Cob: Hi! Newbie from Florida

[Tami Blaylock]

Hi,
 I have never done any cob work before but I have just finished reading
Becky Bee's book and also the Cobbers Companion. I'm fairly new to the
list and I have a couple of "burning" questions <G>
1. I am located in NE Florida and am interested in constructing a very
small (maybe 8'x10') cob building in my backyard, for use as an art
studio. Is there anyone on this list that is familiar with this
geographical area and would have any idea whether this is feasible? I
have taken a few soil samples from my back yard and found it to be
mostly sand with a little silt -- very little if any clay. Of course I
don't really want to dig a big hole in my back yard, so I will probably
be bringing in dirt from somewhere else...
2. Has anyone experimented with using pine straw (needles) in place of
straw? I have an abundance of pine needles in my yard. I thought it
might be worth a shot. Does that sound crazy?

Anyway, I would love to hear from anyone who has any ideas. Thanks!

--
Tami