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01 Aug 18 - 10:29 PM (#3940949) Subject: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Stilly River Sage Recently I corresponded with another Mudcatter about taking advantage of the warm water coming through the city system. I have a shower head on my patio cover and after dark have complete privacy (no neighbors behind the house and those on either side positioned in such a way that no windows overlook this spot). I'm able to run the water for a couple of minutes until the water in the pipes in the house (chilled because of air conditioning) runs through and then it's pulling warm water from the city pipes. By now the water is probably 90o. A tepid shower in the fresh air means that as soon as you turn off the water the warm air now feels cool and is far more refreshing than anything achieved in the bathroom shower. A co-worker of mine has built a spot for his shower against the back of his house and uses one of those big old broad apartment shower heads over a redwood porch with a 3-4 foot fence on two sides that hold a soap and shampoo ledge and towel hook. We both live in large cities but are fortunate with our landscaping and wild features (a creek with a greenbelt behind my house, lots of trees and stall stockade fences at his). I suppose having access to an outside shower in the city makes it all the more appealing. What are you doing at your house? |
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02 Aug 18 - 05:51 AM (#3941017) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Senoufou Hahahahaa Acme! If I did that in our village, the entire population would be gathered each evening for the spectacle. Word would get about, and folk would be arriving from Fustyweed, Bylaugh and Elsing in minibuses. |
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02 Aug 18 - 05:53 AM (#3941019) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Thompson And a cool shower before bed makes you sleep far faster and better. |
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02 Aug 18 - 07:57 AM (#3941047) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Steve Shaw "Recently I corresponded with another Mudcatter..." Coo, you've got us all wondering now who that might be... ;-) Well the mains water is a bit chilly here, though I have been known... Also, we rarely get really hot days in this bit of Cornwall, though this summer has been a glorious exception. Our garden is surrounded by trees and shrubs and we have no immediate neighbours in any case, so I don't have to lurk around in corners after dusk... After a hot, sweaty day getting all grubby in me veg plot, here's my strategy for a late afternoon/early evening freshening-up. My garden hose is 150 feet or more long. I make sure it's full of water, then I lay it out on the grass in full sun for half an hour or more. I have to hand three or four pieces of extra-strong kitchen towel, I ensure that there's no-one around who would be inclined to have me arrested for indecency, then I turn my hosepipe gun to shower mode, strip off and turn the tap half-on. I have about a minute and a quarter's-worth of lovely warm water, followed by an invigorating splash of as much cold water as I can stand. I get a bit dry then let the sunshine do the rest before rerobing into clean togs. That is gorgeously refreshing. If I've managed to get really filthy I might have a pre-wash with a small bowl of soapy water first. Another thing I do after getting hot and bothered doing the shopping or something like that is to walk barefoot on wet grass for a minute or two. I might have to wet the grass first. That makes a new man of me and rids me of the day's travails. |
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02 Aug 18 - 09:04 AM (#3941057) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Stilly River Sage Steve, I'll have to track you down if you're on facebook - I recently put up a short video of one of my dogs working to empty her pool then drag it around the yard. When she has been working on this project the lawn around is all moist as you describe and her front legs, chest, and head are usually wet and she rushes around in the best of spirits! |
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02 Aug 18 - 12:45 PM (#3941108) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Steve Shaw I'm not on Facebook, I fear! |
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02 Aug 18 - 06:12 PM (#3941157) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Stilly River Sage I sent you a link. |
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02 Aug 18 - 08:31 PM (#3941167) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Steve Shaw It was 25C here this afternoon and very humid and I had to clear my two biggest veg beds that had been growing early spuds and broad beans. I need the beds for my purple sprouting, kale and leeks, which have all been waiting impatiently in pots. The beds were in a right mess, full of post-crop debris and weeds. By the time I'd cleared them I was in a right old sweaty lather. I seized the hose and washed my head with cold water. Sublime! |
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02 Aug 18 - 09:17 PM (#3941170) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Rapparee Who's this Al Fresco you're showering with? Does Mom know about this? |
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02 Aug 18 - 09:21 PM (#3941171) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Steve Shaw I cook Italian with Al Dente, but at least I can keep my clothes on for that... |
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03 Aug 18 - 08:00 AM (#3941229) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Steve Shaw Very muggy today and I'm planting broccoli, spreading chicken manure and building my compost heaps. The hosepipe is laid out in the sun... |
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03 Aug 18 - 02:34 PM (#3941321) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: olddude My neighbors would be stricken blind from this old body |
