I woke up this morning with a pea-sized pebble of a migraine (pronounced "mee-grain" by my British friends). I pretended like it really wasn't there, and got up at 6:30 a.m. Made banana-walnut muffin dough, walked over to the Mercantile.
Warmed up the oven, discovered that it runs 50 degrees cold, adjusted, and put them in to bake.
Went back home and picked up the tray of granola that I made last night; came back and set the table for 8.
Talked to Kurt while he baked, then fried, potatoes. Set up coffee, water, tea.
Chatted with fabulous guests Joe and Beth, and then the Rabbits started to arrive. Tony, Lily, Juan, Amy and Joly all came for breakfast.
Talked for over an hour, washed a gazillion dishes, and finished just in time to run our trash into Rutledge in Joe's truck. Huh? Is this another weird Dancing Rabbit quirk - some people take their dog for a walk, the Rabbits take their trash for a drive? Hardly. It seems that the trash company is afraid of our "gravel" - i.e. mud - road, and refuses to drive on it to collect our trash. The unfortunate thing is that they never TELL us when they're not coming, so our stinky, smelly trash piles up a la Sarah Silvia Cynthia Stout:
Had lunch at Zimmerman's cafe (broccoli cheese soup), came home and put a load of sheets/towels in the washer. Finally admitted that it was indeed a migraine, took some fabulous drugs ("better living through chemistry") and took a two-hour nap.
Arrived at the Mercantile in time to greet Jeff McIntyre-Strausberg already blogging in the Mercantile. I'm here now drinking pots of Peace Coffee and blogging. Anthony returns tonight, so we'll no longer have to think about what to eat - it will just magically appear. Sigh. more soon!
Friday, March 26, 2010
And the Blog-a-thon begins!
OK everyone! Sitting across from me is Jeff McIntyre-Strasberg of Sustainablog.org, beginning his 24-hour blog-a-thon to benefit Dancing Rabbit.
Click there, donate, and possibly win a $10 gift certificate to the Milkweed Mercantile. Maybe. I mean, it would be unethical to promise anything. Except for perhaps, a good time!
More very soon!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Fat and Happy at the Ecovillage
We just received the You tube url for a short piece done by Nicole Grabowski of Mizzou. I think she did a pretty good job, especially considering she was here on a Saturday in the middle of winter when everything is pretty darned ugly.
Note to self: Either refuse the profile shots or go on a diet. Sigh.
Note to self: Either refuse the profile shots or go on a diet. Sigh.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Wind power for everyone - even the cynics
As I write this the sun is shining brightly – the solar chimes in a downstairs window are pinging merrily, and I can hear our wind turbine spinning out electric power. Other than knowing that our batteries are filling up with electricity, I’m not much of an electrician. BUT!
One of the most interesting topics to come up a the annual Dancing Rabbit retreat this last weekend, at least for me, is considering going from having our own independent solar/wind power systems to hooking up to “the grid.” NOTE: For a quick explanation of the grid, look at this link Modernize the Grid . It is not entirely unbiased, but you’ll get the general idea.
My first reaction to DR hooking up to the grid was “no way!” I didn’t want to have anything to do with a system that uses coal and nuclear power – hooking up to the grid felt akin to sleeping with the enemy. But through listening and reading, I’ve begun to realize that like most things, it is much more complicated and multi-faceted than I had ever realized.
The power grid itself, the huge nationwide system that generates electricity and then moves it to where it is needed, is a marvel of engineering. But with the ease of seemingly abundant power comes a sense of entitlement and lack of awareness.
If we can simply flick on a switch and have a room flooded with light, plug in an electric heater when we get cold, add a huge freezer and fridge to hold our food so that we can eat anything regardless of the season, if we all have large screen televisions, 5,000 square foot homes, air conditioning left on 24 hours a day in the summer…it is easy to forget where our power comes from.
I certainly never thought (much) about it before moving to Dancing Rabbit. But the days of blasé naïveté are over. Mountain tops are being removed so that Americans can heat the towel bars in their bathrooms. Appalachia (Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) has been systematically scalped for the last 28 years. If you think I’m exaggerating, you have never seen photos of “modern surface mining” (as it is euphemistically called). Simply google “coal mining” or go to this site or to Mountain Justice or to Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. More than 80% of Missouri is currently powered by coal-fired plants.
