Cold

The cold of January is here after a brief thaw. The digital thermometer in my West window read -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 Celsius) this morning before sunrise. That's cold.

 

I reached into the far end of my closet for a yellow fleece pullover, reserved for Arctic conditions. I walked through the house and checked the thermostats. I have 4 zones and four thermostats. I felt the baseboard radiators. They were warm, but did not give any signs of being overstressed.

 

In the basement, I realized the heat was more stable, due to the insulation of the stone-brick foundation, thermal windows and ceiling insulation. I elevated that thermostat by five degrees to heat the floors on the first floor, our draftier region due to high ceilings, a French door in the kitchen area and an antique oak front door. This has worked out well. The entire house feels warmer now.

 

You see, there is a science to living when you have the education to apply practical measures to deal with environmental conditions. Humanism, as I see it, includes sharing the knowledge that improves the quality of life on an individual level. My little heat experiment may somehow help me to share that knowledge with someone else. This is the elemental nature of humanist practice as I see and practice it. The laboratory of my life and the those of others form an enormous network of potential discovery and advancement.