Naked Gardening and Naked Gardening Day

[jbeegoode]

I remember traveling through there as a kid in Grandpas 53 Plymouth, before the interstate highways. The two lane road was getting pretty crowded. It wound through the dense forest where there trees sat right next to the old trail. A red fox watched nearby. It was up and down one small mountain (sorry, the mountains are small by Rocky standards, hills really), then the next. Things change, who knew what "progress" and greed would bring. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEy6EuZp9IY

I'm watching several acres each month become another housing development here in Tortolita. It cuts my heart, the newcommers will never know. The naked need elbow room. and real nature.
Jbee

[JOhnGw]

<snip>
I'm watching several acres each month become another housing development here in Tortolita. It cuts my heart, the newcommers will never know. The naked need elbow room. and real nature.
Jbee

If the proportions across the puddle resemble those this side I would expect at least half a dozen naturist households amongst the newcomers - but how to find them?

[jbeegoode]

Silver lining!!!
Jbee

[Kayaker2]

We enjoyed some nice weather for gardening day. Two new flower beds as a result. Planning a square foot space for a few veges and herbs.  I had planned a large plot at the country place a few years ago that I'm reconsidering now, although the organic soil I had hauled in to improve the sandy local soil proved to be gourmet nutrients for wild mesquite, and those are hard to clear out.  We planted trees a few weeks ago, nice oaks and a couple of river birch.  Also had a water system glitch while we were away with a stuck valve.  The neighbors yard benefitted nicely, but hard on the well.  I'm hoping the new beds are surviving a few days more until we are back to repair.  We had to have it shut off in the interim.  Lost most all the tropicals from a hard freeze last winter but the butterfly bushes and milkweed came back, as did lantana and some of the other native plants.  Had already reinvigorated the overgrown beds with new earthworms and spring feeding.  Might be a jungle or a dust bowl when we get back.. can never tell in these parts. Spring is just a few days of season, then it's back to either sizzling hot or flood wet.

[jbeegoode]

Yea, my automatic drip system has been problems. Three times the plastic pipes gave out and leaked. Last thing was the auto timer with a sticky valve. My water tank was empty and the veggies were very happy, if not drowned. These can make for very expensive veggies.

So many volunteer tomatoes coming up. I'll just dehydrate (sun dry) them. For the price of good organic nutritious  toms, it could make up for the loses. Four dollars for a big local heirloom at the farmers market. The usual at the grocers are not much different, with a lot less flavor. The ground is getting hot. If I don't get out early or late in the day to tend the garden, I can't barefoot. I use them in various raw recipes and killer pizza sauce.

I'm thinking a temp controlled greenhouse...double down. It can be a good naked living space, good air, good moister on the skin, great smells, and earth, all better completely naked.
Jbee
Jbee

[ric]

ive looked at watering systems for my poly tunnels but always come to the conclusion that theyre just trouble waiting to happen.  end up just giving it a good soaking with a lawn sprinkler once or twice a week.

went to do the watering this evening and one of the hose couplers decided it had had enough and just blew apart as soon as the water was turned on, 2 minute job to fit a new one but on a auto system it could easiky not have been noticed , wasted all the water and the plants got none.

[nuduke]

I did naked gardening on the following day 7th May which was quite decent weather.  Not hot, just comfortably not cold!
Did several bouts of grass cutting, and shrub trimming.
John

[eyesup]

I'm watching several acres each month become another housing development here in Tortolita. It cuts my heart, the newcommers will never know. The naked need elbow room. and real nature.

I know what you mean. There is a developer here that is attempting to build 5,000 homes right next to Red Rock National Conservation Area. The site is an defunct gypsum mine.  I have always believed that he never intended to build there but used it as a leverage to get a more favorable land swap. Still it has cost millions of dollars in legal fees and court time. He has attempted similar tactics in northern Arizona.

