I’d originally planned for this post to be an essay about the irrigation ditch I dug from the street through my front yard. It was all written, ready for photos, when the contents of the Word file went blank. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but computers are inhabited with little devils, whose favorite pastime—whenContinue reading “Post 57: Fast Lane, or Purslane?“
Tag Archives: sustainable living
Post 56. Tandemonium
Guest post by Anna Mirocha From Kay: When I first went carless, my daughter was 10. I bought us an old tandem bicycle to get around town. She was too young to fully appreciate my planetary concerns, or the fact that we’d save money, or the exercise benefits. It was a case of the parentContinue reading “Post 56. Tandemonium”
Post 55: My Top 10 Best Alley Finds Ever (Outdoor Edition)
Looking at the examples below, you might think I spend my days prowling the alleys. Not true. It’s great exercise, but I also go for walks via the neighborhood streets. I hit the alleys maybe once every couple of months, adding an extra trip if I’m looking for something in particular. On those occasions IContinue reading “Post 55: My Top 10 Best Alley Finds Ever (Outdoor Edition)”
Post 53: Punished for Our Purchases
A couple weeks ago, Terry and I had to buy some new stuff. Once in a while, as I’ve said, it’s unavoidable. At least we could still protest the shopping trip by biking to the store instead of driving there. The temperature was in the three digits, but it was only two miles away andContinue reading “Post 53: Punished for Our Purchases”
Post 52: A Monsoon Story
Nature is the opposite of new stuff. If you’re out in your back yard, you’re not at Walmart. If you’re hiking in the wilderness, you’re not ordering stuff on the Internet. If you’re camping in the reality of the desert, you’re not moving through the artificial world of video games. Human beings tend to thinkContinue reading “Post 52: A Monsoon Story”
Post 51: Golden Gonads
This week, I’m keeping my part of the post short so you can use the time to watch this episode of Jon Stewart’s podcast, The Problem. Sometimes, other people say things I want to say, but better. Well, this isn’t exactly that! But it does take a look at corporations—what’s happened to them in generalContinue reading “Post 51: Golden Gonads“
Post 50: It’s Raining Candy
It’s saguaro-fruit harvesting season once again. Since saguaro fruits are, in my opinion, just about the sweetest, tastiest, most beautiful fruits this Sonoran Desert has to offer, I was planning to include harvesting and cooking tips on my New Stuff Sucks post this week. Then I thought, well, I’m getting more out-of-area readers now, andContinue reading “Post 50: It’s Raining Candy“
Post 49: Are You Wearing a Hair Shirt?
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood. –Robert Frost I once heard a radio reporter say, “Living an environmentally friendly life is like wearing a hair shirt.” Really? I thought—wondering if she’d ever tried it. Since I was never able to locate her story online afterward, I’m still wondering. But the search brought up plenty of othersContinue reading “Post 49: Are You Wearing a Hair Shirt?”
Post 47: Are We Too Many? (Part 2)
I posted the first half of this piece last week. In that post, along with this one, I’m responding to an article from The Atlantic’s Weekly Planet, “People Who Hate People,” by Jerusalem Demsas, May 25, 2022. It makes sense at this point to go back to Paul Ehrlich’s personal evolution, because it grew inContinue reading “Post 47: Are We Too Many? (Part 2)”
Post 45: Home Free
My marriage was killed by home-decorating magazines. Or at least they put a big nail in its coffin. I was lost. Paul knew what he wanted to do with his life and was passionate about it. I didn’t, even with two degrees. I had a lot of interests—and yes, even passions—but I had no ideaContinue reading “Post 45: Home Free”
New Stuff Sucks 