It was a GREAT weekend in the garden. A ton of weeding was accomplished, many new perrenials were purchased and the garden is looking better than ever. We have a number of great additions, including a variety of daisies, some lillies, and a large assortment of exotic-looking flora. Now if we can just be spared of eighty billion 95°+ days, my garden may actually stand a chance and allow me to do the occassional weeding without melting or suffering a heat stroke.
I accomplished a lot out there and our garden should be in top shape. So to reward myself, I’d enjoyed a number of my home brews including a FABULOUS witbier (by Northern Brewer) that was thirst-quenching and quite enjoyable. I also spent some time taking pictures.
But of course, the neighbor kid (a thirteen-year-old that lives two doors down from us) was being an immature brat this evening. I was out photographing our lilacs and he started yelling over, calling me a tree hugger. Tree hugger? Where’d he get that?
Well, let’s see… I did recently retire the used lawnmower my dad gave us (as it won’t start anymore) in favor of an earth-friendly classic reel mower…yes, the kind without a motor and requires a little extra effort on my part. But at least I’ll have nice biceps and a firmer stomach by the end of the summer. Not to mention, I am also not emmitting any harmful chemicals or smoke into the atmosphere. Per hour of operation, a power lawn mower emits 10-12 times as much hydrocarbon as a typical automobile. A weedeater emits 21 times more and a leaf blower 34 times more. (Reference)
Let’s see, what else. I did do a lot of gardening. Hardly a tree-hugger activity, but it does have that earth-loving thing about it. But we’re talking dirt-earth. I did stare at the sky for an hour and took pictures of flowers and passing clouds. That might look kinda tree-huggerish.
Well, there is also this belief of mine that E-85 ethanol is one of the major keys to freeing us from foreign oil. Brazil is a nation that is TOTALLY independent of foreign oil and runs nearly ALL of their automobiles on E85 FlexFuel, produced from sugar cane. When we’re in a position to retire my Acura, I plan on going Hybrid or FlexFuel with my next car.
I also happened to e-mail my state and local officials, asking them to support E-85 and FlexFuel initiatives in our state. That has kind of an activist / environmentalist thing going on there. Being reasonably active in the political process to help bring about change.
So perhaps the neighbor brat is right…maybe I am a tree hugger. Beats the alternative I guess — ignorance of what our global consumption is doing to this planet and lacking an appreciation for the beautiful earth that we’ve been made stewards of.
My next step in helping make this planet a little bit cleaner? Get a job closer to home — and that might not be too far off. I’d then bike to work or take the bus on days when the weather was questionable or not suitable for biking.
So yes…despite neighbor brat kid’s attempt to put me down as a tree hugger, I actually consider it a compliment. Maybe along the way he can learn to respect others and the earth in the process…and someday become a tree hugger himself.
May 7, 2006, 9:56 pm
Filed under: General
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