The Whole No-Water Thing

Isn’t quite the case. I have water, just not out of a faucet. I bought a 100-cup water reservoir (imagine a big-ass commercial coffee maker) where I draw water for washing, cleaning, cooking, etc. Right outside my front door is a garden or former garden (next year) anyway, I can toss gray water out there. It is a sustainable lifestyle with little waste. It just takes more time.

I know after awhile a routine will set in and things will become second-nature, but for now every step feels a bit intentional.

The composting toilet from Nature’s Head made in Findlay, Ohio appealed to me on many levels. One) it was made in America and also in my home state of Ohio. My purchase was keeping a local company and local person employed. 2) I read the reviews and saw that it came highly recommended. The point is to separate the solids and liquids. What smells the most is the urine. I’ve become way more intuned to my bodily functions and—again—intentional. When going number two there is a trap door that I open. After that, it goes into a pee urinal in the front of the commode that only needs to be emptied about every 3 days. The part that holds the poo has a composting material called coconut coir (which can be bought at pet stores, used in reptile terrariums) that aids in the breaking down of the  . . .  well, you get the idea. All the paper also goes into that compartment. An agitator bar that is foot cranked gives it a stir. And, that’s it. So far it’s working. No odor. No mess.

You won’t be seeing pictures of this.

At night after fixing dinner, after having ate and doing the dishes, I go outside to dump the dishpan at the base of a tree. The air has an autumn chill and bright pin pricks of stars are starting to emerge. I stand there for a minute to breathe in and out—and lived in the moment:

Amazed that I am actually here.

grandson "playing" with uninstalled toilet