When the earth tilts further from the sun’s warming rays,
and just before the biting cold descends without hope of lifting till spring, I
become somewhat of a nomad in search of a hot shower.
In the summer, the sun heats our water with the help of a
large black barrel that sits atop the roof of Dev’s house. In the winter,
copper tubing coiled around the wood burning stove stovepipe circulates water
in and out of a holding tank, heating the water as it passes through the hot copper. But in the fall, the sun’s
powerful rays diminish so that the solar heated water grows tepid, yet the
house remains too warm to justify building a fire. (Strawbale +Passive
Solar= Totally Hot)
After cursing my way through a few cold showers I started to
stash my soap, shampoo, and towel in the car. Following a run, a soak in the hot
tub, or a visit to the brewery, I’d awkwardly invite myself to friend’s house
for some old fashioned scrubbin'.
Generally speaking, I am as equally opposed to imposition as
I am in favor of self-sufficiency, but my hot water dilemma puts me at odds
with both. I can’t tell which is weirder--my aversion to asking for help or my
habit of shower hopping.
Lucky for me, it finally got cold here last weekend. I
emptied the solar hot water tank to prevent t from freezing and cracking. I
pulled my onions from the ground. I put the garden to sleep and hauled two
truckloads of firewood. I lit a fire in the stove and then, hopped into a steamy
shower to wash the day’s filth and biting cold from my body.
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| First of the winter squash...my favorite. |
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| Most common fire wood mishap... |
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| And a hot beverage warm up! Can't express how grateful I am for amazing girlfriends who make you laugh, and laugh, and laugh. |
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