Tuesday Tidbits: Sunshine on Our Shoulders

Life hacks with Mother Nature in a winter glam pod

In the words of the one-in-a-million singer and songwriter, John Denver, and his fellow songwriters Dick Kniss and Michael C. Taylor, “Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy”.

It’s estimated that between 1 and 10% of the world’s population experiences Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), varying by latitudes throughout the world. Sunlight and Vitamin D are two of the four treatments for SAD, the other two being psychotherapy and medication. As we’ve aged, my husband and I have experienced more SAD. I guess it’s no wonder when so much of the world is ‘burning’ on a daily basis. We could jet off to someplace sunny, but in the current economy I don’t have the funds for my dream trip to Bali. The great news is we found a cure that certainly costs less than Bali or medication + psychotherapy.

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Two and a half years ago we bought a glam pod for our deck so we could soak up infrared light, nature’s therapeutic candy, year-round. In our area we have four seasons of varying weather, temperature, and sunlight conditions. We wanted to enjoy the sunshine when it’s bitter cold and the outdoors even when it rains. Our glam pod looked something like the one shown in the next photo. It gave us months of extended sunlight, sometimes reaching 120 degrees inside from fall - spring and easily maintaining a comfy 50-60 degrees on cloudy bitter cold days in winter, by using a space heater. Ours cost $499 but they range in cost from $500 - $700 now. How much is your sanity worth? These give you a warm, sunny space that’s like a mini vacation on your own back deck or patio WITHOUT the travel germs. Priceless!

Ours was 8 feet in diameter, slightly smaller than this one. It held two rockers with a small table between them and a lounger on which my husband took many a nap. We used u-brackets, like that shown below, to secure the pod firmly to our deck. We then lined it with exercise mats that fit together like puzzle pieces and put a carpet down on top of that, all of which stopped cold wind from coming through the spaces between the deck boards. We strung a $2 string of battery powered led lights through the crown of the pod for night-time which we turned off when stargazing. It was spectacular and super cozy. We were devastated when last winter’s late season storm with wind, ice, and snow made the vinyl brittle, and the pod literally broke apart like glass. We got three winters of use from it. R.I.P., Alpha Glam pod.

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There are less costly options now (Amazon), but they don’t appear to have the underlying nylon skeleton required to stand up to high winds and hold several inches of snow. The one shown below might be feasible in a sheltered corner where it is protected from wind, and it can secure it to a deck or the ground. But, it’s unlikely it could hold up to wind gusts and heavy snowfall.

Alas we come to my family’s latest choice for Beta Glam pod - an 8x10 polycarbonate green house. These range from $500-$1,000, on special right now during Amazon Prime days. Most are rated for winds up to 60mph with a snow load capacity of 18 pounds per square foot (psf), which roughly equates to 28 inches of snow. However, water content of snow varies; the higher the water content the more it weighs. It’s also important to note that permanent greenhouse structures are recommended to be able to take up to 105 mph wind gusts and have a snow load rating of 30 psf, or 4 feet of snow. Our Alpha Glam pod took wind gusts but never had that much snow to contend with. We kept the snow brushed off when it got deep. In the end, it was time and ice that took it out because vinyl becomes brittle with repeated heating and freezing.

A word of caution, the polycarbonate panels used in these DIY kits are not clear. They are watery looking because the panels are 2-ply giving them strength and some insulating properties. This means blurry stargazing at best.

Although many people use greenhouses to extend their gardening season, almost as many people now use them as outdoor living rooms, reading nooks, game rooms, and the like. The possibilities are only limited by you, your imagination, and of course snow ratings. So, get out there and extend your sun-worship season to experience such happiness for yourselves.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about winter sun solutions and getting your very own glam pod!

Sunshine On My Shoulders, John Denver

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high