Solar Installation, General Environmental News

Originally posted by Taurisk: ↑

@Sweetsound all very sound advice, and applied in my previous home. This house!! I should have checked it out more, before buying it, but was swayed by the 'house in the bush' look - embedded in trees, with which I have formed a love-hate relationship, as they make it impossible to keep anything free from leaves etc. - but to sit there in the morning, and drink in the feeling of being in the bush, in the wild, is worth it all.
.....
and it is a drafty home - to fix all that isn't worth my while, so I either freeze in winter, or turn the electric heaters on (I have no gas, would have to buy bottles). A complete air-conditioning system would have been the way to go, from the beginning, but now i no longer have the money - just always have a bit spare for emergencies.
I have one good investment, which I don't touch - in a goldie . . .
Your advice is good, I do have the energy-efficient globes, have had the use of solar panels, but didn't realise that they had died, in the last 2 years, because I was too distracted by death, too. I am o.k. now, more than o.k. have found joy in life again, hence I do want to tackle problems.
Washing machines: I do have both a dishwasher as well as a top-loader, dishwasher gets used once in a while, mostly before I have guests, I put everything through to get sparkling-fresh dishes and cutlery - and afterwards, too - they are a great convenience. Clothes - you can set them on a short cycle -
My option now: i will get some quotes for a fresh installation and check if there is a government rebate to be had, even though I have an old installation (12 years old now), but will try and pick my installer carefully, as I have a history of tradesmen going out of business, before they can come and service the equipment . . .
Ludwig van Beethoven's birthday today - He would be 254 years today (born: 16/12/1770, officially 17/12)
it's funny that his major works on Wikipedia are listed as: Moonlight: Night Moods, Elysium, Total Recall, Knowing, Star Trek: Insurrection
I'll play at least one of his sonatas today, in his memory - he was my 'go-to' composer in my teenage years, when life got tough, I'd bash out his noisiest passages on the piano - - - long-suffering neighbours, but next-door were out at work, anyway!
Together with Mozart and Bach, between the three of them they have composed 20% of existing music, including 'modern' pop songs and all.
Go well
Taurisk

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Had a combustion stove in my last home - if you have to buy timber it can be a little expensive but in many years of that home's ownership I always managed to source timber bits and pieces as well as from people who got rid of their old hardwood fences etc - a fair bit of work but the timber acquisitions kept one warm more than once - collecting, chopping stacking and ultimately the fireplace itself. It was always nice and cozy to sit near the combustion stove's door window and watch the flames whilst water was heating up atop for a cuppa or two - even had dinner cooked in the embers at times.

Had radiata pine trees on the property and thus kindling was never a problem - plenty of pine needles and pine cones - gave a job on occasions to a chimney sweeper too - was funny to have the chimney cleaned in winter as the region had Christmas in July - no white snow but plenty of black sooth - had to contend with a Santa in a black suit - (Man in black) and I had to give him a present for his services even as on occasions the outside green grass in the park was replaced by a temporary fleeting white blanketing of snow.

But yes, money can be very tight and hard to hold onto these days - so at times we suffer as we're left wanting/needing and dreading the next bill that's always around the corner and always more then comparatively the last.

Baker.. delight do have large wonderful croissants and their breads are better than those on offer at supermarkets - can b a bit costly though. Our bread and butter got rather expensive - shame not having the foresight a few years ago to invest in DEG when it's sp was in the cents.