Going Green(ish)

I really want to learn how to be greener.   I think we try to do our part here by recycling regularly.  That's partly because our city makes it so easy.  They provide us with a large wheeled receptacle specifically for recycling, and then pick it up on the regularly scheduled trash day, every other week.  

We try to replace burned out light bulbs with the high efficiency ones.  (Although we still have two halogen lights that we're using....  need to ditch those!)

We only do laundry with full loads.  (But we still use the dryer.  Never did care for line-dried clothes....)

We only run the dishwasher when it's full, and usually only once a week.  

We installed a Rain Barrel which is hooked up , and collecting copious amounts of rain water which we use to water all of the plants on the front porch, as well as the few veggies we have on the back patio.

We cut the heat back this year several degrees (which also helped to lower the oil bill!).

We fired the wood stove more this winter to keep the electric heat from kicking on downstairs. 

This spring when we had a rather warm spell, we sucked it up, and just ran fans instead of resorting to turning on the air conditioners already.

We've got the tote bags that we take to the stores now, so we don't use as many plastic bags, and the plastic bags that we do get, we use multiple times.

So, all in all, we don't do half bad. And I know there are more things we can do.  And I'd like to try to figure out what they are....  Anyone have suggestions??

One thing I'd like learn more about is composting.  It's a really cool way of reducing waste and another form of recycling.  Apparently, the former owners of the house somewhat had a composting pile in the back of the yard.  I never noticed it as a formal compost pile, but D recently said that it was set up with cinder block separators.  I'm thinking more along the lines  of a commercial bin.   We'll see!

We should probably buy more local foods.  This is a catch 22, though, as local is more expensive in a time when everyone is watching their budgets.  I enjoy going to the local farmers markets, and getting fresh produce, tho.

Maybe next year, I'll find a spot to actually plant a veggie garden somewhere in the yard.  And use the compost as fertilizer for some terrific homegrown yums!

So, please, if you have some additional suggestions, post 'em!  I'd love to hear some ideas....

AMW

@#$%&* Squirrel!

UGH!  I put all the plants out on the porch last week to get them some fresh air, and sunshine.  It's been nice enough that I've been able to leave them out there.  But when I checked on them after the first full day, some stupid squirrel had been digging in them.  No real damage that I can see, except for lots of little holes dug in all of the pots.  And in almost every single one!  AND he threw dirt all around the porch!  It had to have been a "he".  (Girls don't make that big of a mess.)

He's been back several times, and dug more holes in some plants that he'd been to already.  This weekend, I'll take some advice that I was recently given, and put some gumballs on top of the soil to try to deter the little sh#%.  

And I'll try to take some updated pictures of the plants from how they did this winter (not so great, I'm afraid!)

AMW

Spring is near...

Well, spring is close.  The porch is a mess.  We've pulled plants out to give them some sunshine, but they are in no particular order.  The big palm is about to die.  I managed to keep it alive until about a month ago, and now just looks pathetic.  Most of the plants are looking pretty bad.  I just can't bring myself to take pictures of them.

Hopefully soon, though, they'll be refreshed, and energized and ready to grow.  We've bought some petunias to get some color going before too long, and soon we'll get a storage container to get all the pots and dirt and tools out of sight.

The rain barrel needs a little TLC as well, as the weight of it when it's full has caused the front of it to sink down into the ground.  We'll need to empty it, and put a stabilizing block underneath the front of it.  But then it should be good to go.  

We got a couple of really cool decorative hanging containers that I can't wait to get plants in and see how they look.  I'll make sure and highlight them here for you when they're done.

Until a little warmer weather (it's almost here!),

AMW

Snow Day Video

I didn't get a chance to find a song to compliment the video, but had fun editing it down for the blog.  Enjoy...

AMW

Snow Day!

Well, we finally had a real snow.  Here is a picture from the porch looking out at about 7:30 am.  Before we went sliding down the hill...  It was actually still snowing, and the sun was trying real hard to peek through the clouds and trees.

It was blustery enough that even the adirondack chairs on the porch got a light dusting!

A close up view of the house from the street.

And here is the far away view of the house from the street.

We did take some video of the first slides down the hill, and as soon as I can edit them into a coherent video, I'll post it here.

Of course, now that we are two days past snow, it has all melted away, and in just a couple more days, it will be 70 degrees.  

Yep, that's the way it goes around here...

AMW

Protector Man

I've been putting this post off for a while, hoping that I'd get some good pictures.  Nope.  But I did manage to get some pictures.  Cell phone pics, which we all know aren't the greatest, but it will work....

If you followed this porch blog at all, you know that we live a couple houses away from an intersection.  A 7-11 on one corner provides some interesting viewing.  A Rite-Aid is on another corner, and the other two corners are empty lots.

For some months now, there has been a man that stands on the corner diagonal from the 7-11.  He is there most days, and into the evening.  Good weather.  Bad weather.  Cold weather.  Doesn't matter.  He isn't yelling.  He isn't talking.  He is standing there.  Sometimes with earphones, but even then, he isn't dancing.  At most, he kind of paces, but it really isn't pacing.  More like shifting his weight between his legs.  

Most of the time, he's dressed in a suit.  I've seen him in a white suit with a red shirt, and a red suit from head to toe.  On cold days, he has a long overcoat.  But almost always in a suit.  Oh, some have seen him in a red jogging suit, which I finally saw last night.  

D asked at 7-11 if they knew what was up with him, and was told that he claims to be "watching for the next attack" and is there to "protect us".  Does he know something we don't???  There are also rumors that some of the neighborhood kids waiting for the school bus have complained that he has flashed them.  The police have talked to him on several occasions, but really, he isn't doing anything.  That's kinda the creepy part.  He's not doing anything.  But waiting for our next attack????  7-11 has banned him, and doesn't allow him in the store.

It's all kind of odd.  Nobody I've talked to has seen him come and go, he's either there or not.  We don't know what direction he goes.  He can't park a car nearby, so we assume he walks.  But we don't to/from where.  

Yesterday, our friend K said she saw him in the morning in his red sweatsuit.  When I came home, he was in a burgandy dress suit.  On the way to bowling, he was still there in a burgandy suit, and another police officer was talking to him.  After bowling, he was STILL there, and back in the red sweatsuit.  

Since we only live a couple of houses from the corner, I didn't want him to see me taking pictures of him.  He can see us turning into the driveway.  But managed to get a couple of shots with the phone.  

Didn't know what else to call him, so we dubbed him "Protector Man"...

AMW

Snow

Well, twice now we've had snow in the forecast, and we've been anxiously waiting so we could get some great snow pictures of the porch.    And twice, we haven't gotten more than a flake at best.  So now snow pics.

Hopefully, we can get one good snow.  For pics, and for a ride down the hill......

AMW