What is cob, you ask?
The origin of the word is from Old English meaning "lump of clay". Think of it as adobe without brick form. I know it will be hard for most people to fathom this fact, but there is NO cement in the wall mix, and these houses have lasted hundreds of years in Europe if they are properly maintained (keeping the exterior plaster in good condition). I am slowly but surely trying to get back to "the basics", and to live sustainably. (To offer an unsolicited example of the unsustainablility of our country alone; it would take the resources of 3 planets to support the American Dream in China alone...)We Americans have to lead the way, this time OUT of the disposable habits we have gotten into. As we all know; In nature there is no waste! We have so much to learn from Nature!
Robert and I just got back from our very first cob workshop together in Zipolite, Mexico . It was a wonderful experience, and we learned a lot. When we got home, we built our first project together, a cob oven. We have fired it up several times, and cooked a few loaves of bread, pizzas and even a roast. There is obviously going to be a learning curve, cooking with wood is an entirely new experience. We are still working on the finishing touches, and plan to plaster it soon with a lime plaster. Pictures will follow...
Our house project is also coming along, although a project of that size (first half is 800 square feet) takes a little longer than an oven! We have just located several large piles of local rock approximately 45 miles away (across the I35 fault line from us) and so far have moved about 25 tons of rock over there in a trailer behind my truck, loaded and unloaded by hand! Thank heavens for my oldest son, who must bench press at least 5000 pounds! It will be quite the job to gather all the rocks for the footers in this way, but that is the current plan.













I have been assembling salvaged doors and windows for the last few years, which will be used on the house. You would not believe what people in this country throw away! Just a dash of ingenuity and a tablespoon of "thinking outside the box" can prevent tons of usable items from hitting the landfills. And they are beautiful! Wait 'til you see!












Here is a photo of the windmill we had shipped from Spain. Robert put it up with a little help from his friends. It stands about 35 feet high and pumps water into a 15,000 gallon holding tank. On average it pumps 600 gallons a day, but even in the hottest months, last July and August, it pumped a minimum of 100 gallons a day.