Paula Musial - Halifax, NS
I was totally inspired after my weekend workshop with Alex & Selene in 2013. My yurt dream turned real and I began visualizing how to create it. Choosing/cutting/carrying the poles was done every day on my dog walks that winter. I also skinned and bent them in cradles I made. Then I started researching materials. You see…….I love the light and one thing that bothered me was how dark a traditional yurt can be. I also wanted a year round yurt. How naive of me! Anyway my heart said light - my brain said how and my wallet said wow are you kidding! Spring turned to summer and now I had the structure up and shaky taking up one whole open part of the back yard. A carpenter friend of mine helped me frame up a floor and I added pine shelf planks to finish it and a 4” collar at the base to accommodate the lattice frame to keep it in place.
My materials research took me to New Brunswick for a clear acrylic dome and Dartmouth to have a 12 sided aluminum collar I designed as a template for my clear greenhouse roof panels that I ordered from Halifax Seed. They came in a size big enough for me to cut long wedges that fit up onto the aluminum collar. What undid me in this whole crazy design was not being able to…. as the saying goes,” bend it like Beckem”. The first three winters had at least one panel go flying. I now have it glued and tied so well that this winter it didn’t budge an inch.
The walls are padded with 1/2" grey felt that I covered with cheap white painters drop cloth canvas. I also made roof panels with the same material that created a star. Winter only. And the outside walls I purchased corrugated plastic panels that glued and screwed to complete the yurt. Because my yard space was angled I also had to design a porch and steps on one side which was needed because that was the door side. I originally wanted a 20’ circumference but ended up with 18’. It tucks nicely into a raised area of my back yard and although I live very close to the road in Halifax, you would never know it as you sit with me on my yurt porch. Plenty of mistakes were made. And yes I tore my hair out in frustration because 90% of the time it was just me with two hands and half a brain on the best of days. I love my yurt and use it to meditate and pretend to exercise. I read and dream in it mostly.
The greatest lesson I’ve learned is to be in gratitude to Gaia for all the wood she gave me. It took a long time to get over the guilt of cutting down so many young trees. I asked forgiveness and did ceremony and every day I say thank you.