Working on new projects around the house or farm is a perfect opportunity for dangerous — or potentially dangerous — situations to arise. Let me give you an example: Many years ago (about 50) my father was checking out the shingles on our tall Victorian house. He had a rope wrapped around his waist and around the chimney — just in case. On the ground, three stories below, a small group of elderly neighbors had gathered, ooing and ahhing about how he might fall and what would happen to him and our family if such a terrible thing were to occur.

Now, my dad was known for his mischievous ways. He gloried in April Fool’s Day and jumping out of dark closets scaring the you-know-what out of me. So, it was no surprise to my mother when she heard a blood-curdling scream from the knot of neighbors. Since Dad was so far up, the rope around his waist was not quite visible from the ground. He got a good grip on the rope, fell backwards and yelled as he “fell” off the roof. Needless to say, the knot of neighbors disbursed quickly, if not happily, after discovering they were the butt of his joke.

So, back to the original premise that DIY projects set the stage for potentially dangerous or embarassing condtions — what is the most embarrassing situation you have found yourself in while working on a DIY project? Share your tale in the comments section below.

The idea of heating water with the power of the sun is as old as … the Earth! But capturing that energy to efficiently heat water for domestic use is a more recent innovation. You can purchase and install manufactured solar hot water systems or build one yourself. Beginning in 2010, all new-house construction in Hawaii will be required to have solar water heaters.

Rather than a whole-house system, you can erect a simple outdoor, solar-heated shower.

MOTHER EARTH NEWS readers have been inventing ways to produce solar-heated water for decades. Have you built a solar water heater? If so, in the comments section below, tell us about it and how well it performed.