a sublime moment

I've been living "off grid", or as I prefer "no grid" for over 20 years. I bought my first solar PV panel in 1986 and I've been here for the last 20 years with no cpnnections to;- power, water, sewer or phone networks. Just a quite rickety dirt trail is our sole hard link to the world. 

On following the mellow path in life we are encouraged to be aware of our surroundings, how it impacts us and visa versa. Well, honestly for me this way of relating to my environment is somewhat of an obsession. Imagine my delight while I was showering tonight. Just to back track, I have a new routine that has evolved. It involves weight training, meditation and gardening. I start by doing 10 rep's of 7 dumbell exercises, then I rest, or recover. During these moments I pray a decate of the rosary and with a sharp knife I dig lightly about the garden pulling weeds. So after about 30 minutes Im feeling pumped, a little sweaty which attracts the dirt. Now, those precious moments in the shower. I've brushed my teeth, laid out fresh clothes and my towel before I hop in the shower. Being mindful I usually shower with a purpose and once I rinse off, I'm out. But tonight I lingered, today I was grubby but also a little cold as a result of a southerly change, and the hot water felt luscious and soothing. As I enjoyed the warm massage, I reflected on what this extravagance was costing? Water? No that's free from the sky and I have plenty. Heat? No, that's solar powered. Water pressure? No that's gravity fed, but I do run a little petrol to fill the header tank every week or so. So may be, a 250ml tank of fuel will last two months pumping, 250÷8=30ml a week max. So if its $2.00/l, I'm guessing 8¢/day. Aussie currency doesn't eve offer anything below less than 5¢, so I'm saying it's almost free. But well worth it, for the warm pleasure on my body and the satisfaction within. Yes, that's pretty contented.

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