Hovel

Lucky me. It only cost $25 this time. And three hours of my life I won’t get back. Every spring, the house reminds me who’s boss.

Last Fall, as I was closing down the garden irrigation for the Winter, the valve broke (plastic!). Luckily it broke in the off position. I held out hope I’d be able to clamp onto some part of the old valve with a pair of vice grips and turn it back on. But looking at it closely: nope. It was going to be a project. I started digging.

I’ve had this 35 ft 5th wheel trailer in my driveway for 14 years! I bought it about a year after I bought the house so that my parents could come to stay without having to deal with coming into a … filthy hovel.

Long time no post, eh? But I’ve been busy, trust me. Here’s a little bit of what I’ve been up to: Siding and painting,

I set up my living room to be my bedroom. Because it was warmer, more convenient and I just felt like doing it that way.

When I first moved in late 2002, it seemed the obvious choice for a bedroom. Now it is the obvious choice for a music room.

Found in the side yard rubble. Unimaginable as it may seem, I finally moved into my own house, a place I have referred to as a filthy hovel for years. Over an 8 week period - April through May, I made a concentrated push to get the most important tasks done that would allow for a minimal, man-cave-ish existence.

The hovel is without a real water heater, so I rigged up a solar water warmer with black tubing on the roof.

And no play, will make the old hovel a home some day. I hope.

Before I get a real water heater, I’m rigging up a solar variety - a very simple one - using a black hose on the roof. Of course this is nothing new. It’s done all over the world and makes such sense. Why wouldn’t you want to cut pollution and save money by letting the sun heat, or pre-heat your water?