dntw8up, and others recommending the local plants: - I hear you, and am with you. I looked back at my photos of the lot, and it's possible that the...

I think I see the problem. I think the load ratings are in PSF (pounds per square foot) not PSI (pounds per square inch). So, the door has to sur...

Yes, I understand your point about the heat warping the steel truss... that would not be good. I'll have to research the temp vs duration that these t...

Jim, I'm not sure I understand your 60 PSI wind load number. I just did a little research and got: - windload (PSF) = WindSpeed(knots)2 * 0.00...

Thanks Jim Dandy, I appreciate your thoughts and the calcs and specs. I'm definitely in the conceptual stage of design. So, I'm trying to get inf...

Thanks Jim Dandy, Let's see if I can paint a better picture: - imagine a 1:2 slope, where there is a road at the high end of the slope. - g...

Just found this site... looks promising:

And... there are only a few trees on the lot (nowhere near the house location). Mostly there are medium height shrubs that just aren't high enough to ...

Thanks Ronnie, I hear you. One of the other reasons that I want the house on stilts is to disturb the land as little as possible; mostly because I'm...

I just discovered the Calabash Tree... and what a find this was! It grows to 30 ft, and is often clumped (multiple trunks) - my kind of handsome ...

Hi Exit Zero, Thank you so much for the excellent suggestions... I'll start researching those immediately. I hadn't even thought about bamboo. It is...

Thanks East Ender. Exit Zero: The cistern is under the house (but free standing). The house will be roughly 80 ft long by 20 feet deep. The 80 ft...

And... anyone know who I'd talk to (or web site), to find out if I can bring plants into STX?

Here's what I think the issues really are: - when you drive on the road, you're expecting to see other folks coming at you. And since this has been...

Yup, I got you, heepajeep. That's the way I look at it also. But, air has a different density than water, and I just don't have enough intuition to te...

That is just awesome! I didn't expect this to scale well to industry. But, I guess anything that you can take off of the grid will help the bottom lin...

Hi Heepajeep, Now that's a very cool plot! Thanks much. I made my own plot from 2005 data. It roughly agrees, but I like this windfinder plot much b...

Hi heepajeep, Can you try to include the link again... I can't wait to see this! But....(choke)... 56 kW!?!?!?!... that's a lot of power!

It might just be terminology, but I think of a huge difference between senior apartments and assisted living: - assisted living: ---- apartments...

I hope this senior appt idea catches on elsewhere (maybe it has... I really don't know). Seniors don't need a lot of infrastructure (schools, play fie...

trw, I think you are SO right on. My (94 yo) mom is living in a Catholic (even though she's Lutherin) 50+ apt in Virginia. She tried assisted living...

Sorry... wish I were there... I'd gladly make them for you... you bring the cookies, I'll make the photos!

Hi East Ender, If you have a digital camera (does not have to be expensive at all), a printer and photo paper you can make your own. I just did m...