The day is lovely with lots of sun and a good breeze, but we’re still in the mid-eighties with a high of 86˚ predicted for the afternoon. When I went out on the deck with Henry earlier, the heat hit me, and I almost went back inside the house, but then the breeze came. It was from the south, from where all the best summer breezes come. It was pleasant for a bit. I’m thinking me, ice coffee and my book are destined to spend the afternoon on the deck.

Yesterday I was really busy. I transplanted three pots in the front, a hollyhock and two lavender plants. On the deck I spent the afternoon potting the new flowers I had bought. I have one flower left to repot.

Every time I take an outside Shower, I usually bring my phone because once, last year, I got stuck in the shower; the hinge wouldn’t move so I had to free myself because no one was around. It took a while, but last night because I went right from the deck to the shower being all dirty and such, I didn’t have my phone. Luckily, it was nearly dark so I didn’t shut the shower door completely. I stayed a while. It was one of the all time great showers.

When I was in Ghana, my shower was mostly cold water except for the first flow out of the tap which had been warmed by the sun. I took a shower every night and even loved that cold water, a bit.

I remember an old TV ad for Peace Corps which showed a glass of water. The voice over said if you think it half empty, “Forget it,” but if you think it half full, “You might be the kind of person Peace Corps is looking for.” I also found a similar ad. It said Peace Corps volunteers see a glass of water and think bucket bath. I took bucket baths in the dry season when the water was turned off, and I kept three or four full buckets in the shower for when that happened. There is a technique for bucket baths. Dip a cup into the water, fill it and then pour the water on your head. Do the same thing using the cup to wet the rest of your body. Next, soap up and clean. After that, you could use the cup to get water to rinse off or use my technique, just pour the rest of the water over your head to get rid of the soap. Bucket baths weren’t easy, but they did have an advantage. The water was generally warm from sitting in the bucket.