permaculture

[yarrow@sfo.com]

At 1:57 PM -0800 1/26/10, <fdnokes@hotmail.com> wrote:
> ....We tell ourselves it's 'just for fun', but we often keep the 
> temperature at
> 60 F.
> We do have a little portable heater in the bathroom that we turn on before
> showering....

I'm in the SF bay area where winter temps are generally in the high 
50s in the daytime and in the low 40s at night, and generally it's 
comfortable indoors (a fun 60F, more or less). When it gets much 
colder, I've added bubblewrap curtains next to the computer desk to 
cut down on drafts, as well as a small portable heater. I sleep with 
a fleece hat, and often wear a hat and an extra layer of poly fleece 
if sitting indoors, including fleece socks. And you're right, it 
feels colder sitting inside than being active outside, so I often 
take off a layer to go outside.

I've heard of someone in Oregon who claims light bulbs are the most 
efficient form of electric heat, so uses about 8 bulbs (no higher 
than eye level, in floor and table lamps) to heat the room where he 
spends the most time.

I don't heat the bathroom. I feel a lot warmer after a shower if I've 
scrubbed my skin with a washcloth -- it gets the warmth to the 
surface. I often think of the herbalist who said he took showers from 
the hose in his Santa Cruz yard because cold water stimulates the 
immune system. So each morning and evening as I get dressed and 
undressed and the cold air hits my skin, I think, good, I'm 
stimulating my immune system. Haven't tried the combo of cold water 
and cold air...brrr.