Overall things have gone pretty well. The weather has been a bit of a challenge. The first few days were not bad - mid 80 degree weather and dry. Then it got to be 90- 94 degrees, breaking heat records for the area. Some nights were a little warm for outdoor sleeping but I managed.
The mosquitos and flys have been pretty bad, also, which makes for a challenge fixing food in the evening.
Here area few things I learned this week:
1. Evening meals must be started early in order to prevent eating and cleaning up in the dark. (Candles don't give a lot of good light)
2. Cleaning a whole raw chicken with no sink or disposal is really icky.
3. Never turn down a dinner invitation from friends. (A free meal!)
4. Heat morning bath water early (before 7:00 a.m.) and put the fire out so the smoke doesn't smell up the whole neighborhood every morning.
5. Don't invite guests over for 8:00 a.m breakfast on a weekday morning. You could be late to work.
6. Wear exercise clothes to bike to work in and take work clothes in a backpack to change into, otherwise you arrive in to work in sweaty work clothes.
7. Put bread dough in a round pan nested inside dutch oven (rather than directly in bottom of dutch oven) to bake a round loaf or rolls.
8.Cold baths in 94 degree weather are not too bad.
Next week look for insights on how to cook in the pouring down rain... and dealing with lonliness when no one wants to eat outside with you.
My Space
Inside my little tent
3 comments:
An interesting experiment. I would be most interested in what you are learning in addition to the learning to overcome the new physical challanges.
Did you have to get any permits to have these outdoor fires etc?
I'm still ruminating on what I'm learning. The initial impression I have is that I would not want to live as primitively as this. But, I do think I could be fine long term if I had some minor compromises. Improved lighting at night for one thing. A large cookstove for another improvment. Most of all I think someone to share it with is more important to me than I suspected it would be. Being married for 33 years has benefits of companionship that I tended to take for granted.
No, I haven't gotten pemits to have an outdoor fire. I didn't even think of needing one, perhaps I should have. The fire is contained in a stone pit and I put a screen over the fire to prevent any loose sparks from going airborne. Now that I have my wood stove set up, I would definately use that if it were windy outside.
Thanks for your comment.
Kate
In response to your lonlieness issue, I would think that a two person tent instead of that small one person set up might help in this regard. :)
You also might want to use your technically advanced cell phone to invite friends over to converse and share firewater in the dark. (If the cell phone is not available then smoke signals are always an option.) With the recent change in the weather it would be most plesant and given the dark conditions, all of the 50 + year old wrinkles would fade into the sunset as well. Primitive living could have its advantages.
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