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03 Aug 18 - 03:27 PM (#3941342) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Senoufou It was 33 here today. I'm tempted to douse myself with the hosepipe like you Steve. Perhaps we could all hold a Hosepipe Party. (Like the Mudcat Tavern) You would be an excellent caterer Steve, and music would be provided by all the great musicians and singers on here. No nudity though. We don't want to traumatise the onlookers. |
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03 Aug 18 - 07:09 PM (#3941401) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Steve Shaw One simply cannot wash one's total personage unless complete nudity is attained, Eliza. I'm thinking specifically though not exclusively, of what I euphemistically refer to as "the undercarriage," which, in my view, can't be effectively cleansed unless the aforesaid area is completely innocent of clothing. To put it less diplomatically, get yer kit off and aim that hose directly at yer underbum. You know it makes sense, and by golly it does yer good... |
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04 Aug 18 - 03:58 AM (#3941439) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Senoufou You've persuaded me Steve. My underbum will be revealed and effectively cleansed at the Hosepipe Party. Is there a defibrillator available, in case people conk out at the sight? |
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04 Aug 18 - 04:24 AM (#3941447) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Dave the Gnome Best I experienced was, following a trip to a pyramid in Mexico, we were taken to an underground swimming hole. After traipsing round in the hot sun for a couple of hours it was bliss to jump into the icy water. Well, once the dangley bits recovered from the shock that is. We did wear swimming trunks but, in that temperature, there was nothing to see anyway :-) |
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04 Aug 18 - 04:33 AM (#3941449) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Senoufou In Istanbul many years ago, staying in quite a posh hotel, I indulged in a lovely communal pool/bath with other ladies. Everyone was nude and the water pleasantly cool. Suddenly, a team of footballers arrived (no idea what nationality, they'd apparently drawn up in a large luxury coach)) and the men swiftly undressed and plunged in among us demure damsels, tackle a-dangle, amid loud whoops of joy at the refreshing sensation. Most of the other women were Muslims, and their screams rent the air. Cue arrival of some Turkish Police heavies, and a swift headlock for the men being forcibly exited pronto. From what I'd heard of Turkish prisons, I didn't envy them their fate. |
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04 Aug 18 - 11:07 AM (#3941531) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Stilly River Sage My daughter travels to Japan every couple of years and I know the baths are a destination for her while she's in the country. There are even places like some restaurants where you sit on benches and dangle your feet in pools of water under the table. There are hot springs up in the National Forests and Parks that are popular but aren't healthy because too many people don't bother to get out if they have to pee. Too bad. Hiking or backpacking past accessible small waterfalls is ideal, if you can offload the gear and make sure not to get your socks and boots wet. Enjoy it and then let your feet dry completely before resuming the trip or blisters are inevitable. This weekend is hot so I'll be working in the garden and later enjoying the patio shower. I initially put it up as a safety feature because when I moved into the house and started some of the work in this huge yard I realized it was possible to overheat and become ill, so it's there to cool down if early symptoms are recognized. |
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04 Aug 18 - 12:10 PM (#3941544) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Stilly River Sage Here's a way to shower without all of the hose prep - or even undress. |
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04 Aug 18 - 01:23 PM (#3941565) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Senoufou In Cote d'Ivoire, it's not unusual for the women in the courtyard to take off their tops and sit in the shade with just their 'pagnes' (wrap-around long skirts) on. No-one bats an eyelid at ladies' bare busts. Very cooling and refreshing! |
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05 Aug 18 - 05:38 AM (#3941724) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: JHW Last century at St. Chartier the ONLY camp site shower method was to stand in the washing up trough and hose yourself down. Better still was the big spring fed trough in the little square. Dunk in and out and you were cool for a while. Then they brought in shower trailers with only a curtain for a door. As these blew aside the queue would chant 'Ooh la la'. Cold mains water in those too, unbearable but refreshing. |
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05 Aug 18 - 10:29 AM (#3941788) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: MikeL2 Hi Years ago I was a member of the YMCA. For me and my friends it was purely for the sport facilities available to youth. It was entirely free. One of the sports was swimming and the YMCA organised times we could use the local swimming pool free. Many of us learned to swim there. Nearby Manchester YMCA had their own pool. We were all invited to use it once a week. The first time we went we were told that to use the pool you had to swim in the nude !!! Although we often swam in a nearby river in the altogether, none of us went into this pool. Their were adults (all male) using the pool. This rule was continued for many years but our Branch never used it. Cheers Mike |
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05 Aug 18 - 12:16 PM (#3941812) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Senoufou Most holiday campsites in France don't allow men to swim in poolside shorts. They have to wear Speedos. If they haven't brought some, there's often a basket near the pool with Speedos in, which one can purchase. Shorts are considered dirty and could contaminate the pool water. I remember the days when budgie-smugglers were the only swimming wear for men. Any kind of 'shorts' were down to the knees. As a child, I had a little swimsuit which my mother knitted for me in a pretty pink wool. But when it got wet, it sagged right down past my knees and weighed a ton. I had a job getting out of the sea on holiday at Margate, it was so heavy. I've already had three cool showers today (not in the garden though, in the bathroom!). It's still boiling hot here at 5pm. Phew! |
