you now is that it involves blueberries... and a berm. : )