It's Easy Being Green

I’m absolutely blown away by the amount of paper Victoria’s Secret wastes on their catalogs.  I think we must receive a new catalog at least once every week in our mailbox and it’s because we order from them, not because we want the catalog.  What’s even more frustrating is that there’s no indication on the catalog that they use any form of recycled paper for the printing.  Thinking about the amount of paper they use and the amount of gasoline it must take to transport... (more...)

So, maybe you’re considering a trip to escape everything during the holidays.  Or, maybe you’re thinking about treating yourself to some time alone after the holidays!  Whatever it may be, there are now more ways than ever to travel in a “green” way. The first and most obvious way to travel green is by putting some careful thought and consideration into your trip.  This can be as simple as running your daily errands and considering a gas-saving route to complete them. ... (more...)

No doubt about it, I’ve been a neglectful blogger these past few weeks. Between getting into the groove at my new job and the craziness here at the Half-Acre Homestead, I just haven’t found much time to sit down at the computer. The awful severe weather has gone on hiatus for now and after an early May bout of frost, I think it’s finally time to get out and hit the garden. I recorded a vlog from the square foot garden just a couple of weeks ago and totally forgot to post it. Better... (more...)

A lot of people have funny thoughts about home brewed beer. One of the many visions people get is the quintessential picture of someone brewing beer in their home bathtub. It is a funny thought but not one that represents home brewing at all! I’ve had the hobby of brewing for about 7 years now. A good friend of mine down in the Valley of the Sun decided to try it out one day and were quite impressed with our results. We both enjoyed fine liquors, beers, wines and cigars. Beer happened... (more...)

The idea of turning our waste into energy we all can use has been around for awhile.  Now a professor at the University of California – Davis, has developed a new technique to get more energy out of that garbage.  Ruihong Zhang has been working on her Biogas Energy Project for the past eight years.  Now the university has taken the steps to acquire the license on the product and a power company has even signed on to adapt the unit for commercial use. The piece of technology Zhang has been... (more...)

I really enjoy living in a place where you can feel connected to nature and the natural environment that surrounds you.  Last night, while coming into the village where we live I got to see the local herd of elk grazing on grass around midnight.  I stopped the car probably about 10 feet away from them.  They looked at me and continued munching their evening meal.  I just watched for a few minutes before coming up the hill to the house.  It was a very relaxing and peaceful sight to watch. Today,... (more...)

Referred to as a “nectar of the gods”, I can firmly say my first experiment with dandelion wine has left me with my stomach turning inside out. The wretched brew smells more like the “nectar” of a porcelain god, enough to send anyone with a working sniffer to run far, far away. My dandelion wine experiment began last year. Seeing fields of yellow, perky dandelion blossoms painted through the grass left me wondering what could be done with the pervasive “weed”... (more...)