To all ya'll that are putting an earth floor in your cabin, much suffering went into it. There was love as well but I've done four so far and each time, by the end of the day, I am hating it. It's the tamping. Tamping is tiring. I will say this, though, about the suffering. It gives one a great opportunity to really dedicate the effort. With each TAMP I am TAMPING out my MOTHER loving OBSTA-FRIKIN-CALS to MED-i-FRIKIN-TATION! Put some power behind the words or it's not as strong. It reminds me of the first Bikram Yoga classes. Ninety minuets of suffering. Afterward, oh the bliss.
Don't get me wrong. I love the feeling of a room with earth floors. Good for meditation. It's just some hard work. I broke the tamper today as well. Snapped the wooden handle, yo. I was in the midst of some serious compaction of dirt when I came down at an odd angle. We have two but the other one is small and puny. I got grumpier and took it out on Johneo who for the rest of the day worked harder just to spite me. He also tried to Judo throw me into the termite rock, made fun of my justified concern for the machinery, and drank all the water. Oh, he'll get his, not to worry.
Live from sugar mountain, Matt