Solar power

Well, I did get a few things done yesterday. The scooter WILL charge via solar from the trailer. Yay! Now I need to see if I can run my big fan indoors on solar. That would save a few pennies. I may even consider setting up a couple of solar panels on the house with a couple of batteries when I get some money again. It isn’t like the northeast where the sun is iffy. Here it is the rain and clouds that are iffy. I didn’t get a complete charge on the scooter since I didn’t really start early enough, but it should be darned close to being full. I will take it out later and see what it reads while it is in use. I am planning on going to Sal’s on the scooter. I can go the back way and avoid the majority of the road construction.

The scooter charging on the trailer solar.

I went ahead and made the air food dryer out of the screens I had bought when I still had Kali Cat. I had used them in the sliding door above her door to keep the buggies out and they have been sitting in the shed since she has been gone, over a year, and I hadn’t found a use for them, so this is perfect. Right now I have it hanging in the living room, but I want to buy a sheer curtain to make an insect cover and then I will hang it outdoors. I will have to find a new spot for my bar harbor bell. It doesn’t ring where it is anyway.

The dryer just completed and then with its first batch of veggies to dry. A whole bunch of celery. The rest I cut and cleaned and put back in the fridge. I am now down to one bunch instead of three.

I may spread the celery out to a second shelf to speed up the drying process once I get it outside.

I chopped up the old celery, a pepper, a small zucchini and the last of my store bought baby bella shrooms and half a white onion and cooked them in the crock pot. I did end up making a cream of celery soup using my stick blender. It was ok. Cream of celery isn’t one of my absolute favorites, but it was a healthy meal although I did have two biscuits with butter with my soup. I did pretty good on the whole eating thing yesterday, my snacks were fresh fruit and I didn’t snack in the morning. I find I need to eat about every three hours, and I have cravings in between. That is the diabetes talking and I have to force myself to resist it. I had the same issue when I was first diagnosed. I just have to healthy eat my way out of that. Eventually, the cravings will stop.

I did not spend any money yesterday. I did have to stop myself from some online shopping a couple of times and not to look at something interesting on FB. I figure the less I know, the less I will want it. So I think I am up to four days without spending anything. Today I hope I get my shopping fix at Sal’s where I am using change from a jar and it doesn’t count. (My rules :) ).

I have been trying to come up with something that I can sell from home that will bring me some money. I have been tossing around custom Vermont Snowflake ornaments. A wooden ornament in the shape of a snowflake with an engraved cactus and Quartzsite 2016 on it. I wonder if I could sell those here? Might be worth enquiring to see what it would cost me to have a small batch made. Hmmm…after a little bit of research, there is a water jet company in Bisbee that might be willing to work with me. Their stuff is metal and since I would be selling in AZ, the product should be made in AZ and metal would be a lot easier to drop in the mail, less likely to break and less expensive packaging. Gonna have to think on it. I need something unique that people would buy. Ornaments are always a decent seller.

I have been for my walk this morning. I didn’t walk for three days and I could feel it. Yesterday was Sunday and I don’t walk on Sunday’s, and Saturday I had to go pick up the bountiful basket. Not sure why I didn’t walk on Friday, I may have overslept and missed the walking window. Anyway, I did the full walk this morning and had to push myself.

Lost water pressure last night. Seems that one of the two wells has a defective controller. Seemed to be back a little while ago, but thought it was back last night and it went again. Good thing it is the off season since it affects the whole town. At least I have a trickle, a lot of people have nothing.

Didn’t run the AC yesterday. I did get warm later in the day and took a quick dip in the tank. Supposed to be a little warmer today and then cooler again tomorrow. Makes for good sleeping. Wish the whole summer would be like this. That would be just ideal.

The sun is almost up high enough to try plugging the fan into the solar. Would be nice if I could run that all day on sunshine. I have some foam pipe insulation that I will use in the window opening. Did the same thing yesterday when I ran the cord out the trailer window. And if the water pressure is back I will grab a shower. 

The elbow and knee still have issues. I don’t think they are going away any time soon. Although the knee is a little better.