California Safe House

2011-12-23T11:59:00.000-08:00

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A Very Special Home

This geodesic dome home with 3,250 square feet of interior space on a 1600 sq. ft. footprint, is built on a design originated by R. Buckminster Fuller, long known as America's greatest designer-architect. It is the most efficient, safe and strongest design for dealing with earthquakes, windstorms and fires. It is naturally fire-resistant as the falling embers do not settle on the roof as most of the panels are at a sharp angle and fall off. The cupola top is the only spot where an ember could land and stay, but it can be wet with an installed sprinkler or a hose with a nozzle designed to make a single stream, which we have on site and the stream reaches the top.

All heating, cooling, cooking, light, water and waste costs total $150 a month due to the efficiency, dome use of sunlight and our well and septic system. We have no water or sewer bills. Our water has no hardness, a small amount of iron from the volcanic soil and is pure enough to bottle and sell as "spring water." We have a still for making absolutely pure water and boiler has very little residue after 16 years of use. What is there are calcium and iron salts common to all ground water.

We are 100% electric with heating and cooling by heat pump because Lake County is served by the largest geothermal electric power producing facility in North America. This is the only 100% reliable electric power supply in the nation. It is operated by Lake County residents.

They will never have to shut themselves off in a national emergency. PG&E has delivery problems so we have a portable generator we can use to power the essential appliances like the refrigerator, microwave, television and computers. We also have a built-in microwave link for our computers.

Only the steam well system in Iceland is larger than The Geysers, but but it sits on a tectonic plate that can rupture. We are firmly on the North American plate, the part that will move least, perhaps not at all, when "the big one" happens as expected.

We may install a solar energy system that will pay our electric bill and for the price of a battery system it could render us free of PG&E. A solar water heater would reduce current demand by 30% and reduce the battery system price by that much. We have a portable gasoline or propane fired generator for emergencies. It uses about one gallon of gasoline per hour and can keep the computers, television, microwave and refrigerator operating during a fire emergency.

During our final inspection Chief County Building Inspector said, "This will be the last house standing in the county if we have a big earthquake." It is made entirely of triangles with patented metal joints that greatly increase strength over such homes without steel joints. It is a Timberline product. They own the patent on the steel joint system which gives them a superior product.

Major Calamity?

If California and America collapse it is important to have a safe place for your family. If you are in the Bay Area you know well of social decay. How about a place within driving distance, secure with reliable power, water and food? And, close enough that you could run your business by Internet with only occasional visits to the city as the best shopping district in the county is 1/2 mile walk away.

The schools are excellent and within one mile all served by buses, but what kid can't walk a mile in 20 minutes? It's great exercise.

Lake County, California is a secure place. It is within 100 miles of the Bay Area, but a Shan-gri-la powered by geothermal steam wells, The Geysers. It has robust agriculture, two growing seasons, abundant fish and game and a developing anarchist movement seeking self sufficiency with likely disruption.

Clear Lake is the oldest lake in North America. It is at an altitude of 1300 feet and ringed by ancient volcanoes with average peaks at 3400 feet and one at 7100 feet. It collects an over-abundance of water every year thus our wells are among the best in the nation. The ways in are so steep the railroad never came to Lake County. There are only four roads into Lake County. It is easily defended.

Lake County has the clearest air in North America. It is its own weather cell naturally insulated from air pollution or fallout from the Bay Area. It is like living in your own bubble and enjoys rare air phenomena like striated clouds. Experimental military aircraft fly over on their way to the Pacific where they can go supersonic without bothering people or inciting professional victims.

The county is easily defended by National Guard and local civil defense groups with plans and equipment to control access in the event of violence in the Bay Area.

Clear Lake is shallow, warm and calm. It is said California Fish and Game has netted and released two Largemouth Bass exceeding the world record, but this is officially denied. The lake is the scene of many fishing competitions with sponsored cash and equipment prizes. We will see a new world record bass headline come from Lake County. The lake is a dream for water sport enthusiasts as it is eight miles wide and 28 miles long and often dead calm, but has wind for sailing much of the time. It is very photogenic.

