They say it's your birthday, Mesquite Hugger

[Blogger warning: prepare to read a lot about me me me if you venture past this point!]

Yep, it happened again, my birthday rolled around this weekend. And it was a great birthday weekend. Not anything crazy, but good times with great people and a little slowdown time. Good stuff.

I get all reflective around anniversaries and such, so I sat down and started looking at where I am. I won't bore you with all of the details, but I will bore you with the mesquite huggery stuff.

So, what have I been doing right this year? Carpooling the recycling, riding a bike, and trying to spread the word.

Carpooling recycling: Thank you, Texas Tech recycling!!! Thursday is now recycle day - I drive the truck to work. My office and three households load their recycling into the truck. I swing by my mum's house and pick up her recycling, and (of course) I take our recycling and a fair amount of neighborhood stuff to the university. (An old friend of mine is working over there and putting his life back together after some hard times. Through him, I can see where the recycling program is doing much more for our community than just recycling.) Thank you, Texas Tech!

Love the bike!

Yes, you knew I couldn't skip the bike. Lots of miles going to work and running errands. I feel better. The planet breathes easier. Our bank account is suffering less too. Pedaling is good stuff!

Yep, I represented there!

Spreading the word: I gave a few talks, worked with the Citizens Climate Lobby, and blog readership is up. We are making some progress.

What have I been doing okay? Giving up the gasoline, gardening and greener yard work, being politically active, and being friendlier to others.

Second-hand mower that needs no gas!

 

Giving up the gasoline: It's not just the bike! I have been planning my trips better and driving a bit more mellowly. And there's a lot of pedaling. I picked up a second-hand cordless lawnmower, a second-hand cordless weedeater, and a first-hand cordless chainsaw. Still burning more than I want to be, but it's progress.

Food Is Free Planter

Sweet! (pepper)

The carbon munching garden? It's doing pretty good, especially the Food-Is-Free planter. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and squash are growing like weeds! The weeds aren't growing like weeds! The roly polies are under control, the squash bugs are (somewhat) under control, and the tiny predators are fat and happy! The olla planters are doing well but would be doing better with more time devoted to them. The compost boxes are cranking out plenty of compost.

Basil Flower

Eggplant Flower

Squash Flower

Political activity: I learned early on not to talk politics and religion in polite company.*

People keep smiling back at me!

Where have I stunk the place up? Project completion, decluttering and minimizing, and pursuing solar power.

Project completion: The electro-pigeons gather dust. Electric Bridget gathers dust. The electric pickup gathers dust. The greenhouse pieces gather dust. (I should become a dust collector since I seem to have a knack for it.) But the home-made panniers have been a great boon to my biking.

Decluttering and becoming a minimalist: I have actually re-homed quite a bit of stuff this year, but it is spoons full from a mountain. And I really want a cargo bike, snagit!

Pursuing solar power: I do consistently use a solar-powered bike light, but that's about it.

May your reflections show that you are blessed and ever more green!

I'd marry her!

 

*I thank God for each and every one of you who takes time to read this blog and I pray that you are blessed regardless of your political affiliation, religious beliefs, gender identity, or hatred of dorks on bikes.