Scott Riley performing for Team Arco at the Slab City Slam. 

Jewel Blackfeather performing for Team Arco at the Slab City Slam. 

Christopher Kimmel performing for Team Arco at the Slab City Slam. 

Another corner of my shower. The shower is a square large enough that I can lie down full-length diagonally across it. Now that I've replaced the shower head with my misting model from home, I'm a happy camper. 

One view of my nifty shower. 

My room and my bathroom as seen from the opening of the Foundry Apse. Yes, there is another small room between them. Odd but true. Next time I'll post a picture of my nifty art deco shower. 

My new room, as seen from the door. My bathroom is nearby, but there is another room in between. 

Big Move

This afternoon I started moving into my new quarters up the hill in Arcosanti proper. Having just moved three weeks ago, I really wasn't eager to move again quite so soon, but I am anyway.

Tigger has a lot to do with this move. I kept him in the cube until he went crazy, then I finally relented and let him out. Mr. Mighty Hunter immediately decided he was chickenivorous. I'm not sure whether he managed to kill any of the chickens in Camp, but other people noticed that he was stalking the chickens, and I was instructed to keep him locked in the cube. Having had a little taste of freedom, he proceeded to really lose it. Every time I opened the door he was charging my ankles.

As it happens, a room up the hill had just opened, but I wasn't sure I wanted it. The room is behind the foundry, and it is exposed to extremely loud noise during the day. I didn't want to keep the cats in a room where their hearing would be damaged, but now I'm relatively certain the cats will simply stay outside and well away from the foundry during work hours, then come home in the evening.

I'll post a picture of the inside of the room later this evening, and I'll post a shot of my room's location in the foundry apse tomorrow.

Adventures with Heat

I visited Phoenix today to help a former Arcosanti resident with some landscaping. I worked from about 8:30 to 11:00. I was sucking on my water bottle almost constantly, but I still got too hot. Heat exhaustion isn't fun. I had to go inside and sit down with a wet towel for an hour or so before I felt alright again. After a long lunch break, I went back out and worked for another half-hour or so, but I knew I'd be in bad shape again if I pushed any farther. Arizona heat is just different than Houston heat, and I haven't really gotten acclimatized yet. It's probably a good thing I didn't sign up with the Landscaping or Agriculture departments.

Quote of the day: "Instead of Cool Brook Lane or Shady Glen Drive they should use street names like Blast Furnace Avenue." (Actually a composite of comments by several people)

One of the birds from the Vaults in silhouette. 

Some birds that nest in the Vaults. I'm not certain what kind they are. 

The first of four new banquet tables for the Cafe. This one is made of plywood, two kinds of oak, leopard wood, purple heart, etc. To the left of the table is Randall, and Mark is on the right. 

Decision Time

I must be doing something right, because Randall has offered me a paid position in Maintenance. The offer from the Foundry is still open, as well. Now I need to choose between the two departments. I might make a little more money in the Foundry, but I'd be doing fairly repetitive work in a constantly loud environment. In Maintenance, I've been working on projects from a mock-up for a makeup mirror to a new table for the Cafe to whitewashing the skylights. It might be a good idea for me to spend at least one day working in the Foundry before I make my final decision. I'll see if I can arrange to do that one day this week.

Me again, the last photo was over the 50k size limit. 

Me, back in the apartment in Clear Lake. Apparently, sending this as a post is the best way to link it in my profile. 

The Yurt in Camp. Nobody lives here now, partly due to the excessive ventilation shown in this picture. Someone may end up there soon, however, because the next workshop group will be 26 members strong. 

The Bunkhouse in Camp, where I stayed when I visited Arcosanti last year. 

An interior view of the greenhouse, including the koi pond. 

The greenhouse in Camp, exterior view. 

A closeup of my patented Cat Escape Prevention System, or CEPS. 

Another view of the Octagon, including a very large rock attached to the floor. 

A view from inside the Octagon, an interesting Camp building often used for parties and concerts. 

An interesting circular fence in Camp. To the best of my knowledge, nothing in particular is grown or kept inside it. 

Tigger, relaxing on my bed while I'm trying to change the sheets. Sprinkles was under the bed in one of the carriers I used to bring them to Arcosanti. She seems to like it now that there's no door on it. Maybe that's because it's a nice defensible spot that's relatively safe from Tigger attacks. 

Another piece of welding practice / art in Camp. 

A piece of welding practice / art on display beside my cube. 

Another view of my cube, with some of my neighbors. 

A screambird, otherwise known as a peacock. Their screech sounds like someone shouting "Help!" and they will utter it at any time of the day or night.