Sailor Showers Save Time and Money

In an effort to save time and water I have started taking "Sailor Showers" and have shortened my showers down to 10 minutes and use even less water.

The method for doing this is as follows:

• Start your water


• Soak your washcloth, head and body, then turn off the water


• Get your shampoo and work it into your hair


• Soap up your washcloth and wash your body


• When everything is scrubbed well, start the water again and rinse off all the soap and shampoo.

If you are fast enough then you will be done with your shower in about 10 minutes or less and will have used maybe 5 minutes in time of water or less depending on how long it takes you to rinse off.

This method of showering makes not only sense ecologically, but also economically as your water bill is greatly reduced.


Posted by "Hubby"

Prepare Your Home for a Flood

Floods have been in the news a lot in the recent years, especially in 2008, and before that, fallout from Hurricane Katrina. They are a very common natural disaster, killing many people and costing a ton of money. Prepare!

• The waters of the floods aren’t the only problem – it can uproot trees, move houses and boulders, and cause slides.


• Check with your local planning and zoning office to see if you’re in a flood plain – above or below the flood level. See also if your area has ever been involved with flooding (a history).


• Contact your insurance company, depending on the answers you get on the above question. Most homeowner’s insurance does not include flood insurance.


• Find out what the warning signs are in your area in case of floods. Remember rivers and streams can also flood.


• Learn your area’s evacuation plan.


• Keep your important papers (insurance policies, birth certificates, passports, will, etc.) in a waterproof box or bags where you can easily access them. This would be a good item for your 72-hour kit/bug-out bag.


• If you live in a flood area, and your furnace, water heater and/or electricity panel is in the basement or first floor, move it to the attic or second floor where it will be less likely to be damaged by flood.


• Prevent floodwater from backing into your drains by plugging sewer traps with check valves.


• Check with your planning and zoning commission to see if you can build flood walls or other barriers to stop water from getting to your home.


• Protect basement walls by waterproofing walls and windows, especially cracks.


• Keep a battery-operated or hand-crank radio handy.


• Discuss a meeting place with family so you will all meet at the same place. This could be across the street at the top of the park, or in another town.


• Prepare your 72-hour evacuation kit / bug-out bag. Check your supplies regularly.


• Don’t get in the floodwater, if at all possible. It most likely contains sewer water, snakes, and depending on where you are, alligators. Plus, it could be moving much faster than you might see.


• Don’t drive in the floodwaters. Even a heavy vehicle could get swept away before you realize it.


• Stock up on empty sandbags and learn / practice filling them.

Did I forget anything? Would love to hear from flood survivors!

Colorado Loosen's Ban on Collecting Rainwater

I was surfing a local news to find something to write about here and came across this: http://cbs4denver.com/local/rain.water.collecting.2.971880.html

Basically, "A state senator recently found that out when he tried to conserve rainwater for his flower garden." So... now there's work going on to change the law. This Senator got into trouble for trying collect water in a rainbarrel for his garden, and that prompted an investigation into this 19th century law that says rain must go unimpeded to rivers and streams.

I blogged about this a while back. Us "homesteaders" and survival-type people have been concerned about this for years. But did anyone hear us? Did our complaints and requests for the law to be reviewed get heard? Nope. But if a SENATOR tries it, NOW the government reviews it.

This is what's happening:

"The bill that has passed says residents can now collect it with certain restrictions. "You can capture enough rain or snow to be able to put in a garden, to be able to irrigate up to an acre of land, to be able to possibly put out a small fire," Looper said. Residents still can't harvest rain without a permit from the state engineer's office, and the permits are targeted for those who live in rural areas, not people living the suburbs."

So basically even if I apply for a permit to collect the rain and snow-runoff for my house here in the suburbs, I'll be denied because I'm not in a rural area and because I'm hooked up to a water system. And if I live out in the boonies and apply and receive that permit, that means I'll be in yet another system, giving up even more information and more privacy ... for WATER?!?!

And the fact that permits are actually required to do what we should be able to do naturally... boy my buns are burning. I am t-i-c-k-e-d off!

Studies show that 97% of rainwater evaporates before it gets to streams, etc. So basically, the Colorado government wants to control something that's free and could help the environment.

Alright. Look at it this way: If we collect the rain water and use it on our gardens, then we won't need to use the water in the reservoir. Right? Good green thinking.

= = =

p.s. suggestions for articles for this blog would be appreciated! comment here. thanks.

Snow and Weather in Denver

Yes, yet another post about weather. I tend to do a lot of those. Especially when I wake up to a whopping 8 degrees F. in the Denver area, with a wind chill of minus 4. Some snow fell over the weekend, and we're supposed to get some more today. Even with this little bit, we're still far behind what we should have.

But, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the mountains have gotten an above-average amount of snow so far for January. With 120% of average snowpack, this current snowpack is the highest since 1997.

That's good, since most of our surface water supplies come from melting snowpack in Spring and Summer. While the mountains didn't get much in the Fall (very dry), enough was dumped to make up for it in December.

This is good news, right? Too bad the plains and other areas of Colorado aren't get much (besides damaging wind gusts).

Catching Rainwater in Colorado is Illegal

Rainwater harvesting is the catching and/or gathering and storing of rainwater. Usually it's practiced to save resources, especially in an area where rainfall is limited. It is used for drinking and other domestic use, watering livestock and plants, and to replenish ground water levels. Rain and snow are "caught" in some object, and stored until use. In some places, this is the only source of water. Humans have done this for thousands of years, but it seems to be illegal in Colorado.

According to: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/06702.html, laws severely restrict the harvesting of rainwater. Basically, if a person captures rainwater, he's stealing it from the people who have the legal right to take the water from the watershed.

So, when we have a torrential downpour (albeit not too often), if you dare to put even a bucket under it to catch the rain to water your roses, you are breaking the law. What happens if you've bought your retreat and your only water is the well left from the previous owners, which runs dry in drought years?

Here's what we do NOT suggest ;)

• Some people get inexpensive 50-gallon food-grade drums that were used to carry some liquids. They are heavy-grade plastic containers, and dark enough to discourage the growth of algae which can clog pipes. They place the drums near/under the drainspout (esp if convenient to the garden). Then they cover it with a fine screen to prevent leaves or bugs from getting in there. This is generally used in the garden, by dipping in a watering can or bucket to use. Then it gets cleaned regularly (with bleach) to prevent contamination or settling. Surrounding the collection container with a pretty fence with a gate is a good idea - it reduces the exposure to sun to the water won't boil or become too hot to handle.

Here's a link (http://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/conservation/rainbarrel/make-a-rain-barrel.html). I like this (http://www.friendsofwater.com/Water_Catch.html) link too.

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