All heating, cooling and lighting is electric and the bills average $60 per month year round. A solar water heater will reduce that 30%. Domes are naturally efficient compared to rectangular homes as the air flow is unrestricted inside. The design gains heat in the winter. Change in sun angle and ventilation reduce the effect in summer. The home is built into a hill to use the 50 Fahrenheit degree Earth temperature to advantage in summer and winter. We are frequently visited by wild turkeys, that leave eggs in the spring, and deer. The eggs are excellent, but have to be sawed open with a bread knife.

In this design the top cupola and fan permit air control, eliminating hot air in summer while drawing cool air from the first level which is set into the earth on a hill. In winter’s low sun angle the cupola gains heat which can then be blown to the lower levels with the fan. The home includes such amenities as an jet Jacuzzi tub.

The foundation includes 90 cubic yards, 152 tons, of reinforced concrete with "rebar" on nine inch centers for double normal reinforced strength. "It could cap a volcano," according to the Chief Building Inspector of Lake County.

Unique Sustainability

This property has a well with a 20 gallon per minute capacity as it is located at the foot of the Scott Valley acquifer. 20 gallons per minute is ten times the requirement for a residence and enough water to support a vineyard or truck farm on the 1.3 acre lot on which it stands.

There is space for a 1/4 acre pond that could raise fish to supply a family if they were were fed and managed. We receive sufficient rain runoff to fill the pond every year and can easily maintain it with well water. Evaporation can be greatly reduced with floating plastic "Lily pad" circles made with "Hoola Hoops," that do not interfere with fish culture.

Given its natural security there is a developing defense movement in Lake County to make it possible for the people to thrive regardless what happens in California or America. All we need is a toilet paper factory and we are set. With the prevailing winds coming from the Pacific Ocean rainfall is dependable.

High Security

In addition to the natural security of the open, visible position this home is within one mile of the county Sheriff's main office and a Sheriff's car passes by Route 29 every hour. We are within an easy half-mile walk to a shopping center with the largest drug and supermarkets in the county plus other shops and restaurants. It is within one block of north and south Route 29 on-ramps and within six miles of the largest hospital in the area and 1.5 miles of the county seat.

A Lakeport city fire plug is on the property as we are contiguous with the town and in the Lakeport City Fire Department designated fire service. They are 1.5 miles or three driving minutes away at the speed limit of 30 mph.

Communication

This property is contiguous with the Town of Lakeport, but is in Lake County so we cannot connect to high speed Internet from Cox Cable, but have a microwave link to Konocti Mountain. The first satellite link was not satisfactory.

We are engineering a solarpanel system that would maintain us with 20, or less, panels as we can reduce the ordinary demand 30% with a solar water heater. Anyone with technical skills should be able to put it together. In one version the panels are actuated to track the sun for a 50% gain in performance over the stationary systems which only produce 70% of what they should due to glass cover reflection. Panel tracking eliminates that effect. The cost of actuated or not will be about the same which tends to favor stationery as it is simpler and more reliable. These two modifications cut the panel demand in half.

Lifestyle

In addition to world-famous bass fishing and fresh water sailing, this location is ideal for walking, hiking and cycling as there are good and interesting roads very little traffic and interesting locations. The best shopping center in the county is 1/2 mile from the home.

Access to Bureau of Land Management forest is within 1/2 mile and much interesting wildlife is present. Deer, hawks, crows, turkey,and vultures are seen daily. The moon and stars virtually leap from the sky. The lake is very calming. The Milky Way and many constellations are easy to see and recognize. A planetarium and working observatory, with public access, is a few miles away in Kelseyville. Several small, interesting restaurants are on Main Street and by the lake 1.5 miles to the east. There are many regular events like the September seaplane fly-in.

Purchase

We have recently been appraised for $700,000 and are amenable to any intelligent offer.

The unfinished first level is 1,012 square feet with two 200 square foot rooms and one with more than 300 square feet, a half bath and halls and includes a 500 square foot, two car garage.

