Last summer during the big power outage during the forest fire, we made a low-budget sun shower. We just linked our three garden hoses in series, filled them with water, and let them warm up in the sun. We attached a spray nozzle, tied it to a tree, and, if we timed it right, we could shower in the 5 gallons of hose water without burning our skin off, and before it turned ice cold.We had owned a proper campers' sun shower pre-kids, and loved it, but it had been stolen years ago. This spring I bought us a replacement. It's a big 6-gallon one and has a thermometer on it which you can watch and decide when is the right time for a shower.
So now there's shampoo and soap on the window ledge by the door, and at about 5 p.m., after a long day of yardwork, the time is right. There's something about being naked outside, in the woods, surrounded by birds and breezes (and curious chickens) that makes a shower many times more refreshing than it would be indoors.Fiona enjoys the sun shower. She especially enjoys the part afterwards when she runs full-tilt across the lawn flapping a towel cape behind her naked body, yelling "yahoo!"
So far no one has stalked me with the camera, so content yourselves with still life photos.
We installed an outdoor shower a number of years ago, sans hot water. The goal was for our muddy children to eliminate at least half of the mud before they came into the house. It worked then, but newfound modesty means that now it's only being used when the boys go bike jumping in the heat - they douse themselves fully clothed to stay cool while they ride. My husband hopes to hook it to hot water this summer - at that point it will be used by at least two of us!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of outdoor showers - when I was in my early 20's I lived in this funky ippy trailer park with common bathrooms that each had a shower with walls (about 10 feet high) but no ceilings, just a mesh screen. It was great to shower there on a hot summer evening!
ReplyDeleteI'm reading this just as we've turned on our central heating.
ReplyDeleteOne of many reasons why I am looking forward to having a small acreage, and more privacy...showering outside (sans bathing suit) is something I simply must experience one day!
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