This was probably about 40 years ago, my sweetheart is showing how my bicycle can pump water. We had bought an old (very old) Fairbanks-Morse water pump and I think we were testing it out.
My sister sent me this picture from long ago of my wife using my old 10 speed Schwinn Varsity to pump water. That was when we were young and more energetic…probably about 40 years ago. Since then, we’ve hooked up solar…much less work.
Solar panels on handmade wheeled cart
Footnote…The first photo is a black and white which I had developed in my little darkroom. I’m sure I made some 8 x 10’s and sent them to Mom and Dad to show off our pioneering efforts. Recalling all the work that went into the darkroom, using different photo papers to get more contrast, hours of trying to get the perfect exposure with the enlarger, tray development, it’s a marvel to be able to perform all those functions and more on my laptop…40 years later. Thank you digital photography!!!
Adventures in Natural Beekeeping 
Things have certainly changed. Time is measured differently. I can remember the waiting for the first film I had developed on my own. The uncertainty of whether it would work and that was just to get the negatives! I think I am less patient now. Amelia
Not to mention the one or two times when the developer temperature was too high or too low and those negatives did not develop. Those shots were lost forever. Yes, I’m very happy to see the end of the darkroom having spent many hours in it.
Footnote: As a printer of forms and such, I still work in the darkroom, but I don’t do that laborious enlarger work anymore. 🙂
I just offered some echium and hypericum seeds to EST. Do you want to try some too? I want them to dry out a bit first so it’ll be awhile. I’d sure like to see it thrive over there and pull in the bees like it does here.
That is really kind! I’d really like to try the echium and it would be interesting to see what happens if I manage to get the hypericum to flower. Amelia
What type of solar panels do you use? I’ve been interested in solar energy for years but I haven’t bought anything because I’m to concerned about potential lack of quality. Where should I start researching?
I started looking at solar panels back in 2005 when they were much more expensive than they are now. We are on a well. When the grid goes down, we are without water, sometimes for days. I started talking with the people at Backwoods Solar in Sand Point, Idaho. They helped a lot.
Also there was a place in Grass Valley, CA named Sierra Solar. http://sierrasolar.com/
That’s where I bought my solar water pumping kit. That was back in 2006. It’s still pumping. Of course I don’t use it in the winter rainy season, but that little submersible pump with the Dankoff controller will pump on a cloudy day and even during a light rain. That little system cost about $1600 back then. When I mounted the panels on my ‘solar-roller,’ I could pump 9 -12 hours a day during summer by following the sun. 🙂
I also bought a solar oven back then. Made in America. We still use that mainly to cook a pot of beans, but it’ll bake bread or supposedly cook a turkey although I’ve never tried.
The little solar system I eventually installed will power many things during the summer…even my printing presses when the sun is out. During the winter it powers a backup refrigerator, freezer, and of course the well pump.
I love the idea of powering things with a bicycle. Do you still have the pump?
That old pump did not escape the big question, “What are you keeping that old thing for?” I could defend it no longer and out it went. 😦 But compared to a submersible 24 vt DC why would you want it? The submersible is much more efficient.
I like human powered machines as a back up for when the more complicated machines let me down. I have a battery drill but I still prefer to use my old Yankee Screwdriver when i get the chance.
Like your wife’s shirt. She looks like she’s having lots of fun!
She hates to have her picture taken, but I pleaded with her, because, well, she’s prettier than I am. 🙂
We visited friends over the weekend who are building a bale house and they intend to live off grid and use a generator to power a pump to fill a tank of water. Well not any more! 🙂
Tell your friends to peruse this catalog. For water pumping look at pages 41 on. My little pump is still being listed. (The Shur-flo 9300). 10 years back I’d get the paper version of this catalog and read it cover to cover making plans of the system I wanted.
Uh, the pdf of the catalog did not copy over, but if you go to http://sierrasolar.com/ you’ll be able to download the digital version.
Thank you Pat, I’ll pass that on 🙂
That’s such a lovely photo of your wife with bike and pump.
I remember with fondness long hours in the darkroom experimenting with developing times etc