Sustainable

Banking on the Harvest

Submitted by TimJFowler on Fri, 2014/07/18 - 10:24am
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Petaluma Seed Bank interior 2

Why do banks give up these incredible buildings? The answer is probably very boring and financially sensible, but LOOK at this building and tell me do you prefer an ATM?

Anyway ... on our recent (and too short) northern CA vacation we made a trip to the Petaluma Seed Bank. If you enjoy seed catalogs, you will love this place. We browsed for quite a while and made small withdrawal (i.e. we bought some seeds).

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Can You Fix It?

Submitted by TimJFowler on Thu, 2014/06/26 - 7:06pm
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Broken - Storm Door Latch and Coffee Grinder

Stuff breaks. This is a fact of life. But, is that stuff fixable?

Here are two recent examples of broken items from our home, a storm door latch and coffee grinder. The storm door was fixed by replacing the inside latch. The coffee grinder wasn't fixable (yes, I took it apart to attempt a repair). The coffee grinder, although it lasted 25+ years, is disposable. The storm door was designed with replaceable parts (latch, handle, screen, etc.)

Why I Garden #39

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2014/04/01 - 4:11pm
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Santa Rosa Plum Tree in Bloom

One sure sign of spring is our Santa Rosa Plum tree in bloom. With crossed fingers, compost, water and a little help from Mother Nature and Luther Burbank we could have a crop of plums later this year. Barring any late freezes or big wind storms, of course.

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Prunus x domestica 'Santa Rosa' plum

Fixing a Broken Heart

Submitted by TimJFowler on Fri, 2014/02/28 - 11:08am
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Repaired Strong Mountain Bike Frame

The heart of a bicycle is the frame. The fork, wheels, bars and stem, saddle, pedals, etc. are vital, but they all build upon the frame. I've ridden many and owned a few bikes over the years and have determined through trial and error what I like to ride. I was despondent last fall when I discovered a crack on the chainstay of my mountain bike. I found a loaner bike to ride and pondered the fate of my well loved hardtail...

From Merry to Mulch

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2014/01/14 - 10:25am
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Christmas Tree Recycling

Ours was a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I hope yours were too. With the passing of the holidays it is time to clear our the decorations, especially the more flammable ones. The family loved having a fragrant and green Christmas tree in our home.

Thinking of Trains at Christmas

Submitted by TimJFowler on Fri, 2013/12/20 - 4:58pm
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Vintage Train Christmas card

A model train under the Christmas tree is nostalgic decoration. Actual trains running through New Mexico (like the Southwest Chief and Rail Runner Express) have a definite history, but do they have a future? That depends on decisions made by the NMDOT in the newest New Mexico State Rail Plan. While you're enjoying a holiday break you may wish to send the NMDOT your thoughts supporting rail travel in New Mexico.

Our Jeans Keep Us Warm

Submitted by TimJFowler on Mon, 2013/12/02 - 6:01pm
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Garage Ceiling Insulation

A few years ago we insulated our home's attic which made a huge difference in our heating bills. At the time we didn't insulate above the garage because I thought it was unconditioned space. But, the walls between our kitchen/living room and laundry room are poorly insulated - allowing lots of heat transfer between the house and garage. That makes the garage "indirectly-conditioned space" and in dire need of insulation.

EcoMommyo Reads Michael Pollan's "Cooked"

Submitted by EcoMommyo on Thu, 2013/11/14 - 9:06pm
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Cooked by Michael Pollan

Oh how I wish I was a highly paid journalism professor at UC-Berkeley. Then I would be blissfully unaware that people have accents in this great nation of ours and have long Sundays of no errands to stand around watching meat braise. AHHH, that would be the life.

Instead we ate leftover fish tonight and roasted vegetable salad and cleaned a few more things out of the refrigerator. Now I'm sitting here watching Glee, thinking about eating graham crackers for dessert and reveling in the fact that we got EcoBaby to eat brussel sprouts. Life's little victories.

Sabor de la Tierra

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2013/11/05 - 12:12pm
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Vivac Tasting Room and 1725 vineyard

When you think of New Mexico the phrase Goût de Terroir may not leap to mind. But, if sun, soil, and water influence the flavor of chile peppers, then grapes are similarly affected. While New Mexico is better known for chile, the vintners at Vivác are making wine with a taste of place. Perhaps Sabor de la Tierra is more appropriate wording.

Why I Garden #38

Submitted by TimJFowler on Sun, 2013/10/20 - 4:35pm
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Olla and encircling root bowl

A tale of a full moon, a hard frost, green tomatoes and eight dirty ollas.

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