I recently took a vacation… and a guilt trip. It is so hard to keep your impact low when you’re traveling. First, there’s the air travel – that is hard to avoid when taking a long trip. So, let’s look past that for now. (I have mixed opinions about carbon offsetting.) I’m going to show…
I had the distinct pleasure of going to a small town in Colorado with a big elevation: Telluride. This little one stop-light town sits high in a box canyon – 8,750 feet to be exact. With less than 2,500 residents, Telluride is the most populated town in San Miguel county, which stretches 1,288 miles through…
Denver is one of the coolest cities I’ve ever visited – and not just because I flew there to see Pearl Jam in concert. It also has a really great downtown. What makes their downtown great is how pedestrian-friendly it is. Their downtown is like a destination.
As many of you know, I am spending most of my summer in beautiful Vermont. There are few more pristine places on Earth than the Green Mountains. People here live closer to the Earth than most, and life is slower and simpler. However, there are also some environmental disadvantages to living in such a rural…
Saturday has become one of my favorite days of the week. My Saturday ritual has become taking the bus down to the Downtown Sarasota Farmer’s Market with my two shopping bags to buy fresh vegetables. This particular Saturday was extra special as EcoFest was taking place.
Now that I’m getting comfortable with the scooter, life seems about as close to perfect as it can get. One thing to remember if you do decide to take the plunge to go car-free and buy a scooter or motorcycle to save gas is SAFETY. Because there are lots of people (many with short attention…
If you’re a guy, you may want to take this opportunity to clean under your fingernails or pick up a motorcycle magazine. This information is NOT for you. It’s for the ladies who realize how many feminine hygiene products they send to the landfill every year in dealing with their monthly visit from Mother Nature. …
OK, so I told you all I was too chicken to ride the scooter. But that was before Monday when I was really feeling achy and tired. I needed some groceries pretty badly, and I just couldn’t muster the energy to walk to the bus stop or pull out my bicycle. I actually started longing…
A lot of you read my blog occasionally – maybe even regularly. And I bet you wonder, “Does she really live like that or are these all little ‘experiments’ that she does for the blog in between eating steaks, driving a Hummer and leaving all the lights on 24/7?” You would be very surprised…
The absolute best part about growing your own food: eating it. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to savor the juicy flavor of homegrown fruits and veggies. I have begun to harvest some of my food, and it’s amazing! I have eaten three delicious strawberries and had 4 salads using my lettuce.
It is amazing how little most of us know about our neighborhood. We can live somewhere for years and never get to know our neighbors. We drive by the little “Mom and Pop” shops on our way to the big box stores and never give them a second glance. We often know nothing about the…
Now that a month has passed, my life without a car is finally feeling like a reality, and I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not always fun or easy. Take last week for example – I contracted bronchitis. Bronchitis, in and of itself, is not fun, and by the time I realized I…
For those of you who live in a milder climate like I do (and even those who get to spend only part of the year with tolerable temperatures), there is no reason not to own a bicycle. Whether you live in the country or the city, cycling is good exercise and a great alternative to…
I have officially been without a car for 3 weeks! And I learned a valuable lesson today about the difference between riding the scooter and riding my bicycle: respect. Granted, I have only taken the scooter on the road once, but it gave me a good feel for things. This morning, I road my bike…
While we concentrate on putting good things into our own body, we should also think of our pets. What sorts of additives and ingredients are in their food? Most mainstream pet food contains “animal meal” – which means ground up miscellaneous animal parts. Often, the meal included cats and dogs. So, in essence, you are…