I don’t normally take the time to watch videos… but now is the best time, right? And I found this topic fascinating.
This guy, 50 years ago, built an entire living complex for himself, his wife and two sons that is self sustaining. 50 YEARS AGO he did this! The man takes you on a video tour of his beautiful house nestled in the CA redwoods… just amazing.
Click here to watch the video.
Click to watch video
Read the original article here.
Click to read original article.
Here is a full description of the above video and the story of Charles Bello:
In 1968, Charles Bello and his wife, Vanna Rae, moved onto 240 acres of redwood forest looking to live a simpler life off the land. They had spent their savings to purchase the land so they got to work building their home themselves. Their first structure was a panelized A-frame that they erected in 5 days (with help from a couple family members). Total cost was $2,800.
The property is a half-hour drive down a dirt road and it was bare land when they arrived so Charles and Vanna Rae built their own infrastructure: roads, bridges and went decades without refrigeration nor phone (they eventually installed PV panels and cabling for phone lines).
After 15 years in the A-frame, they built a cabin in the woods and there they lived for a decade until the trees began to block out their views. In 1991 Charles (who once apprenticed under famed architect Richard Neutra) designed the Parabolic Glass House. With a curvilinear wood roof and two curved walls of windows, the home feels enveloped in trees.
Charles and Vanna Rae built it for $8,500 with timber they milled themselves, using salvaged materials for everything from doorknobs to stoves. The couple relied on photovoltaics, solar thermal and gas for power and a dug-in greenhouse attached to the home provided much of their food. By canning and preserving, they could go for months without going to a grocery store. Their two boys were homeschooled. The couple supported themselves selling Christmas trees.
Nearly all the old growth trees on the property were logged in the early 20th century, but Charles has spent the past half century restoring the land. He and his wife set up the Redwood Forest Institute in 1997 to manage and preserve the forest. He has carefully selected 1,000 trees to be preserved for 2 millenia as the next generation of old growth.
HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY!
The post Man Has Lived Off-the-Grid in the NorCal Redwoods for 50 Years. (Amazing video of what he has created!) appeared first on Horse and Man.
HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!
Your purchase with R.W. through this link helps the Bucket Fund!
When you shop @AmazonSmile, Amazon will make a donation to Horse And Man Inc.
Supporting The Bucket Fund through Amazon Smile is HUGE for the horses. Please choose HORSE AND MAN when you make your Amazon purchase through this link. THANK YOU!
Filed under: Riding Tips
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!