I live in a desert area and only one rain during the entire summer. I use a filter system for drinking water that makes it as clean as bottled water. We also have freezing weather during most of our rainy season, so rainwater collecting here would be a challenge. I have friends in the Caribbean that get all their water from rain collection systems.
@Faye Fox I understand. That would make things difficult. We take our drinking water straight from the tap - or faucet as you would say.
Hobbies I used to have were motorcycling, hunting and running which I don’t do anymore due to age. Now I fish and ride a bicycle but much less than before. I guess that just spending time at the computer could be called a hobby these days.
I used to do go to the National Gallery of Art and buy posters of the paintings I liked. I would have them dry-mounted on foam core and then brush Mod Podge decoupage finish on them to cut the glare and impart brush marks. I also made my own frames...you would not necessarily have to take it to this level. I cut the legends off of the prints and glued them to the back. Here is a Botticelli that I did: This is the largest one I've done. I've probably made 12-15 of various sizes. You can do this technique with postcard pictures as well, either putting on a thin coating as I have done or laying it on thick to make a sort of 3d piece of art. It's the closest I'll ever get... I've also done a set of these papyrus pieces: You put some doubled-over acid-free tape on each corner, stick it to black (or any color) backing cut to fit inside of a frame, and line the inside perimeter of the frame with sticks of balsa wood painted black...I think I used 1/4" x 1/4" I bought at Lowes. The wood makes it a little shadow box so that the picture is not pressed against the glass and the edges curl to retain their 3d depth. So the glass goes in the frame, the balsa wood box goes on the glass, and the mounted piece goes on top of the balsa wood...then you insert glazier's points to hold the backing against the balsa wood and press the glass up to the front of the frame. It's pretty easy to do...you can cut your pic and the backing to fit any frame. Old posters would be ideal for this. Heck, old watch parts or buttons or whatever neatly glued to the backing would make a nice shadow box display. You can use the backing pattern of your choice and can change the thickness & paint color of the balsa wood...it doesn't necessarily have to be hidden. You get the idea...
We have different sources. Ground water, rivers and the major lakes are the main sources. Many households in remoter rutal areas have their own wells that take water from ground water. Of course all water including private wells is filtered and purified before it reaches us so it’s safe to drink.
My motorcycle forays into the woods are coming to a temporary (I hope) close. With leaves gone and temps getting into frost and freezing territory, the old bones are favoring and savoring warmth. I have an electric vest and gloves that used to let me ride to around the freezing mark but those days are gone and the redhead (i.e., my red-beaked R1200 GS motorcycle) is close to being taken off the road. As such, associated moto-photography, such as below, will suffer. There are, however, a number of warm indoor venues, especially museums, that are camera friendly to help keep the hobby alive through the winter months,
That is an awesomely beautiful photo, @John West ! My oldest son in Idaho also enjoys taking his motorcycle out into the hills, and it is getting about the time of year that he has to put the motorcycle away for the next few months also. I was pretty much the same way back when I had horses. Fall was always a beautiful time to ride up into the mountains, but once we started getting the snow and ice and cold winter weather, I didn’t ride very far any more either. Even if the roads were plowed, they were still slick, and cars couldn’t stop, so just not safe to be out there with my horse. This is a photo that my son took from one of his rides into the mountains, and it is the same area near Bonners Ferry, where we used to ride on our horses.
Beautiful photo Yvonne! It looks like maybe an area that was logged or burned with just the lone Tamarack still standing and all the smaller trees. I have visited the area several times and once thought about moving there. I always thought of it as being cold, but really not much different than the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon. In the mountains where I used to live, when the motorcycles were in for the winter, the snowmobiles came out.
A view on horseback is certainly quieter than on motocycles or ATVs. Being able to hear the sounds of nature always added to the beauty and appreciation of the scenery.
I had to think about this and I have to say my favorite hobby is thrift shopping for treasures. Sometimes there is a purpose but most times I just love to hunt to see what will catch my eye. I rarely come home emptied handed.
That's what I always liked about bike riding...the quietness and the pace. Even then, you miss stuff you would see if you were walking, huh?