Happy Earth Day!; A change in content; easy steps to make easy steps.

Happy Earth Day! I suggest we make every day Earth Day by living more sustainably. A lot of small steps will eventually add up to a BIG difference! It only makes sense to take care of our larger body and our smaller body. Be kind to yourself. Any harm we do to the planet, we do DIRECTLY to ourselves. Separation isn't real or possible in this interconnectedness that is life.

 Yesterday I decided to make this blog more about hands-on projects and hopefully a little less about philosophical musings on the state of the Earth. My first post will be about how to make an easy set of very solid steps.

Step 1: Level a spot where you will build the steps and tamp it well. I sprinkled sand on the earth so it wouldn't stick to the tamper, I also sprinkled cement on the area to give it more stability.

Step 2: Set your cinder blocks where you want them and make sure they're relatively level. I left a gap between the rear and front blocks to fill in with plaster and bind them together. I also left a gap between the back block and the wood so water wouldn't come in contact with it. I used a big block and a small one, as you can see. I then stuffed them with plastic bags as a filler so I wouldn't need so much plaster.

Step 3: Mix some plaster up. I used earth from on site with a good bit (15% - 20% maybe?) of cement in it to hold the mix together. We'll see how it works. Trowel the mix onto the steps. When you go over the areas with the bags, hold them from behind to keep them in place while you're applying the plaster. Make sure you angle the steps slightly so water will flow off of them and down and not pool up. I also sprinkled sand on the still wet plaster and pushed it into the finish to make sure the steps will have good grip and won't be too slippery when wet. Very easy, very durable steps. I will try to remember to report back on how the mostly earth and a little cement plaster holds up.