April Weekend Workshop

EARTHEN BUILDING WEEKEND WORKSHOP

APRIL 8-10

Thank you to everyone for participating in the weekend workshop in Earthen building—it was a blast! And a muddy success!

more photos coming soon....

Workshops, Balms, and Beauty

A busy month, indeed! Our internship, plus a weekend side trip to share the mud love.

Our community workshop mudding up the dry composting bathroom chalet at OPAYBO School of Natural Health:

The mud was mixed by the resident horses and a turn-mill, a switch-up from our usual method of mud-stomping.
They are also mixing up some adobe bricks for their next earthen building project.
Strong sun dry wind makes the mud plaster dry fast ( maybe a little too fast...)
Plaster fun:
Mud therapy by the pond and outdoor shower, brings out one's inner animal?
Our workshop group of mud-lovers!
Meanwhile, back at Mama Roja, the mandioca is growing in the field...

We made Aloe Vera Balm for soothing delicate skin:

Our kitchen extravaganza: pineapple chutney, banana breads, soaps, and pickled beets and eggs. Whoa!

The wooden cabin is finished with its first two “mud sandwich” layers, and as soon as it dries we will be putting on the final fancy plaster coats.

Our group field trip to Chacra Suiza was a lovely sunny experience—biodigestor, milking cows, wandering in the gardens, and sharing a meal with dear Paulina and family.

Lots of skill sharing and crafting workshops: spoon carving, Ayurvedic tongue reading, macramé, Reike, Kundalini Yoga, and more!

At the end of a work day, what is better than to sit by the fire with songs and friends?

Bonus Photos:
Jo's Moon...

Crysalis from the Moon:

Mushroom flowers:

Feet Friends

March Mud-ness

Oh the muddy days of February have led us right into the muddy days of March... Mud on the walls, our feet, our faces, our whole bodies! Yes, work IS play!
Okay, the work part looks like this:

The wooden cabin is getting transformed into a bonafide mud abode.

And the long drop tower toilet or the "throne" has stairs now. Next step, the top story, or the royal quarters. That will be April's project.

The gardens are also sprouting up...
... and inviting friends...
... and more friends in the forest...
Transplanting peppers under the papayas:
Making medicinal balms on rainy days:
Harvesting peanuts in between the mandioca and sweet potatoes:
The mud oven got inaugurated! An exquisite pizza party and lots of fun around the fire. Other fantastic news... we now have a washing machine! And the best part is that is doesn't require electricity! A little pedalling from the bike seat and some buckets of water from the river and --voila-- mud-free clothes!


Bonus photo: Leafy Butterfly.. how do you spot this one in the jungle?

Fabulous February

We’ve had lots of rain this month (quite unusual for February) and are enjoying both rivers in full motion, as well as the big-bellied waterfall!

The internship is in full swing and sweet summer weather is blessing us with marvelous working temperatures. We are working, laughing, and singing our days away as we progress on several projects (including weaving sun hats from jungle vines and grass!):

The long-drop tower toilet:

Earthbag base,

with adobe walls, and double-sided collector holes for maximum use!

Arching openings in the base for collecting the finished compost.

The arches are only a day and half old and already strong enough to walk on!

In the garden we are able to do a lot of planting since we have so much rain and sunshine this month to nourish the seedlings. Plus, lots of renegade papayas add extra shade and provide excellent trellises.

The aloe bed gets sheet mulched.

A celebration of love for St. Valentine… orange coconut spice (vegan) cake served with sweet roselle orange juice! Mmmmmm.

And Marcelo has been keeping us all entertained with his abounding mushroom knowledge as he learns it from his cultivation class...