Low-tech Cold Remedies

No, not for curing the common cold. For keeping the cold out of your stuff. I was reminded of this while poking around this morning. The boys and I went for an early walk – I’ve finally got feeling back in the tips of all ten fingers – and I went about doing this and that around the property. One of the morning chores I usually forget to do is to blow out the candle in the valve house. The pipe that comes out of the ground from the pressure tank for connection to the various lairs on the property is surrounded by a heavily-insulated little frame building, nicely stuccoed a few years ago by my landlady. Of course all the insulation in the world won’t help you if there’s no heat to hold in, so somebody came up with the idea of keeping a supply of those tall religious candles in the glass jars. It’s possible this is a regional thing; I don’t remember ever seeing them in the Midwest but I wasn’t looking. Also, I genuinely hope this won’t offend any Catholic readers – such is not my intent. But yeah, in the supermarket you can buy these tall candles-in-a-jar for a buck and a half. I guess they’re intended as votive candles, because they’ve all got pictures of saints I never heard of. But they’ll burn for four or five days straight – a lot longer if you remember to blow the damned er, blessed things out during the day. Perfect for keeping the pipes in the valve and well houses from freezing – it actually stays quite toasty in there – and they don’t take any electricity or propane. Saints be praised!