I was just about to leave for Portland, I’d stayed an extra day and enjoyed the last of the village building convergence. I was kind of mostly, not really ready, but leaving anyway to go, and…my battery was dead. But luckily that gave my new friend Mark
enough time to decide to jump in the car. And we were off. We’d gotten as far as the beautiful Arches National Park, where we stepped out to take a dusky walk, barefoot on the smoothed rock and fine sand. Then just after stopped to check a suspicious oil leak and maybe sleep in Moab, to find that Old Blue was gushing out from under.
So, there we were. Broken down in Moab. But that just happens to be the hometown of Kaki Hunter, earthbag builder. I looked her up and out of that came this wonderful, unexpected interview, mostly held in the first earthbag structure that she and her partner Doni completed together. It’s now considered the “sanctuary.”
Kaki wrote a book with her partner called Earthbag Building, The Tools, Tips and Techniques. I had the chance to find out why it was that she became interested in earthbags, which surprisingly was to create a film that would help her express her frustration with codes and bureaucracy.
Amongst other things, we talked about the innovations to this style of building that they’ve come up with. Mostly, that includes systematizing the process, but also tucking the edges of the bags, and then this wonderful contraption to help pour the moist material into the long tube bags.
We talked lime, and flooding, and best building practices, and teaching and traveling, took a tour of their property and left with book in hand.
I would give a kidney to meet Kaki Hunter. The first girl I ever had a crush on. Now in my 40’s, and her a bit older, but she still looks as beautiful as ever. Seems like a wonderful girl from everything I have ever seen or read about her.