The back porch was meant to be a place where we sat and enjoyed the sunset. Well…it was never used. This shows the importance of knowing the area where you are building. Our wind and weather comes in from the … Continue reading
As you may know 2016 is the “Year of the Chicken” here at Cielito Lindo Ranch. This is the partial story about the new chicken coop that is currently under construction. Initially a small coop was donated. A phone of … Continue reading
When we first started planning the ceiling in the lodge at CLR, we talked about all kinds of different options. Vaulted, flat, tile, fixed, wood, and even tin. In the bedrooms, the ceiling was easy–we went for classic New Mexico … Continue reading
The trouble with having help in to do plaster work is that sometimes it doesn’t get done right. As straw bales wall settle, they sometimes shift. If you’ve left a hole–of any size–the plaster is going to crack, and presto, … Continue reading
Last year we tried a straw bale garden, planting directly into a straw bale. We didn’t have much luck with that. Our whiskey barrel containers worked better to hold the moisture, and the straw bales just dried out too much … Continue reading
The bathroom has taken longer than we thought it would, in part because it’s been such a beautiful summer that we keep getting lured outside to do work (or play–it’s been perfect riding weather, and the wildflowers are hip high). … Continue reading
The interior plaster is done (everything but a few spots around the doors), so now it’s onto the next phase–the alis (or aliz) to smooth over the earth plaster. Like all plasters, first thing is to come up with a … Continue reading
We’ve been covering the main lodge with natural fiber plaster (it’s earth based, with straw, fine sand, and wheat paste in it), and then adding alis over that. The two coats of plaster were great, but the aliz smoothed over … Continue reading
This gallery contains 2 photos.
Using an outside safe sculpting technique of clay (directly from site), wheat paste, shredded paper and sand, these raised sculptures were added to the outside structure of the lodge. These were then painted using earth minerals, ( from a … Continue reading
We’ve started the outside plaster work — it’s natural fiber stucco (earth plaster). And it’s going great. The first step with any plaster work is to get the mix right. This means some experimentation. Every bit of clay is different, … Continue reading
