Among the 12-percenters

By Christine Tailer
HCP columnist

I walked down to the creek today. I felt a sense of calm wash through me as I looked at the clear water flowing by. I stood in the shade of the forested bank and felt the cooling air refresh my sweat covered body. 

The summertime creek is both my soul refresher and my air conditioner. We live with the weather and without electric air-conditioning.

Even when our home was in the city and we had central air, we'd bribe the children and tell them that if they made it through the summer without the air-conditioning turned on, and none of them complained about being hot, that they would each be richly rewarded. 

When they were younger, a special toy filled the bill, but as they grew, we simply doled out a cash reward. Greg and I were the clear winners. Without the air turned on, the summertime electric bill for our 100-year-old three-story home was blissfully minimal.

When the last child moved out, and Greg and I sold the city house and built our solar-powered, off-grid home in the country, we designed our energy system without air-conditioning. We were no longer trying to save on utility bills. We were now wanting to conserve our self-generated off-grid energy. 

During the long summer days, with plenty of sunshine and full batteries every night, we can contentedly watch television in the evenings to our hearts content. We use our phones' hot spots to cruise through all of our favorite networks. 

I can do the laundry daily if I wish. I can turn on the lights in every room and leave them on, and, if I choose to sit still on the front porch, I can turn on a fan for the joy of basking in an electric breeze.

We have learned that living in a creek valley has its definite non-electric cooling advantages. As soon as the sun slips behind the hill, a cooling breeze begins to flow through the hillside trees down towards the creek. I love the feel of the cool understory air as it slips thankfully around us.

During the heat of day though, the creek beckons. Greg and a friend were talking car talk in Greg's shop while I watered several parched garden plants. I was hot, but content with my watering until the dog bounded past, begging for me to follow her down to the creek. I obliged in a heartbeat.

I sat on my favorite rock and slipped off my shoes and socks. I reached my toes out into the water. The creek is fed by several springs, and when its water runs low, it feels wonderfully cold. The sun shimmered on the water's clear surface. I felt a cool shiver run from my toes to my nose and it occurred to me that this was the perfect place to be on a hot summer day.

Our dog must have agreed. She sat beside me on the rock for just a minute, wondering if she should run off with my socks. Socks are one of her favorite things to run off with, but then she remembered why we had come to the creek. She jumped off the rock at its deep-water side and began to leisurely paddle about. 

After a few circles, she climbed up beside me and shook off. I thanked her for the shower. She then walked off the shallow side of the rock and lay down in the clear water, completely stretched out. She lapped up a cool drink from between her forepaws. I leaned back on my arms and wiggled my toes.

The moment could not have been any better, but I was curious how many people now live without air-conditioning. I was surprised to learn that only 12 percent of Americans do. I have no doubt that you can imagine that I am a very thankful member of that 12 percent.