Last summer, I bought a black garden hose; I used it to solar-heat my water for some al-fresco showers.
This summer, the trees seem to be conspiring against me; the yard seems to get no sun at all until after 8 a.m., at which point I'm long done with my morning run, and therefore long past my morning shower time. But the heatwave that's come through convinced me to pull out the old hose, sun-or-no-sun, and go for it again.
So I'll say it out right. I love outdoor showers.
The biggest deterrent is that it seems weird to some people, so I'll point out that I do wear some clothes (my jog bra and a mini skirt). And my back yard is fairly secluded; here's a view from the alley behind my home.
The area where I shower is under the poplar tree, by the tree house, way back there. Here's a close-up of that space:
So I haven't managed to scandalize any neighbors yet.
The second biggest deterrent is that, if the sun doesn't heat up the water in my black hose, then the shower is brisk (as in brrrr-isk. Hah!). But this time of year, that's actually been an advantage -- like going swimming, it's nice to have the chance to cool off. Come September, I'll feel differently I'm sure.
On the plus side, I use less water for summer showers: with the on/off nozzle attached to the end of the hose, I run the water only when I'm hosing myself down. (I could do that indoors, too, but usually I don't). Similarly, I don't steam up a home that we're trying hard to keep cool. And the water run-off goes not down the drain, but to my tree, which needs more water in this big dry spell we've been having.
This summer, the trees seem to be conspiring against me; the yard seems to get no sun at all until after 8 a.m., at which point I'm long done with my morning run, and therefore long past my morning shower time. But the heatwave that's come through convinced me to pull out the old hose, sun-or-no-sun, and go for it again.
So I'll say it out right. I love outdoor showers.
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| My fresh air shower basket. |
The area where I shower is under the poplar tree, by the tree house, way back there. Here's a close-up of that space:
The second biggest deterrent is that, if the sun doesn't heat up the water in my black hose, then the shower is brisk (as in brrrr-isk. Hah!). But this time of year, that's actually been an advantage -- like going swimming, it's nice to have the chance to cool off. Come September, I'll feel differently I'm sure.
On the plus side, I use less water for summer showers: with the on/off nozzle attached to the end of the hose, I run the water only when I'm hosing myself down. (I could do that indoors, too, but usually I don't). Similarly, I don't steam up a home that we're trying hard to keep cool. And the water run-off goes not down the drain, but to my tree, which needs more water in this big dry spell we've been having.
But for me the biggest reason I've been looking forward to summer showers is how it feels. The al fresco shower is remarkably refreshing compared to indoor showers; it's hard to describe what a difference it makes. This is really my favorite reason; after a hose-shower, I'm cool and energized, not steamy and limp.
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