Oh dear! I read the County code and thought all this time that we could work on the temporary power, water, and septic before we had a building permit from the Building Department. Septic is approved by a different department, Environmental Health, and it isn’t spelled out that we can’t get started on that stuff… Continue reading Delay
Perc Test
We need a percolation test and soil profile in order to apply for a septic system permit. As soon as our property closed escrow, I contacted the local geotech company and scheduled the tests. I drove out to the property to observe because excavating holes feels like more tangible progress than reading code and therefore,… Continue reading Perc Test
So much Code!
Planning for our dome is apparently our latest hobby. Jon and I have been spending many hours studying the California Building Standards Code, so we can correctly plan and build our dome. Actually, to quote Dennis Johnson of Natural Spaces Domes, “If you build a house to code, then you just built the worst house… Continue reading So much Code!
Virtual Dome School
As I’ve written in previous posts, we’re working with Natural Spaces Domes to design our house and garage. They provide kits and construction manuals and building support. They also provide Dome School twice a year. Jon and I traveled to Minnesota in 2017 to attend Dome School in person. It was great to have hands-on… Continue reading Virtual Dome School
Site Plan
Jon and I discussed where we want the buildings, driveway, and solar array and I drafted a site plan. We like the idea of having the house and detached garage in the middle of the lot, so we can have a buffer from our neighbors. I also want space to create a fire break along… Continue reading Site Plan
Temporarily Tiny
We ordered a tiny house on wheels, so we can live on our property while we build the dome house. The tiny house movement has grown since it first came on our radar, and there are many styles to choose from now. I remember when Jon and I drove to Santa Rosa in 2009 to… Continue reading Temporarily Tiny
Summer 2017: Birthday, Reunion, Family, Domes, Wedding, Oh My!
I sat down specifically to write about Dome School, but when I looked at our photos, I remembered that we went on three major summer trips in 2017! In June, we went camping near Bishop, CA. In July, we went to Alaska, and in August we had a multi-legged trip to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Utah.… Continue reading Summer 2017: Birthday, Reunion, Family, Domes, Wedding, Oh My!
The Plan
Around 2 years from now, we’ll be living in our freshly built dome home in Starlite, above Bishop. But how are we going to get there? What’s the plan? House We are going to build a house kit made by Natural Spaces Domes. First, we will work with that company on the floorplan, which will… Continue reading The Plan
Land in Bishop
Jon and I found a vacant lot we love in Bishop! It is in the Starlite area, which is 3 miles west of downtown Bishop. If you are a rock climber, you will know it as the community of lucky ducks who live close to the Buttermilks. Friends, we get to be lucky ducks! We… Continue reading Land in Bishop
Back to Bishop!
15 years ago, we were living in Bishop, California and it felt like the ideal home base. We could climb, run on trails, bag peaks, ski, bike, and backpack to our hearts’ content. I worked at Caltrans and most days, Jon would pick me up for a short trail run during lunch break. Other days,… Continue reading Back to Bishop!