H tew Oh

so, there is a huge drought here and everyone is on level 4 water restrictions. i guess it hasn't rained a significant amount in over 500-some days. around brisbane, no one is allowed to turn on the hose for any reason, no cars can be washed, grass and gardens cannot be watered, etc. what does that mean for me as an american who loves her showers??? i'll tell you what. it means everyone in the household is alotted a mere 140 liters (not gallons) per person per day. so to put that into perspective that's about 35 gallons of water that i can use each day, to make it clearer, an average toilet in the US uses between 5 and 7 gallons of water each time in flushes. how crazy is that?

so, it has been a tiny bit shocking for someone who is a treehugger and doesn't generally like to waste water to realize what kind of water i really do waste all the time. each time i hope into the shower, i actually feel guilty about switching it on. and my normal, enjoyable, tantric, relaxing, meditative 15 to 20 minute shower has be reduced to a quick rinse and the fastest scrubbing i've ever done. not to mention the warm weather which pushes me toward the desire to shower even more often.

anyway, this has definately put into perspective how fragile the world's water resources are and how far away from reality we are in the united states. i'll have to wax on about this at a later date. we are heading to the blues and roots festival in byron bay. i hope to get some sun, some sea spray and some great music.

hope everyone is well.

p.s. take shorter showers.