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05 Aug 18 - 12:51 PM (#3941820) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Stilly River Sage This morning's shower was on the patio; the showerhead was attached to the hose and I watered the plants and filled a dog pool to run the cooler house-pipe water out first. There is no lingering in this kind of shower; even though there is privacy you don't want to tempt fate that someone might walk up the driveway past the house and step up to the back gate. |
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05 Aug 18 - 06:07 PM (#3941887) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: olddude Nobody mentioned mooning the moon |
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05 Aug 18 - 08:00 PM (#3941900) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Steve Shaw Well I dunno about mooning the moon, but I remember a very hot July night in 1970 at Malham Tarn field centre, on a university field trip, at which by fortuitous coincidence a large party of girls from a different college to mine (we were nearly all boys at Imperial College in those unenlightened times) were present. We had a mass skinny-dip in the tarn. Naturally, we'd all been well oiled at the Buck in Malham first. Tragically, our chosen skinny-dip site was pitch dark, so we had to revel the joy in the delighted whoops and vague silhouettes rather than enjoy a full-frontal visual experience. Isn't life so full of near-misses? |
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06 Aug 18 - 03:47 AM (#3941928) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Senoufou Ah, student days Steve! I remember a large group of us in the middle of the night building two enormous snowmen in front of the Student Union building. They were...er... well-endowed and anatomically correct in every detail. |
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06 Aug 18 - 11:17 AM (#3942019) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: olddude My brother was sitting next to a guy while his wife was shopping for clothes. On the door was a sign..bra 20 percent off. My brother... I like it when they are 100 percent off...guy well then they would be free..brother.. exactly....guy.. no they would make no money. Brother... once again we disagree |
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07 Aug 18 - 12:14 PM (#3942262) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Stilly River Sage There are places in Texas this summer where the water in the hose or cold water spigot that serves the house is too hot for showering. I shared a trick with a couple of friends that I learned in Arizona's Sonoran desert from park rangers stationed there. Turn off the hot water tank. Since it is in the air conditioned house it remains room temperature and can be used to cool the hot piped-in water for showering. If it's a really long shower it's over when the hot water that has refilled the tank hasn't had time to cool. |
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31 Jul 19 - 10:06 PM (#4002881) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Stilly River Sage It's that time of year again. The water in the system is warm enough to be comfortable out on the back patio. The shade tarp is up. This is an evening pursuit when the house lights and the porch lights are off so no bugs or eyes are attracted. |
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14 Jul 22 - 08:36 PM (#4147377) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: keberoxu Refreshing this thread in honor of those who are struggling with unprecedented heat this summer. |
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14 Jul 22 - 09:19 PM (#4147381) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Steve Shaw In 2018 in this thread I think I exaggerated my hose length by about 30 feet. Is that a man thang? ;-) |
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14 Jul 22 - 09:25 PM (#4147383) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Stilly River Sage It sounded like the warm water lasted longer than it really does. We had a rare 15-minute rain shower today and for the first time in weeks it's a nice evening out. I'll defer my shower to another day. It's really nice to have the contrast of the hot air and the cooler water. |
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17 Jul 22 - 12:55 PM (#4147605) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: keberoxu and judging from forecasts, this week will be another record-breaking heat week. |
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17 Jul 22 - 07:31 PM (#4147647) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Steve Shaw In this hot and humid weather, in which I can't neglect my garden tasks, I've taken to not caring whether the hosepipe has been in the sun or not. The initial burst of cold water is a bit of a shock, but it does stop me from perspiring uncontrollably thereafter. I do have to shout a warning to all and sundry that I will be temporarily disrobed, but, sadly, such is my age and stature that it seems that nobody cares... |
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17 Jul 22 - 10:00 PM (#4147656) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: Mrrzy Love outdoor showers. Stay out of the wildfires, all. |
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19 Jul 22 - 09:26 AM (#4147812) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: keberoxu Here comes another REALLY hot spell. |
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19 Jul 22 - 11:47 PM (#4147902) Subject: RE: Summer treat: Showering al fresco From: keberoxu Enjoy those al-fresco frescoes, everybody. I just got out of the (indoor) shower myself. I would have enjoyed it if I had not been so terribly tired, I could not wait to get out so I could lie down. |