Building a Passive Solar Heat Grabber

If you're like me you may be getting a bit annoyed by the constantly rising cost of living, especially given the ongoing economic dislocations...more about the latter later.  But today I found an old article from Mother Earth News which offers a simple d-i-y passive solar convection heater which only requires a south facing window and about $50 worth of materials, not to mention a bit of sweat equity.  In a nutshell, solar heating of a pane of glass (or polycarbonate/clear fibreglass) causes a home's cool air to be sucked into a frame outside the window and then warmed is forced back into the house.  When the sun goes down the convection cycle stops so there is no draft or air loss!  Couldn't be simpler!

I'd like to suggest that this is the sort of project that a Scout troop, religious ministry, or community organization could take on and make a significant improvement in the health and comfort of folks on small or fixed incomes.

Thankfulness

It's a bright, cool, breezy day here and it's hard not to be thankful for all the blessings around: family, friends, pets, a place to hang my hat (or cap), food to eat, music to sing and play, books to read, contributions to make.  And nice to have folks to share these things with and the opportunity to sit and reflect on all this. 

Lettuce Garden

Probably one of the most overlooked crops during North Central Texas winters is lettuce.  I'm not talking Iceberg here: think fancy greens found in salads at high end restaurants or expensive mixed salad bags at the grocery.  They are possibly the easiest, quickest growing crops you can produce in a small area with minimal attention.

Basically, you'll need some seeds, a 5 gallon container filled with local compost placed in a generally sunny location (minimum 6 hours of direct sun a day), a watering can or mist sprayer, and some plastic for protecting seedlings on cold days and evenings.

1. Water the compost thoroughly - you want it to be moist but not dripping. 
2. Rake the compost surface thoroughly then sprinkle your seeds on the surface.
3. Lightly cover the compost with additional compost.
4. Cover the seeded area with plastic to keep the soil warm.

Over the next 25 days make sure to check on the seedlings as they begin to sprout...you may choose to thin out seedlings that look spindly.  As leaves begin to reach 4  to 6" in height, trim individual leaves from the outside in with a pair of scissors about one inch above soil level. 

I've tried this for several years and had excellent results.  If you have other experiences, or suggestions, please let me know!

Quantity, Quality and Being Me

 Some folks feel obliged to post to their blogs daily.  I respect the dedication and effort those folks expend. I find that I don't have nearly as much to say that is worth saying out loud, much less putting into print, as others.  That is okay with me - and if you saw how much gets considered and not entered I believe you'd also be thankful.

My wife was reading a book by Urban Holmes the other night and he observed that one of the great Christian mystics of the twentieth century was the United Nations chief Dag Hammersjkold whose posthumous work, Markings, contains well crafted apothegems.  The observation reminded me of the value of small words offered at the right time to the right audience bringing light to more folks than large impressively argued tomes oft referenced but seldom read.   Let me be among the former and not the latter....