Nuclear power is not clean, either. Lest we forget, take a quick look at Paul Fusco’s Chernobyl Legacy . The Chernobyl reactor exploded in 1986. The photos were taken in 1997. Most of the children pictured must have been in utero or not yet conceived – those who didn’t die outright suffer from severe genetic disorders and a number of lethal cancers. Four hundred times more radioactive fallout was released than in the bombing of Hiroshima. Is our use of electrical appliances so important that we let this happen to children?
Back to Dancing Rabbit.
When we arrived, the first thing Kurt did was to install our solar panels (and later, a wind turbine), hooked them both to a bank of eight deep-cycle batteries to hold the electricity, and also hooked everything up to an inverter and charge controller. I am not really interested in the mechanics of it all – I’ve simply learned how to interpret the readout so that I know when I can use the waffle iron and when I need to be more conservative with my electricity use.
We (Kurt and I, and many other Rabbits) have known from the start that there were very few easy answers to the environmental challenges facing us. I was fully aware that many of our choices were less than optimal, but had to content myself that we were working towards better solutions. For example, the small scale renewable energy system that powers our house is largely dependent upon deep-cycle lead-acid batteries. We need them to store electricity so that at night and during cloudy weather we can have power. (NOTE: not everyone at DR has a power system. But I’ve noticed that the folks who live in houses without electricity spend a lot of time in buildings that DO have power – Skyhouse and the Community Building – using the lights and the wi-fi).
Four (of eight) deep cycle batteries
These deep-cycle lead-acid batteries are not sustainable. They wear out in about ten years, and there are issues with both manufacture and disposal. Plus they are (almost prohibitively) expensive. We chose to use them because at the time they were our best option.
Where we monitor the power currently (no pun intended) in our batteries.
But the times, they are a-changing.
More and more municipalities are allowing grid intertie systems.
I LOVE THINKING ABOUT THIS. It is always sunny and/or windy somewhere in the United States. What if those of us utilizing renewable energy (wind and solar) hooked up to the grid to share our excess electricity? Can we, by contributing our “green” power, help with the huge culture shift that must happen to wean ourselves away from coal and nuclear power? What if dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions of individual homeowners and communities installed solar panels and wind turbines and sent power back into the grid? Coupled with conservation (which does NOT have to mean deprivation) we could decrease the demand for polluting power by providing a bountiful, green alternative.
Our goal at Dancing Rabbit is not to be self-sufficient. What we DO want is to be a part of a sustainable society, and to demonstrate that great lives can be had while living sustainably, and to contribute to the solution. I look forward to next week’s retreat meetings and further discussions about this issue. I’ll keep you posted about how the conversation is proceeding and what is happening. In the meantime, consider doing the following:
*Oh, just stop it! We have a TV to watch Netflix movies on occasionally. We have a microwave because it is a very efficient way to warm up leftovers WITHOUT using propane.
One of the most interesting topics to come up a the annual Dancing Rabbit retreat this last weekend, at least for me, is considering going from having our own independent solar/wind power systems to hooking up to “the grid.” NOTE: For a quick explanation of the grid, look at this link Modernize the Grid . It is not entirely unbiased, but you’ll get the general idea.
My first reaction to DR hooking up to the grid was “no way!” I didn’t want to have anything to do with a system that uses coal and nuclear power – hooking up to the grid felt akin to sleeping with the enemy. But through listening and reading, I’ve begun to realize that like most things, it is much more complicated and multi-faceted than I had ever realized.
The power grid itself, the huge nationwide system that generates electricity and then moves it to where it is needed, is a marvel of engineering. But with the ease of seemingly abundant power comes a sense of entitlement and lack of awareness.
If we can simply flick on a switch and have a room flooded with light, plug in an electric heater when we get cold, add a huge freezer and fridge to hold our food so that we can eat anything regardless of the season, if we all have large screen televisions, 5,000 square foot homes, air conditioning left on 24 hours a day in the summer…it is easy to forget where our power comes from.
I certainly never thought (much) about it before moving to Dancing Rabbit. But the days of blasé naïveté are over. Mountain tops are being removed so that Americans can heat the towel bars in their bathrooms. Appalachia (Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia) has been systematically scalped for the last 28 years. If you think I’m exaggerating, you have never seen photos of “modern surface mining” (as it is euphemistically called). Simply google “coal mining” or go to this site or to Mountain Justice or to Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition. More than 80% of Missouri is currently powered by coal-fired plants.
