It’s been a heck of a summer. Obviously, I’ve posted very little, and I feel the need to catch up a bit.
First of all, the weather. It was a warm, wet summer. We used the air conditioner more than we ever have, and our electrical bill shows it. It rained at least every 3 days almost all summer — naturally, since I had 250 gallons of water in the always-topped-off rain barrels. Maybe I’ll get to use the water from them next year. At least I’ve got them made.
I think when I empty them out for the winter in a few weeks I’ll put one in the basement to catch the condensate from the furnace. That will give us 55 gallons of emergency water that could be run through the filter and made potable, winter or summer. In the winter it gets condensate from the furnace, in the summer it gets condensate from the air conditioner. I’d like to set up another one also that captured water from the roof whenever it was flowing in the winter. That shouldn’t be that hard. Think flexible hose that can take freezing. But what about when the barrel was full and over flowing? Let the sump pump handle it? There has to be a non-electric solution to that….
We hit upon a great way to use the stored wheat berries we have (after grinding into whole wheat flour): pancakes. The boys love them. I bought a big cast iron griddle that covers two burners on the stove, and I really like making them, although M doesn’t like them (pancakes, that is, not these specific pancakes).
Ending and Beginning 