Monday, February 16, 2009

A Noahic Challenge: Rain!

Work has been suspended here at the Solar Compound because of rain.

It has rained everyday for what seems like eternity. A blessing really, because this area needs the rain. We average 56 inches of rain a year (although some say it is closer to 80 inches--as we seem to be in a rain belt). Almost all of it comes between November and April. Thus far, the winter had been 50% of normal in rainfall.

A check of the rain gauge shows we've had ten inches of rain over the last week. Lots of water. Brings us up to around thirty inches for the year.


Joni has devised little runoff systems for the water.

Our roof doesn't leak. We are getting much needed rain. The rain gives us time to read. Cook. Ponder.

I have to disagree with those who say "there is no bad weather, just bad clothes". This wet rain chills to the bone. It is a soaking rain, that my Father used to love to see. It doesn't come down hard. Or fast. It is just persistent--a constant drubbing of water.

A temperature of 39 degrees F. makes it dangerous. It is easy to get hypothermia. After the first week of rain, all shoes are drenched. No hope of them drying out until an extended bit of sun reappears. This leads to wet socks. Cold feet. And a grumpy disposition.

It is hard not to be grumpy with eternally wet and cold feet.

I venture out once a day for my walk. I think all this burning which others are doing (which I wrote about the other day on my Walking blog) is just our neighbors way of dealing with cabin fever. It gets you outside and doing something--and also provides for a bit of warmth. Drag stick. Burn. Drag stick. Burn. Drag stick. Warm yourself. Burn.

This Noahic hell makes me motivated to get this Addition done before the next rainy season. To have more room so that we aren't piled on top of each other. To have a woodstove that I can watch the flames in. To have more warmth. To at least have enough space to walk more than three steps without running into a wall.

A house should be big enough to have more than seven paces before you run into a wall.. Less than seven paces feels like a jail cell.

This is what the rainy season is like...

2 comments:

Jackijo said...

Wow, what a challenge. How big do you plan for your house to be when it's finished? I think a house should be big enough to escape from the teenagers and just have a place to be alone and think!

Allan Stellar said...

Yes, it is a challenge Jackijo.

The house will be 1,100 square feet when completed. Although it will seem bigger than that due to a 15 foot high ceiling.

I have a rule of thumb for house sizes (I wish taxes were based on this): 300 square feet per person in the house. Raise the tax rates if you go beyond that...a luxury tax of sorts. And an extra premium added on if you build a house for your car.