Nuclear power is not clean, either. Lest we forget, take a quick look at Paul Fusco’s Chernobyl Legacy . The Chernobyl reactor exploded in 1986. The photos were taken in 1997. Most of the children pictured must have been in utero or not yet conceived – those who didn’t die outright suffer from severe genetic disorders and a number of lethal cancers. Four hundred times more radioactive fallout was released than in the bombing of Hiroshima. Is our use of electrical appliances so important that we let this happen to children?
Back to Dancing Rabbit.
When we arrived, the first thing Kurt did was to install our solar panels (and later, a wind turbine), hooked them both to a bank of eight deep-cycle batteries to hold the electricity, and also hooked everything up to an inverter and charge controller. I am not really interested in the mechanics of it all – I’ve simply learned how to interpret the readout so that I know when I can use the waffle iron and when I need to be more conservative with my electricity use.
We (Kurt and I, and many other Rabbits) have known from the start that there were very few easy answers to the environmental challenges facing us. I was fully aware that many of our choices were less than optimal, but had to content myself that we were working towards better solutions. For example, the small scale renewable energy system that powers our house is largely dependent upon deep-cycle lead-acid batteries. We need them to store electricity so that at night and during cloudy weather we can have power. (NOTE: not everyone at DR has a power system. But I’ve noticed that the folks who live in houses without electricity spend a lot of time in buildings that DO have power – Skyhouse and the Community Building – using the lights and the wi-fi).
Four (of eight) deep cycle batteries
These deep-cycle lead-acid batteries are not sustainable. They wear out in about ten years, and there are issues with both manufacture and disposal. Plus they are (almost prohibitively) expensive. We chose to use them because at the time they were our best option.
Where we monitor the power currently (no pun intended) in our batteries.
But the times, they are a-changing.
More and more municipalities are allowing grid intertie systems.
I LOVE THINKING ABOUT THIS. It is always sunny and/or windy somewhere in the United States. What if those of us utilizing renewable energy (wind and solar) hooked up to the grid to share our excess electricity? Can we, by contributing our “green” power, help with the huge culture shift that must happen to wean ourselves away from coal and nuclear power? What if dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions of individual homeowners and communities installed solar panels and wind turbines and sent power back into the grid? Coupled with conservation (which does NOT have to mean deprivation) we could decrease the demand for polluting power by providing a bountiful, green alternative.
Our goal at Dancing Rabbit is not to be self-sufficient. What we DO want is to be a part of a sustainable society, and to demonstrate that great lives can be had while living sustainably, and to contribute to the solution. I look forward to next week’s retreat meetings and further discussions about this issue. I’ll keep you posted about how the conversation is proceeding and what is happening. In the meantime, consider doing the following:
- Plug your appliances into power strips that can be turned off when not in use. We have these on our printer, our television, our microwave.* These appliances, and many more with an “automatic on” capability are ALWAYS pulling power. Ghost load details here
*Oh, just stop it! We have a TV to watch Netflix movies on occasionally. We have a microwave because it is a very efficient way to warm up leftovers WITHOUT using propane.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Back from the Black Abyss - Life off the Grid
After two dark, wind-free weeks, the batteries storing the last of our solar and wind power were finally tapped out, and we were left in the dark. It is not unusual for us to have a day or so where we have to be aware of our power usage, but two weeks felt oppressive. Kurt and I have been carefully alternating between our cottage and the Mercantile; we would do vital things (like grind coffee beans!) in whichever had a smidge more power.
But by last Saturday, the entire village was on “black power.” Green power is when the batteries are full, and electricity is plentiful. From there it goes to yellow, to orange, to red, and finally to black, when the inverter (essentially the on/off switch) is shut off. I opened the Mercantile in the dark, wrote out our monthly food order from the natural foods distributor huddled by the glass-paned front doors, and did everything I could think of while there was still weak daylight. By 5:00 p.m. we had the candles lit.
We’ve learned many tricks to living without power and by candle light – taller tapers are much better to read by than pillars, for example. Three tapers surrounding one’s book on the table (one on each side, one at the top) provides plentiful illumination. But we both find ourselves getting sleepy earlier, and are often in bed by 8:30. (Oh, how they party at the Ecovillage, she says sarcastically!). Additionally, we've got spots of wax everywhere - all over the table cloth, on books, on end tables, even on our shoes (carrying a taper in an elegant glass candleholder to the bathroom and back is often hazardous to one's footwear). Ack!
