Wow, I could say the same I suppose. I wasn't drafted back then, just stuck in university wondering WTF I was doing there. Read SHELTER and WEC and started seeing and feeling some alternate possibilities for my life. DIY in capital letters, out on the fringes of civilization!
Within a few months I had dropped out, made myself a pack sack and a sleeping bag, stuck my thumb out and ended up on the west coast near Tofino. Joined the littoral tribe of beach bums, my Summer of Love. Soon I was picking up driftwood timbers off the beach to frame a simple box of a cabin on Box Island, accessible at low tide off the point between Long Beach and Schooner Cove. Pacific Rim National Park was created in '71 and all us crazy beach bums had to leave, and after some travels up and down the west coast of Turtle Island, I ended up on Cortes Island, started a family with my gypsy wife Joy and became a professional carpenter, a self-taught architect and boatbuilder.
Soon I could afford to buy a place which ticked all the boxes of self sufficiency but needed a lot of fixing up, adding on kid's rooms etc. Then you came by around 20 years and a dozen houses later, and took photos and laughed a lot, and I had my 15 minutes of fame in BoTPC.
Full circle!
So thanks big time for helping me get my bearings on a good direction in my youth. If I'd stayed in university I'd probably be wearing a suit and tie and feeling all depressed right now about a life wasted.
Started to say, not trying to hijack this thread, then thought again and I guess maybe I am. The people here tend to have above average interest in literary topics, and seem to be of the more mature persuasion, so more likely to be able to read cursive. I ran across this post from Smithsonian Magazine and thought it may be of some interest, so here I am posting the link. I think I may dabble some, just to see how much of my reading skills remain...as always, I am curious.
Wow, I could say the same I suppose. I wasn't drafted back then, just stuck in university wondering WTF I was doing there. Read SHELTER and WEC and started seeing and feeling some alternate possibilities for my life. DIY in capital letters, out on the fringes of civilization!
Within a few months I had dropped out, made myself a pack sack and a sleeping bag, stuck my thumb out and ended up on the west coast near Tofino. Joined the littoral tribe of beach bums, my Summer of Love. Soon I was picking up driftwood timbers off the beach to frame a simple box of a cabin on Box Island, accessible at low tide off the point between Long Beach and Schooner Cove. Pacific Rim National Park was created in '71 and all us crazy beach bums had to leave, and after some travels up and down the west coast of Turtle Island, I ended up on Cortes Island, started a family with my gypsy wife Joy and became a professional carpenter, a self-taught architect and boatbuilder.
Soon I could afford to buy a place which ticked all the boxes of self sufficiency but needed a lot of fixing up, adding on kid's rooms etc. Then you came by around 20 years and a dozen houses later, and took photos and laughed a lot, and I had my 15 minutes of fame in BoTPC.
Full circle!
So thanks big time for helping me get my bearings on a good direction in my youth. If I'd stayed in university I'd probably be wearing a suit and tie and feeling all depressed right now about a life wasted.
David Shipway
Great to hear! Thanks David…
We like you, and some of us hope to be like you. At least, a little.
Means a lot, coming from you Chris!
(I'm loving the podcasts!)
Your life and your books inspire the rest of us. Glad I got to see you a few years back when you spoke at Powell's Books in Portland.
We like you!
I'm so happy for you! Wonderful news! Keep being inspiring.
Congrats. You are an admirable guy.
Huzzah! Huzzah! All the Best to you!
~
Bil
Sounds like a lot of good stuff is in the works!
I took out your “Builders of the Pacific NW” with my 12 year old daughter; her dream is to build a hobbit house…
Started to say, not trying to hijack this thread, then thought again and I guess maybe I am. The people here tend to have above average interest in literary topics, and seem to be of the more mature persuasion, so more likely to be able to read cursive. I ran across this post from Smithsonian Magazine and thought it may be of some interest, so here I am posting the link. I think I may dabble some, just to see how much of my reading skills remain...as always, I am curious.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/can-you-read-this-cursive-handwriting-the-national-archives-wants-your-help-180985833/?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
That's life. Consider posting on the basics of how to make a book. Thanks for the great posts.
Lloyd, you're the Iris Apfel of the homemade shelter world. Enjoy it, you earned it.
You a cool dude, period.
Loved Kirsten's video and since then I've watched many of her videos on Faircompanies! Thank you for the introduction Lloyd!
Time for you to R&R ...recreation and recharge.... hugs from Canada 💚
Could you post more about the building techniques, simple solutions you did at your homestead, e.g. how to build a simple septic tank....? Thanks.
Go Lloyd!