Civilizing

One of my lovely neighbours dropped off some veg, so I have just enjoyed a greens 'fry up' - all the green things I have in stock, chopped up and sautéed together with some fresh ground corriander and cumin seeds - eaten with root veg roasted in a separate pan (kumara - which is starchier and drier than regular sweet potato - parsnips, beetroot and yams/oca with fresh ginger; it's a root too 🙃)

That's my lazy night meal when I can't be bothered with the juggling pans and equipment in a small space: 2 pans, then I pile the contents of one into the other and eat from the pan.

Talk about uncivilized.

Cuts down on dishes to do in a very limited water supply (most of which I fetch and carry from a supply a few hundred yards away. Perhaps I should learn to balance it on my head for maximum visual effect.)

I won't begin to tell you how water gets cycled here before ending up in a bucket I use to water plants.  Water planning for building a house with stored rainwater says you need about 200 litres per person per day.  I'm currently using about 7 (litres). There are 4.5 litres in a gallon. For US readers - I have a suspicion even our gallons are a different measure to yours. (Just looked it up - US gallons are about 3.8 litres)

That's water conservation for you.

On a more civilized note however, I have joined the ranks of people who sleep not in bunks but in real beds.

And today I signed up for a PO Box in Havelock so I can actually receive mail here and pick it up once a week when I go to the Big Smoke.

Next thing you know I'll be hankering after a flush-toilet.  That has to be the ultimate symbol of civilized living doesn't it? After that what more could a human wish for! 🤔

Oh - hot showers possibly😁