More problematic are things like the water pump – we have plenty of water in the cistern, but it takes electricity to get it from there up through the filter and into the faucet. Things we take for granted suddenly became things we were forced to consider.
I went to Rutledge and bought three blocks of ice. One went into the fridge in our house (which we had turned off), turning it into an old fashioned “ice box.” The other two went into the Mercantile freezer, which was the only thing plugged in over there.
For dinner, and for potlucks, I made items that did not require a mixer, a blender or a food processor. I had memories of my grandmother who always baked from scratch and never used a mixer – she beat the butter and sugar together BY HAND, and then added eggs and beat them in BY HAND. Whooeeee. I never knew what a powerhouse of an arm she must have had! I tried it for a batch of no-knead bread and it was just about all I could do – I was worn out.
When we moved here, I did not sign up for a Little House on the Prairie life. I am not looking to create a "simpler" time with no power. I'm more into being comfortable in a way that feels more sustainable than how I lived in a city. I enjoy lights, computers, and my KitchenAid mixer.
And then the winds came. Like the ancient Israelites wandering in the wilderness receiving manna, or the pioneer Mormons welcoming the seagulls to eat the crickets devouring their crops, the bit of sun and fierce, blustery wind have come to save us. For two days now the wind has been raging, sending our wind turbine into paroxysms of activity. We gleefully watch the numbers on the trimetric box (which shows the percentage of fullness of batteries, and the amps coming in to the system) climb higher and higher – we are currently at 87%.
So we are grateful. And humble.
That’s it for now – I’m going to go jump up and down outside in the sunshine and wind!
But by last Saturday, the entire village was on “black power.” Green power is when the batteries are full, and electricity is plentiful. From there it goes to yellow, to orange, to red, and finally to black, when the inverter (essentially the on/off switch) is shut off. I opened the Mercantile in the dark, wrote out our monthly food order from the natural foods distributor huddled by the glass-paned front doors, and did everything I could think of while there was still weak daylight. By 5:00 p.m. we had the candles lit.
We’ve learned many tricks to living without power and by candle light – taller tapers are much better to read by than pillars, for example. Three tapers surrounding one’s book on the table (one on each side, one at the top) provides plentiful illumination. But we both find ourselves getting sleepy earlier, and are often in bed by 8:30. (Oh, how they party at the Ecovillage, she says sarcastically!). Additionally, we've got spots of wax everywhere - all over the table cloth, on books, on end tables, even on our shoes (carrying a taper in an elegant glass candleholder to the bathroom and back is often hazardous to one's footwear). Ack!
More problematic are things like the water pump – we have plenty of water in the cistern, but it takes electricity to get it from there up through the filter and into the faucet. Things we take for granted suddenly became things we were forced to consider.
I went to Rutledge and bought three blocks of ice. One went into the fridge in our house (which we had turned off), turning it into an old fashioned “ice box.” The other two went into the Mercantile freezer, which was the only thing plugged in over there.
For dinner, and for potlucks, I made items that did not require a mixer, a blender or a food processor. I had memories of my grandmother who always baked from scratch and never used a mixer – she beat the butter and sugar together BY HAND, and then added eggs and beat them in BY HAND. Whooeeee. I never knew what a powerhouse of an arm she must have had! I tried it for a batch of no-knead bread and it was just about all I could do – I was worn out.
When we moved here, I did not sign up for a Little House on the Prairie life. I am not looking to create a "simpler" time with no power. I'm more into being comfortable in a way that feels more sustainable than how I lived in a city. I enjoy lights, computers, and my KitchenAid mixer.
And then the winds came. Like the ancient Israelites wandering in the wilderness receiving manna, or the pioneer Mormons welcoming the seagulls to eat the crickets devouring their crops, the bit of sun and fierce, blustery wind have come to save us. For two days now the wind has been raging, sending our wind turbine into paroxysms of activity. We gleefully watch the numbers on the trimetric box (which shows the percentage of fullness of batteries, and the amps coming in to the system) climb higher and higher – we are currently at 87%.
So we are grateful. And humble.
That’s it for now – I’m going to go jump up and down outside in the sunshine and wind!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
A Little Help for My Friends
Hi all. I haven't written much lately - Amy, Juan and I are all working frantically (and not really very sustainably) to get our Seminar and Inn reservation software and information up and running. I'm running around like a crazy person, snapping at the dog, yelling at the snow (go figure), whining about credit card rates and html and other things that I do not understand, and generally being a big fat pain in the patootie.