Duane

[nuduke]

It's been HOT! in the uk for 5 days at a stretch.  Last 2 days hit 85-87 deg F.  Very rare.
Thursday I had a day off i.e. no meetings, events, outings etc etc. and had a lot of time in the garden naked sunbathing and later in the day cutting the grass.  Needless to say I overdid it - whilst I didn't get bad sunburn, just a little pink here and there, today I had the squits which I reckon must have been an OD of sunshine, fun and frolics the previous day i.e. mild heat exhaustion.  I must say I was very upset!  One day in the last X years I've purposely overdone it and really enjoyed the sun and not been so careful because for the first time I'm in an environment where I can really be naked for long periods (working around the wife, of course!) and I get negative consequences.  I wasn't out all day and I alternated periods inside with outside, I kept my liquids up...but no, the fates can't let me off !  I can't even get away with even one day being a tiny bit 'naughty'. 


I HATE that I perpetually live in fear of minor negative consequences.  I HATE that I have to watch my sun exposure on a hot day; I HATE that I carry an umbrella if it looks like rain rather than risk it (my brolly is rarely unfurled); I HATE that in the winter I can't get stuff in my coat pocket because of the gloves that live in there just in case its cold; I HATE that my wife seems to remain dressed all the time just in case anyone comes to the door and tries to make me do that too; I HATE living in mild fear of verminous infestation - shooing the pigeons that eat my damson buds, chasing the nice ducks and pheasants away because they leave shite all over the path which I then have to be careful not to tread in as it is yuk!  I HATE that my altruism in doing voluntary stuff for charities or chatting volubly with my chums of FRN gives me carpal tunnel syndrome (it's much better today and yesterday but hurting after typing today's FRN essays!); I HATE that I can't slightly cheat occasionally - I tell you I am not lucky in this respect - if I overstay my car parking 5 or 10 minutes there is a warden there with a ticket when I come back, if I cue jump it turns out the person in front of me (that is not affected) is a screwed up know-all windbag arse that complains;  If I sit in 1st class on a train with a 2nd class ticket, that's the day they do the on-board checks.  All these examples have happened to me, sometimes more than once e.g. the parking thing.


Anyway I digress.  Amongst the things I did do yesterday was some garden yoga and I took a picture.  You can see why I have freedom to be naked in my garden the summer.  On the  left off camera is the side of our house and patio and shrubs plus fencing that mask us from the road, on the right is a high hedge to an empty field and at the back the trees mask me from the neighbours.  In autumn thru winter there is one window that they can see our garden from.  Unfortunately it is their bedroom!  But when the trees are in full leaf you can't see through.
In the foreground it is not a lake - the camera was resting on a glass topped garden table!
That's the section of the lawn I can mow naked.


         
John

[jbeegoode]

Like that you are finally doing cartwheels by the edge of your disappearing ledge swimming pool, naked.

But seriously, I'm amazed how there is no evidence of dust having ever been on that table, ever! I can't keep a gloss like that on a table top for more than thirty seconds around here, well over two minutes and the top develops a scratch like sand blast hitting it.

So, ya think 85 to 87 is hot, even after Phoenix in the summer?
Jbee

[nuduke]

cartwheels

I wish!  It is warrior poses I exhibit also excess tubbyness.
I have to admit that the table glass has come out rather well.  If you look at it from the top it's got lots of tea/coffee and bird dropping stains! 
Somehow the oblique camera angle didn't get the reality or maybe one of us had given the table a quick wipe a bit before.  Coincidence and not a set up I assure you!
Not much dust though, that is true.  Don't forget here in the UK even when everything is dry, the soil is moist, blowing sand is a rarity off the beaches and dust (in the way I think you are referring to it) tends not to be much of an issue.


The difference between Phoenix in 100 deg and Lincolnshire in 85 deg is...AIR CON!  And in those temperatures you guys take cover but we Brits have nice days like this much less frequently so aircon investment not worth it and we tend to want to gambol about in it to excess (see prev post!).
I am recovered now BTW.  Outside my office window I see trees blowing in the breeze (c 10mph), 90% cloud cover and forecast thundery rain showers.  If we get a full week of great weather (I,.e. sunny) it's a matter of national media coverage it's so rare!
John

[eyesup]

Sometimes a good venting does wonders for the soul, John. Hope things turn around soon.

I actually thought that was a small lake or a pond and was impressed at how quickly you were able to set up the timer and get all the way around there AND do your exercising.
You spoiled a good illusion! 

