Sugar Shack, A 20th Century Yurt

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Of course, there was still plenty of work to be done outside. We drilled a well ... dug-with the help of a professional backhoe operator-180 feet of trench for water, electricity, and phone connections ... and installed our septic tank (a lightweight fiberglass vat that we simply hauled in our truck to the previously dug hole, and rolled it into place).

SATISFACTION!

One of our sons assisted with the roofing and backfilling ... but other than that (and an occasional, and vastly appreciated, helping hand from a visitor), my husband and I built our home-which we've dubbed "Sugar Shack"-all by ourselves. Actually, though, that's not an entirely accurate statement, because a lot of people took part by giving us ideas and being tremendously supportive of "those two old codgers trying to build a house, out in the desert, with their bare hands''.

We love our Sugar Shack ... that's for sure. The design (plus its insulation and earth berm) makes the house easy to cool and heat. It's open and airy, too ... and our small evaporative cooler (set in the kitchen wall) humidifies and air-conditions the house to a comfortable 70'F even on I 10'F days. And we never need our woodstove unless the weather dips to the 30' to 40'F range.

In short, our little project has it all: efficiency, economy, beauty, and comfort. That's not bad for just $6,500 and some healthful, body-building exercise! And even though we still have some jobs to complete (a well house, a solar hookup for hot water, and a front porch slab ... not to mention our "big house"), we can now slow down a bit, look at what we've accomplished, and know that-with planning and hard workall things are possible.

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