Ah, but the universe has other plans, and it often forces me to wake up and smell the roses. I received an email that once again put it all in perspective.
Look at this beautiful little girl. This is Ja'Naya. She is four.
She was just diagnosed with leukemia.
I blog with Ja'Naya's mom as part of the Green Mom's Carnival. Like many of us, she and her family do not currently have health insurance. I can imagine few things as terrifying.
If you can, I encourage you to donate something, no matter how small. Click here to see more pictures and for a donation link.
Thanks so much. I'll write more tomorrow, and catch you all up on Mercantile & Dancing Rabbit happenings!
Ah, but the universe has other plans, and it often forces me to wake up and smell the roses. I received an email that once again put it all in perspective.
Look at this beautiful little girl. This is Ja'Naya. She is four.
She was just diagnosed with leukemia.
I blog with Ja'Naya's mom as part of the Green Mom's Carnival. Like many of us, she and her family do not currently have health insurance. I can imagine few things as terrifying.
If you can, I encourage you to donate something, no matter how small. Click here to see more pictures and for a donation link.
Thanks so much. I'll write more tomorrow, and catch you all up on Mercantile & Dancing Rabbit happenings!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Eight Sustainable Eco Gifts $30 or less
What to give if you want something nice but don't want to trash the planet? Check out the items below - they're some of the things we feel strongly about, and really love. We think your recipients will, too!
To-go Ware Tiffins - $23.00 - $25.00
Stylish and sturdy, these stainless steel food carriers are a fabulous way to keep styrafoam out of the system. Simply bring one of these along for leftovers, and then carry them in to work the next day. Produced by a Fair Trade company.
To-go Ware Bamboo Flatware in recycled plastic case – $12.00
I always have one of these sets in my bag – I HATE using plastic flatware for both environmental and aesthetic reasons. The knife, fork and spoon are strong and feel good in one’s hand – the spoon is especially fun to use, and the chopsticks have a lovely twist design. The snap-holder is made of recycled PET plastic and has a carabiner so that you never forget to bring it along!
Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Beverage Bottles – $15.00 - $28.00
Safe, durable and no disposable plastic. Now available in an insulated version, that keeps hot drinks hot for six hours, and cold drinks cold for 24. What’s not to love?
The Best Rechargeable Batteries on the Market – eneloop
Starting at $20.00, including charger
Recycled Cotton Shopping Bags – with dual handles, the same “footprint” as a brown paper bag, and super tough fabric these bags are a steal at $6.00
Glass Food Storage Containers $6.00 - $17.00 See-through, safe (no leaching from plastic) and dishwasher safe, these borosilicate containers are simply the best.
Organic Essential Oils to add to home-made cleaning products $6.00. Recipes on the Essential Oils page on our store.
New Leaf Paper Products – 100% Post Consumer Waste
$3.00 - $8.00
If you have to use “new” paper, this is the kind to use!
To-go Ware Tiffins - $23.00 - $25.00
Stylish and sturdy, these stainless steel food carriers are a fabulous way to keep styrafoam out of the system. Simply bring one of these along for leftovers, and then carry them in to work the next day. Produced by a Fair Trade company.
To-go Ware Bamboo Flatware in recycled plastic case – $12.00
I always have one of these sets in my bag – I HATE using plastic flatware for both environmental and aesthetic reasons. The knife, fork and spoon are strong and feel good in one’s hand – the spoon is especially fun to use, and the chopsticks have a lovely twist design. The snap-holder is made of recycled PET plastic and has a carabiner so that you never forget to bring it along!
Klean Kanteen Stainless Steel Beverage Bottles – $15.00 - $28.00
Safe, durable and no disposable plastic. Now available in an insulated version, that keeps hot drinks hot for six hours, and cold drinks cold for 24. What’s not to love?
The Best Rechargeable Batteries on the Market – eneloop
Starting at $20.00, including charger
Recycled Cotton Shopping Bags – with dual handles, the same “footprint” as a brown paper bag, and super tough fabric these bags are a steal at $6.00
Glass Food Storage Containers $6.00 - $17.00 See-through, safe (no leaching from plastic) and dishwasher safe, these borosilicate containers are simply the best.
Organic Essential Oils to add to home-made cleaning products $6.00. Recipes on the Essential Oils page on our store.
New Leaf Paper Products – 100% Post Consumer Waste$3.00 - $8.00
If you have to use “new” paper, this is the kind to use!
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