I have thought quite a bit about  how I will spend this very special day, in a way that I can make a difference, at least for myself. As things rarely happens as we expect them, here is what I end up doing. First of all, Mother Earth decided to offer us a gorgeous day here in the Hilltowns of Western Mass. I took the whole day off from my other projects and I have decided to tackle one small job that I have put off for too long; my grapevines were growing at such a pace that really needed my attention and some “support”. So I scavenged through my pile of pre-used wood and I pulled out some from our deck (that gave room for our sunroom) and I came up with this:

Grapevine arbor

It’s made entirely (except the nails) of recycled wood. Now I am looking of all those rocks that I didn’t quite know what to do with it, and now I know: I will make my beloved wife a stone bench within a stone wall; a place to rest after laboring in the garden. And I am a bit excited I have to recognize: it’s starting to take shape.

Passive solar greenhouse/sunroom

And after this I will be heading to our “Solar Evening”: within our local Sustainability Committee we have decided to put together a presentation about passive solar design and building, hydronic and PV solar panels and the federal and state tax benefits that exist for such things etc, all this around some home made cookies and all kind of sinful sweets. Maybe we can stir some interest in people on “greening” our homes, choosing a more sustainable approach in the how we live, maybe start growing a garden so we can disconnect from the not-so-healthy food out there. I hope lots of people will show up and we are gonna have a good discussion around all this.

And  I also hope that all of you out there had a wonderful celebration of our common mother, Mother Earth. Peace and Joy, Julian

PS If you need some sketches or details of any kind of what I do, just let me know and I will be happy to send it to you. And of course, any suggestions, as long as are constructive, are welcome. Joy J.

Friday, April 2, 2010

Julian’s answer to having solar heat at an affordable price, the addition is made of panes of high performance solar insulated glass, approximately 4 by 9′ 6″ feet each, that face southeast on the first and second floor. He catches runoff from the roof, allowing the water to flow down a gleaming gray metal chain into rain barrels, to catch the light, rather than enclosing the water in a gutter.

“When the sun shines through it, it’s just magical,” he said.

Traista uses the water for his garden, which is built inside on the first floor. It is inset against the right wall and has a dirt floor, just as a garden would outside. The water from the roof is stored in barrels inside that he uses to water the garden with a hose. Any runoff from watering the garden flows directly into the ground.

The rest of the room’s floor is made of a 10-inch slab of combined concrete and stone that absorbs available heat from the sun, and releases it at night.

“This (garden) is how the whole thing was born. I believe in self-sufficiency. The greenhouse is a must-have,” he said.

Side windows release the heat, termed “solar gain,” for a passive self-ventilation system, he said. A 6-foot diameter ceiling fan circulates the heat. Noticeably missing was any condensation on the windows, a usual side effect in greenhouses.

“There is a free circulation of air so there is no condensation buildup,” he said.

Upstairs in the sunroom the glass is tinted so the sun shines gently. A large gray tabby cat named Pepino sprawls on the rug. Once a stray, he entered the yard just as Traista started building the addition last spring and moved in.

“He thinks I built it just for him,” he said.

The addition includes a Finnish/contraflow design masonry stove, which Traista installed three years ago. The major difference between a regular stove and this stove is that it reaches 2,000 degrees F, he said. Since wood gases ignite at 1,200 F and burn off, the stove burns clean, leaving no creosote buildup, he said. One two-hour hot fire creates 24 hours of warmth. The only drawback is that a freezing house takes three hours to warm up. The stove has an inside core and an outside “skin” made of concrete blocks, stones, brick or soapstone, both which store heat.

Meanwhile, Joa Agnello-Traista has been studying Ayurveda medicine at the Kripalu School in Lenox. Ayurvedic medicine is used in eastern India as the traditional medicine, using herbs, massage, yoga and foods; it is taught as alternative medicine in the United States.

“I love it; it’s wisdom channeled through thousands of years, learning to stay balanced in nature,” she said. Together, she and Traista conduct healing-sound groups in Florence, with Himalayan bowls, crystal bowls and their voices.

“The process taught us how to listen to each other and connect to nature,” said Traista, and in turn, to apply it to his building.

“It helps me to connect and really hear what the customer wants,” he said, “rather than me telling them how it is built.”

The next Healing Sound Circle will be held April 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Smart Move Pilates Studio on 221 Pine St., Suite 245, in Florence. For information, call 238-5336 or 238-5310.