We were finishing up the entryway and went to pick up the dogs from the groomers and they asked whether we had been working outside and if it was too hot. At the time it was in the mid to upper 90’s and I said it was getting warmish.

105F is hot and I will work in it if I have plenty water, Gatorade and protection. Above that I prefer to observe from indoors.

I grew up in East Texas and lived in Houston for 11 yrs. and the humidity can get brutal once it is above 90% and the temps go above 95. The worst humidity I ever experienced was in Barbados. The word sultry doesn't even approach!

Duane

[jbeegoode]

In Gulfport, Mississippi. I remember taking a shower getting clean toweling off, walking out of the air-conditioned apartment to the car and being drenched like being in a rain storm. The beach was across the street and this was in the shade of those tal trees. Barranquilla, Columbia, we sat in a house with no air and little circulation in the town all day, hardly moving. In the evenings we would take a '56 Ford Crown Victoria into the country as things cooled. It would finally cool enough to be tolerable late night in the open air bars. No reprieve there, unless right on the beach. Battle Creek, Michigan, the house had high windows, I suppose tradition for the snow and privacy. That's where I began to sleep in the nude with no cover. I often laid awake, miserable, far into the night

Arizona, it's a dry heat, except taking a choice to spend several minutes at a time in a sweltering sauna. Relief is just out of the door. I'm good to 102F, naked, preferably with shade. Duane, you must have acquired very thing blood.
Jbee

[nuduke]

Hey guys,
 Weather has cooled down needless to say in UK and good thing too as I spent most of the weekend in Central London where if you get a day with hot sun, high humidity and no cloud or breeze it is hell on earth in the underground (railway) exacerbated by the hard walking you have to do to get anywhere.  However, apart from a tendency to humidity it was pretty ideal weather - cloudy but warm, just a little breeze outdoors.  Tube (underground) tolerable.  I went to a family event on Sunday and a splendid art exhibition and a good lunch with the wife on Monday! 


However I digress.  I wanted to tell you about my excellent bit of gardening today.  The opposite view from my previous picture and round the corner of the house is a secluded courtyard helped by the fact that the neighbour's garden is a few inches above mine making the 6 foot fence more effective and the new solid fence I had put in to divide the front from the rear garden and thus block any view from the road outside.  My task was to clip an unruly honeysuckle and deposit the clippings in the recycle bin.  About half an hours work.  As I said the weather was good, cloudy with occasional moments of sunshine, light breeze and a good 21-22 deg C.  My wife was in the house out of view of me.  So apart from the first few minutes on a ladder where the whole neighbourhood could see me if they cared to look, I was naked for the whole job.


Whilst this is unremarkable, in that I am naked in the garden a lot these days, it was as far as I can remember one of the less usual times when doing the job was more important than the being naked.  In other words, that the nudity was incidental and therefore noticeably (to me) nice in that I was naked naturally rather than in a contrived way if you get my distinction.  Lovely 30-40 minutes romping around slashing the adventurous creeper with a hand sized battery powered hedge cutter.  In fact I got so enthusiastic swathing it through the adventitiously creeping honeysuckle stems that I had to stop myself suddenly - I wasn't wearing clothes after all and in danger of scything off my own adventitiously protruding parts!  Just missed on one occasion!


Had fun, no sunstroke symptoms and a beautiful naked session with the effort keeping me warm and the breeze keeping me cool!


John

[eyesup]

Barranquilla, Columbia, we sat in a house with no air and little circulation in the town all day, hardly moving. In the evenings we would take a '56 Ford Crown Victoria into the country as things cooled. It would finally cool enough to be tolerable late night in the open air bars.

When I was in Barbados we stayed at the home of my friends sister. The homes did not have AC. All the windows went down almost to the floor. No glass windows, just shutters that were opened to allow the breeze flow. Every day I would take my towel and washcloth out and clip them on the clothesline. Next day before bathing I wold bring them in. Almost dry!

My grandparents, aunts and uncles in Louisiana had windows that went to 12" above the floor. Except there you didn't dare open the windows at night if you didn't have screens. Mosquito's  would eat you up. They still used mosquito bar on the beds.

Actually, the temps that I am willing to endure have slowly been declining over the years. I'm not as stupid as I once was.

Duane