The second level is 1600 square feet and the top level is 800 for the Master Bedroom and Jacuzzi bath. With the middle floor we have three bedrooms and possibly three more on the first level, but we expect our buyer would want workshops, offices or storage on the first level. The total area, including garage is 4000 square feet.

The last ten homes to sell in our area were 1/3rd our size and went for an average price of $300 per square foot. None were geodesics, thus all are weak and relatively unsafe in earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes, but using their per foot sales figure values this home is worth $731,922 and we have 1.3 acres where they are all on city lots 1/9th the size of our property and we have independent water and private septic system. Thus, we never get a water or sewer bill.

Contact: Adrian Vance 707-263-6739 or adrianvance@yahoo.com

Clear Lake

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Clear Lake is a natural mirror reflecting a calm that only a million years of being there can bring. In a universe where nothing is forever, this body of water comes as close to being special as anything you will ever see.

Construction

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The dome is made of triangles, the strongest design form with all joints and intersections made of patented steel connectors for much greater strength that that from wood and nails, screws or glues. The pattern is one of alternating pentagrams and hexagrams forming the dome.

Covering For Strength

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The skeleton is covered with pre-cut construction plywood on both outside and in for incredible strength.

Animal Life

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We have occasional deer and have not seen any mountain lions on our property, but they have been seen in the neighborhood. None have ever attacked people or pets. Should one be seen it is recommended that you should stand tall, spread your arms to look as large as possible and yell at them. They will leave as they know intuitively that any injury is a death sentence to them as they have very primitive infection defenses.

We have several flocks of wild turkeys that pass through our property frequently. They eat many pounds of insects and where we are in the county you can take them if you have a hunting license and a shotgun. They leave us an occasional egg which is fun as they are very like a chicken egg, but huge. We have had rabbits, but they come and go as the predators get them regularly.

Domework

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The dome is built with 2" by 6" lumber using patented steel joiners that add great strength. All lumber is precision cut in a factory to insure it will go together perfectly and not require highly skilled labor to produce a perfect product.

The Fan

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The ceiling fan moves heated air down to the living levels in the winter and blows hot air out in the summer. Two of the five sets of windows in the cupola can be opened. The opening mechanisms are hand operated, easy to use and reliable

Our Fireplug

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A Lakeport city fire plug is on the property as we are contiguous with the town, but in the county. This reduces fire insurance cost substantially and increases our safety as well. The fire station is one mile to the east.

The Foundation

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The foundation includes 90 cubic yards of fine concrete with networks of reinforcing rod, "rebar," on nine inch centers where 18 inches is normal. This is a foundation designed to withstand a major earthquake.

Route 29

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This entrance to the Route 29, freeway with few cars as it goes nowhere anyone wants to go, is within one block of the home. From this point the largest hospital in the county is five minutes away at 60 mph to the north.

The Great Room

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Geodesic domes have a "great room" that decorators find challenging, but then the result is all that more impressive. We have our TV set on the wall just to the right of stairwell on the left and a couch on the carpet line at the wood flooring line. Many other solutions are possible, but in any case the feeling of the room is expansive.

In The Dome

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During construction you can see the kind of strength built into the home that made the WWII British Mosquito bomber one of the strongest military aircraft of all time and an all wood construction!

This remarkable system is here revitalized as the interior covering panels are plywood, specially cut to replace weak drywall thus increasing the strength of this structure greatly. We have the great strength of a Mosquito bomber!

The Chief Building Inspector of Lake County approved the home saying, "This will be the last house standing in Lake County if we ever have ' The Big One' (earthquake)."

Our Jacuzzi

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An American Standard "Cadet Elite 60" x 56" x 19 3/4", 1.5 hp, eight jet personal spa is built-in to the upstairs full bath which also includes a full stall shower. The room is fully tiled.

Mount Konocti

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Mount Konocti is a million year-old volcano still on the USGS "Active" list. It is known to be hollow and includes part of the lake with a communication channel to the lake. There is a story of a cave explorer who apparently died in the mountain and his body was later found in the lake.

Welcome to Lakeport

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Entering Lakeport, California off Highway 29 onto 11th Street will show you a sign advertising local facilities and attractions. To wit:

All civic and commercial locations are within one mile and the largest shopping center is one block east of this sign.

