Day 1

Full text of day one in my new home:

That man is rich whose pleasures are the cheapest.

    Thoreau

Tuesday, July 30

First day in the new digs as a full time resident. I’m sitting on my Maple Leafs chair in the shade of a small but amply foliaged choke-cherry tree to escape the heat of one very hot and humid day. Spent some time putting things away, coming to the realization that I still have way too much stuff, and then gained a great deal of satisfaction from my first outdoor solar shower, the mechanics of which consist of a black plastic bag placed on the roof of the house with about five feet of tubing  terminating in a stop-cock. The water was almost too hot as the roof is black tarpaper and in full sun. I thought I’d better shower now because Lisa, Jenn, Marcus and Tia have gone swimming and I obviously can’t be caught running about naked when they return. Poor little Tia pretty much lost it the other day when she saw a harmless little butterfly. Imagine how she’d react if she were to come upon a scrawny, stark-naked, unshaven, fifty-five year old man baring it all as she came around the bend of the driveway? Whoa, pretty scary. 

Chuck, who rode up with me yesterday, is napping on the hammock. I had intended to follow his lead and take a nap myself but feel totally rejuvenated after my shower. Earlier, I went down the hill to check the spring and, although the level of the pool has dropped a little, it is still trickling out from under the tree and the water is as cool as ever. I must take a thermometer down one of these times to find out just how cool it is. Must also look up plans for a spring house to use as a refrigerator substitute. It would certainly be better than buying ice every two or three days which is fine for a one or two week camping trip but this is long term and requires a long term solution. An actual working refrigerator is not an option.

As usual a brisk breeze is blowing, okay, perhaps ‘brisk’ is a little too strong a word, but the aptly named trembling aspens shimmering in the sun give the impression that the breeze is stronger than it actually is. No matter, the effect is that the high temperatures we’ve been experiencing are much more tolerable because of it. Time to set some priorities in order to get this place in shape for the upcoming months.

Oops, the shower bag just fell off the roof. I checked it and it survived the fall unscathed so I refilled it and placed it back on the roof, a little more securely this time.

Back to priority setting.

- Purchase some two by six rough pine to build a butcher block type countertop in the kitchen complete with sink and storage shelves. This will provide a much needed indoor food prep area and additional storage for cooking utensils.

-draw up plans...

Screw it, who needs a list? One thing at a time suits me and my new lifestyle just fine. I never was much good at laying out long term plans, hated it actually, which didn’t bode all that well as a teacher but I survived by doing the bare minimum, or less, on more occasions than not. And now that I’m my own boss why put myself through all that pain. There, glad I got that out of the way. Man, I think I’m going to be very happy here!