Day in the Life

5:32	Awake!  Check status:  -8F outside.  65F inside.  91% battery capacity.  97F solar hot water.
5:35	Enjoy 1st Breakfast:  homemade yogurt, roasted nuts, maple syrup.
5:45	Do dishes.  Start fire.
6:15	Enjoy 2nd Breakfast:  8-grain hot cereal with plenty of butter.
7:00	Retrieve filtered water from Big Berkey in cellar and pour into Red Wing crock in kitchen.
7:05	Chai tea and coffee with Linda.

7:38	Gawk at sunrise.  Read Wes Jackson’s Consulting the Genius of the Place.
8:55	Wave bye to Linda as she drives off to work in Minneapolis.
9:20	Check status:  -6F outside.  68F inside.  96% battery capacity.  Solar hot water pump ON.
9:30	E-mail Solar Connection for help with extending battery capacity from 2 days to 4 days.
10:00	Solar Connection called!   Make plan to address battery capacity issue.
10:10	Put potatoes in masonry heater oven, now at 350F.

10:20	Haul bucket of wood from garage into house.  Scratch arm.  Curse elm!
10:21	Let cat out.
10:22	Let cat in.
10:31	Check LP gas status.  35 gallons remain from the 110 we received last March.
10:35	Take pint of Land-picked blackberries out of freezer (cooler on the yoga loft porch).
10:42	Check status:  -4F outside.  71F inside.  100% battery capacity.  98F hot water.
10:55	Haul full toilet buckets from garage to Humanure Hacienda for dumping and cleaning.

11:15	Measure specific gravity of battery acid to verify 100% charge.  Pretty good.  SG = 1.260.
11:45	Enjoy lunch:  two fried eggs over baked potato.
12:00	Learn from Jackson that glacier created soil that created prairie that created corn belt.
12:10	Check status:  -1F outside.  73F inside.  100% batter capacity.  108F solar hot water.
12:15	Avoid finishing first novel by working on second.
1:00	Cut dead and dry boxelder from hedgerow and haul to shed.

2:15	Stuff hay into bottom of sun-dried toilet buckets and haul back into garage.
2:20	Check status:  3F outside.  72F inside.  100% battery capacity.  114F solar hot water.
2:30	In shorts and t-shirt enjoy afternoon tea:  spelt toast with plenty of butter.
2:45	Follow inner child as he explores north ridge, precipitous 400 foot drop to Whitewater River.

4:00	Return home.

4:20	Shower and shave in luxurious sun-heated water pumped by sun-sparked electricity.
4:50	Check status:  2F outside.  70F inside.  100% battery capacity.  113F solar hot water.
5:00	Pour 1 gallon jar of raw milk into ½ gallon jars.  Enjoy a creamy, frothy glass.
5:15	Make multi-grain cornbread
6:05	Enjoy dinner:  Linda’s leftover black-bean sweet potato chili over cornbread.

6:25	Sip Shell’s beer with neighbor Lonnie in front of the evening fire.
8:10	Enjoy supper:  Same as dinner.
8:30	Over phone, solve all family and world problems with brother Gary.
9:15	Watch Star Trek episode where captain learns his purpose is a spiritual quest.
10:15	Snuggle with Kirby cat in bed.  Give thanks.  I'm a lucky man!