Bear Sightings

There's a good article about bear sightings in the Ozarks, which includes what NOT to do when you're in an area that has them.
Feeding bears or trying to attract them ultimately causes problems for people and usually tragically for the bears, who get used to people and wander into urban areas where they will most likely be killed. "Please Don't Feed the Bears" isn't just a cute decorative sign to hang around your house.

http://www.bransondailynews.com/story.php?storyID=12534

Four Televisions and...

Three rooms to watch them, if you count my office. Actually, we only have one set up, the rest of our now outdated analog TVs are up in our storage barn, along with two households full of stuff.
The question is what to do with them? A friend from book club, who mentioned helping a returning veteran from Iraq furnish an apartment suggested I might look into giving him one of the sets, if he were planning on getting cable. Great idea.
We're still watching one of our old analog sets with our satellite, and everything is working fine (with the 1-hour exception of that one station that didn't convert as smoothly as planned on conversion) but if you plan on buying a new television, don't just dump your old one in the landfill. Here's two sites that will give you more ideas on how to recycle your old, unwanted electronics:
http://www.epa.gov/waste/conserve/materials/ecycling/donate.htm#local
http://www.lifewhile.com/lifestyle/18002401/detail.html

It's All in the Wood

Having such a small space now, we have furniture that will not fit into our tiny house. This isn't always such a bad thing. If I want to change the look of my little space, no money is involved, I just go digging around in storage. This week, we're going to replace the kitchen table with a beautiful butcher block that belonged to my mother. I love the piece and if we do entertain in the summer and need a table, we usually do it on the deck or covered front porch. I know, it's horrible, but we usually eat in front of the television.
I prefer antiques to newly made furniture. Shopping for antiques gives pieces a new life in your home and adds a sense of history. Also, it saves resources in making new.
If you need to buy furniture, however, Jodi Helmer suggests in her book, "The Green Year" that you research eco-friendly wood. Find furniture certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Lowe's Home Improvement is just one store that carries such products.
We were in Lowe's not too long ago and flooring caught my eye. It was bamboo and just gorgeous. We have laminate that looks like wood now, but since bamboo is so pretty and the most eco-friendly, I will definitely be researching how it wears the next time we need to replace our flooring.

My Big Bang Theory

I loved the 4th of July when I was a kid - that is, until my dad received minor burns shooting a firework off for me. From that year on, it just wasn't quite as much fun.
Are you getting ready for a big celebration this year? Here's some tips from Jodi Helmer's "The Green Year" to make your holiday more environmentally friendly, as well as safer:

* Use dinnerware that can be composted for that holiday party. Jodi says over 100 BILLION (there's that "B" word again that is higher than most people can count) plastic, paper and styrofoam cups end up in the landfill every year. Plates, cups and utensils made from organic sugarcane can be found in many health food stores. When you're done, just throw them on the compost pile!

*Keep mosquitoes at bay by simply eliminating standing water in plant pots, trash cans and recycle bins. Change water regularly in bird baths and pet food bowls to eliminate breeding grounds. I also use natural candles while sitting on the deck with neighbors at night. I don't allow anything with Deet near me. We use an all natural spray I buy at the pet supply store.

*Use organic sunscreen. While it's very important to use sunscreen (both of my parent in-laws have suffered from skin cancer), sunscreen is toxic to fish. Find organic and biodegradable sunscreen.

*Finally, celebrate this weekend without fireworks. When we lived in the city, the best part of our block party wasn't the hundreds of collective dollars we watched go up in flames at the end of the day, it was simply getting together with our friends, many of whom are too busy most other days of the year to stop and be neighborly (well, maybe that and our neighbor's pool). Fireworks are toxic to the environment, some even contain dioxin, which is known to cause cancer.

My Big Bang Theory is that you can still have a hot time this holiday weekend while being friendly to our eco-system.

Taking a Bus

Living in my part of the Ozarks is not a place to live if you travel a lot. Fortunately, I only travel 2-3 times a year - and this year will probably just be one major trip. Getting to an airport is 2 hours away, and then the airlines, in my opinion, treat you as if you're lucky they're in existence, and you pay out the nose because you drove two hours to a smaller regional airport, rather than a major one. After checking the price of getting from Springfield to Chicago, where I have a conference and assignment next month, I decided to bus it. I've never taken the bus before, but given it is $300 cheaper than flying and there's practically nothing I can't work on while riding that I can't work on during a ride, I figure I can't go wrong. I'm actually feeling really good about not letting the airlines hold me hostage to their outrageous fares and service!
Besides, next to riding the train or renting a hybrid, taking the bus is the next most eco-friendly option. Win win for my bank account and the earth, can't beat that!

As for our cardinal problem, the little guy is still here, banging my screen and messing all over the place. Even after we tried blocking his reflection, shooting shots in the air to scare him away and putting plastic owls by the window. That all made him mad for about 10 minutes each - and he raised quite the ruckus, but just went back to attacking himself.

Causing a Stir

The thing I love about Jodi Helmer's book, "The Green Year" are all of the factoids she included designed to help the reader realize that they aren't just "ONE," we're all a part of the world, contributing to it in both good and bad ways.

This morning, a tip from her book suggests not using the plastic coffee stirrers every morning. What's the harm you ask?

"Americans throw away 138 BILLION straws and stirrers every year," she says. Think about it, I don't even know how to count to 138 billion, and I'm suspecting not many people do. This plastic ends up someplace - in the landfill. Don't want one in your backyard, reduce waste. Little by little, each straw, stirrer, plastic bag, paper towel and plastic fork adds up!

But I still need to stir my coffee. Can't use washable, reusable silverware at Quick Trip? Put your sugar in first and then your milk, which creates a splash effect and stirs the coffee, Helmer says.

Hell Couldn't Be Hotter Than This...

I'm pretty sure. It is hotter than blazes here in northern Arkansas already and it's only June. I'm hoping this heat isn't this bad all the way through September now. It was only a few days ago that it was still cool and raining. Now things are already starting to turn brown. Sheesh.

This kind of heat brings forth some things we can do to try to keep the air quality a little better:
*Fill your gas tank in the early mornings or evenings.
*Do the same mowing your lawn.
*Remember to keep your plants watered, and water them in the morning as well. Evening's are ok, but increase the chance for fungus.
*Try to turn your thermostat up, or program it for a higher temp when you're not home.

Drink plenty of water and stay cool!
Update on the cardinal situation: We put the screens up on the windows (after cleaning everything up, of course). So far, no sign of Mr. Bird. Hopefully, he's gone on to help perpetuate his species, but we'll see.