Richart Sowa Lives On An Island He Made Himself From 150,000 Plastic Bottles...

No man is an island and very few of us
have one of their own but eco-architect Richart Sowa knowing full well he'd never have the money to buy one, decided to make his own.
Out of 150,000 air-filled recycled plastic bottles, lots of wooden pallets and sand.
He's build a three-storied house that has all the mod-cons he desires and a little ferry raft also made from plastic bottle to ferry himself and his supplies to and from the shore.
Power comes from a land based solar system, he has a composting toilet and the desire to grow his own vegetables and to be self sufficient
Named Joyxee, the island moored off Cancun in Mexico is Richart's third island, his story is here and the British born Robinson Crusoe didn't find his Girl Friday by her footprints in the sand but on a social media site.
How things change but nothing changes...

Bosco Verticale. Milan's Residential Forest In The Sky...

Bosco Verticale. The Forest In The Sky and residential towers in Milan's Porta Nuova district.
The idea's seed came from architect Stefano Boeri, the former Milanese Municipal Counsellor for Culture who used his talents and love of eco-architecture to created a vertical residential forest in the Italian fashion capital of Milan.
As well as being a very pleasant visual experience, the plantings will help lessen smog and produce oxygen, regenerating the environment. Plant irrigation comes about through filtering and reusing the grey water produced by the buildings and that, combined with the use of solar energy means the two buildings enjoy a high degree of self sufficiency. Have a look here.
There are thousands of plants and over nine hundred substantial trees, growing in the sky...

The Steely Cottage. It Has Everything That's Needed And Nothing That Isn't...

Everything that's needed and nothing that's not. That's the philosophical approach Ben Bartwell took when planning and building his tiny two hundred square foot house on a flatbed trailer.
There's more to know about The Steely Cottage here but it's a house designed and built for self sufficient living.
The little house is totally off grid and is complete with a composting toilet, a do-it-yourself pressurised water system and a vacuum tube solar water heater.
When the weather's cold there's a wood stove but evidently the house is naturally warm due to the passive solar build.
But the thing I like most is the recycled Corten sheets that've been used to clad the house and are already rusting to wonderful autumnal tones. They'll be pretty much maintenance free for ever.
And forever is quite a long time...

Simple And Delightful Tiny Homes On The Back Of Small Pick-Up Trucks...

One of the simplest, easiest and least expensive to get started in tiny house living on wheels is to just attach some sort of living accommodation to the back of a truck.
A bit like hitching your wagon to a star.
Most of the trucks these days are go almost anywhere vehicles with 4WD options.
Often they're designed so the tiny house can simply be removed at a destination and you can use the truck for another purpose.
Downsizing is the way to go and this concept makes it even easier...

The Eagle Has Landed...

Flying Eagle aka Graeme Nicholson has recently landed in a field at Uretiti not far from The Flying Tortoise.
It didn't take long to establish that while we had different mothers and not the same fathers, we are brothers who until now had never met.
It's good to catch up with family.
A follower of the North American Red Indian culture from where he received his name, Flying Eagle is an aged hippie, gypsy, an independent free spirit, muso, singer and interesting man who's been there, done that and isn't afraid to wear purple...

Tiny Gutsy Homes On Wheels To Take You Here There Or Anywhere. Even Back Again...

These go anywhere tiny homes on wheels will probably take you to almost any place you'd care to choose. And get you back too.
Should you want to. But really, why would you.
However, if you did, you know, get sick and tired of living pretty much a self sufficient lifestyle, getting all your electricity from the sun as well as Vitamin D for your good health.
If you found that Freedom Camping wasn't your cup of the proverbial, well, I guess you'd be able to get back to civilization.
It's a scary thought though...

Nearly 68,000 Happy Campers Celebrate Burning Man 2013 In Nevada's Black Rock Desert...

Over sixty thousand folk from all over the world converged on Nevada's Black Rock Desert for the twenty seventh annual Burning Man Festival.
Each year at the end of August the most enormous campsite is constructed far from civilisation and the thousands of Burning Man devotees come for a week to experience art, music and the unique community that the opportunity provides. And each year the whole area is meticulously cleaned of all rubbish by a group working the whole area shoulder to shoulder leaving the desert deserted of any human visitations.
The Flying Tortoise would have fun there...