House On A Hill

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From the Northwest corner of the property we can see that the home is set in the hill with the back half of the first level in the earth to enjoy the 50 Fahrenheit degree temperature we can use as a heat or cooling source depending on the season. Route 29 is visible in the distance, mid-frame just below the tree line.

On A Walk

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McMahon Drive runs behind the home for 1/2 mile on a six percent grade, perfect for an exercise walk as you work going up and cruise coming back. Do this every day, maybe twice, and you will live longer as well as make some interesting friends, including a Superior Court judge doing his yard work. We have several active and retired business people, teachers and tradesmen. Several car collectors with very interesting cars in their garages, a physician and an accountant.

Walking Paths

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Walking paths feature little nature areas are common in the town. This one is just west of the Willow Tree center and on the way to town and the civic center.

A Pond?

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A pond could be built in the foreground as this is a storm channel with a 20 inch drain pipe running under the highway behind us for runoff. We could catch the water of winter and maintain the pond in the summer with the very ample nearby well. It could be used as an ag reserve or fish farm. The grading could be done in a short time with no permit as less than 50 yards of earth would be moved with none removed as the basic shape is there now. This is perfect for growing your own trout and catching them on need.

We have long planned to develop a fresh water Salmon as Trout and Salmon are the same species. All we need to do is give them food loaded with Paprika and their flesh would turn to a more Trout like color but we think other substances like Turmeric may be needed to get a true Salmon color. This is a project that can be done inexpensively and net a patentable product in a food that would turn a trout farm into a Fresh Water Salmon farm and new industries.

Praise The Lord

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Six Turkey Vultures dry wet wings on a morning after a rain. They are often seen flying over the highway searching for road kills. They pull them off the road and pick the carcasses down to the bones performing a service to people as well as make interesting pictures with their antics and magnificent soaring.

Many Bird Species

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One of the many varieties of birds we see on our walks is the common vulture and while they are looked down on as carrion eaters they perform a great service in keeping the roads free of the greasy, slippery spots dead animals would become if they were to lie in place after being struck by a pickup truck.

Many Special Events

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One of the many seaplanes that come to Clear Lake during the annual seaplane meeting as our lake is one of the few that can accommodate any such craft where it is often calm.

We have had a fantasy of reincarnating the Boeing China Clipper that flew 30 terrified people from San Francisco to Honolulu for yukulele competitions with Japanese spys in white suits and Panama straw hats. It was a happier time and we could bring it all back and again make Lake County the tryst capital of California.

The Bay Area

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Historically depravity is a precursor to collapse. Here we see a Nancy Pelosi District voter out without a purse! (gasp) What we see in San Francisco tells us it has become our Sodom. How long can it be until the great forces in the universe, be they God, Satan or science drop something heavy and hot on this embarrassment to America now extending in Los Angeles! (Click Return arrow)

Rare Skies

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Said to be a very rare phenomenon this "striated cloud sky" is seen on occasion in Lake County. Large lenticular, lens-shaped, clouds are also seen. They have been responsible for UFO reports. While UFO sightings are not common in this area strange military craft are seen overhead as they travel to the Pacific where they can operate supersonically without causing sonic boom damage to homes and farm animals.

We think Area 51 craft are routed over this area as it is sparsely populated. We saw what appeared to be large Coca Cola bottle with very stubby wings overhead one day and if it were at 80,000 to 100,000 feet it was flying at 5,800 to 7,000 miles per hour as it went through 45 degrees in three seconds in utter silence.

The Well

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The well is the white pipe with black wrapping between us and the machine mowing our 1.3 acre lot. This well produces 20 gallons per minute, ten times that required for a residence and enough to support a local water company for the six of this minor subdivision. We have tested the water and it is pure enough to bottle and sell with very little, if any, processing. There is a trace amount of iron, common to volcanic soil as Lake County is defined by a ring of ancient volcanoes with a diameter of about 60 miles and is its' own weather cell.

A large greenhouse could produce special herbs, oils, flowers or decorative plants with minimal licensing as daily traffic is not produced.