Facts to make you think

Solar

- In one second, our sun produces enough energy to meet the current needs of the entire Earth for 500,000 years

8 minutes
The time it takes for light from the sun to reach Earth

4 trillion 100 watt bulbs
Equivelant to the amount of solar energy hitting the Earth every second

4 million barrels of oil
Equivelant to the amount of solar energy that hits one square mile each year

1% of U.S. electricity
The percentage of U.S. energy generated from solar power

Corporate

The biggest retailer in the world covers an area larger than Manhattan

-The island of Manhattan is approximately 15,000 acres; Walmart total store acreage 18,810

Pesticides

2/3
Pounds of pesticides used to grow the cotton for one pair of non-organic jeans

1,500,000
Number of children examined in an Indiana University study that concluded that children born in spring perform worse in math and English because they were conceived in summer, when pesticide use and exposure is highest

6
Times greater the incidence of children born with autism to mothers living within 500 meters of California fields sprayed with pesticides than the rate of autism births nationwide

245,000
Number of fish killed in 1995 when a heavy rainstorm caused runoff from Alabama cotton fields into a nearby creek

75
Estimated percentage of pesticides sprayed from a crop duster that blow away rather than reach the ground

5
Number of the 9 most common pesticides used on cotton that are classified as "known carcinogens" by the EPA

8-10
Number of years it takes to develop a new pesticide for use on cotton, ata a cost of $100 million

5-6
Number of years it takes weevils to become immune to a new pesticide

23
Number of elementary-school children whose urine revealed the presence of pesticides at the beginning of an Emory University study

1
Number of those same children whose urine contained any detectable traces of pesticides after four days of eating organic food

10,400
Number of people who die in the U.S. each year from cancer related to pesticide exposure

250
Number of people in the U.S. killed each year by assault rifles

14,000,000
Number of people in the U.S. who routinely drink water contaminated with carcinogenic herbicides

90
Percentage of municipal water treatment facilities lacking equipment to remove these chemicals from drinking water

Our Yard (part one)

"How does one miss what one has never known?

What longing, then, would drive one to repair the damage" - Noah's Garden - Sara Stein

I have decided to add a feature to my blog called Our Yard. I wanted to call it My Yard but thought that it sounded a little pretentious. I was thinking that our yard is pretty interesting and has a variety of plants and animal life and it would be interesting to investigate and write about what I find. Each new post would be devoted to things I find be it plant, animal or whatever else may show up. Through out the year I would visit the different areas again and make note of the changes that have occured. I am not sure what fall is like down here but I assume that some of the trees around here change color. Spring should be interesting too, I have noticed some interesting trees in our yard and neighborhood that have potential to put on a nice show. Who knows. This will give me an opportunity to get to know my yard and hopefully entertain my friends and other readers.

I suppose that I will give you a preliminary introduction to our yard.

Back Yard

Me in the backyard

(do I always look like that?)

Looking at front porch

Back yard again

Looking towards street

Well thats our yard. Actually there is a lot more to our yard but this was just a preliminary introduction. I look forward to getting to know our yard I hope you do too. It should be fun.

Out in the woods somewhere they crashed for the night and slept the sleep of the just. The just plain satisfied.

So. Here I am. Again, at last. We finally got Internet connected for ourselves. We no longer can hitch a free ride onto the information superhighway through the courtesy of our neighbors wireless Internet.

No matter how much I like free things all good things must come to an end. It is surprising how only a week without it makes you see how dependent you have become on the Internet. I refuse to call it an addiction. I have to admit it gave me the opportunity to go the library and get a library card. The library system down here is amazing. Their main library puts the one in Grand Rapids to shame, sorry folks its true. They have so many books I am excited to wander around and see what I can find. On the bottom level which is the children's level and also the garden level they have a mural of "Where the wild things are". The same picture is on the library card itself.

Things are getting settled, Eva just finished her first full week at school; I am back in the swing of things at work after getting back from my nice little vacation. I hadn't been that emotional about leaving Michigan before my trip but coming back there and visiting with my parents and staying with all my friends really made me realize what I was missing.

I am really enjoying my job. I feel quite comfortable and am quickly beginning to feel that I belong to a family. It is a large mix of people with the minority of them actually being from South Carolina. It is nice to be in an environment that nurtures sustainability and the power of community. I see many people each day who believe in the things I believe in, think in a similar way and generally have great concern for the environment. I am looking forward to developing new friendships and seeing what else South Carolina has to offer us.

One Step Closer

So I am employed. I really only put my application into one place. Well, I suppose that is not entirely true. I also sent my resume into another store called Earth Fare which is pretty much the same type of store.
I have to admit that I have been enjoying not having a job. It has been nice having some time to read and get the house set up. Spending time watching lizards and chasing them around has been great also.
I suppose that it will be good to get into a job again and start getting paid. Eva will start teaching on the 23rd but will be doing a lot at her schools over the next week. I can't sit at home by myself all the time. I have already run out of new books to read and don't know when I will next get an opportunity to get some new ones. Maybe I can borrow some from my dad when I go back to Michigan in a week.
Anyway, as you can see by the pretty little graphic at the start of this post that the place I am working is called the Rosewood Market. It is a natural foods and organic produce market where they have a deli where they serve breakfast and lunch and make nice, tasty baked goods. I am not quite sure exactly what I am going to be doing but he said one position that he was thinking of was being in charge of the bulk foods department where I would place orders and keep everything filled and clean and I would also get to make the peanut butter and also the almond butter.
From what I got by talking to the owner Basil it is not as much of a sustainable living focused business as I first thought but it may just be his opinion. The people that I have met so far seem to be concerned with the environment and living sustainably so I think that this will put me in a good position to meet the type of people that I am looking for down here. Who knows maybe I will find the people who may be interested in my idea of starting a Bioneers group down here. Who knows. So Earth Fare might be more of the type of statement that I want to make but the Rosewood Market is a family owned business that has been around for thirty years and that is one thing that makes it more desirable to me. Only time will tell and I think that I will be happy working there.

I am the Lizard King, I can do anything! (including updating my blog)

Southeastern Five-lined Skink

Eumeces inexpectatus

Green Anole

Anolis carolinensis

I have always loved lizards. As I have gone through life I have considered myself lucky if I ever saw a lizard out in the wild. The fish and reptile house was always one of my favorites things to see at the zoo. It still is. Now that we have moved here to South Carolina I have been lucky to a see a lot of lizards, so far mainly the two kinds shown above. These are all pictures that I have taken here at my house. I hope that I see more I have fun spotting them and sometimes trying to catch them. I haven't succeeded yet but just wait, I will catch one. It's gonna be sweet.

Edward Abbey

Edward Abbey was a strong individual and a dynamic author whose writings have helped enforce my love and concern for nature. This is dedicated to an up and coming author who I know will someday be as much an influence as Abbey. I am proud of him and all that he does. He has already influenced at least one person. Me.

Columbia: the seat of southern hospitality

(our first relaxing day)

(this is pretty much the most that is set up right now)

(oops I'm sideways at the zoo)

I promise that I will have more pictures later, especially of the house. It really is a nice little place in a quiet neighborhood but still really close to town and all the important things, bars and so forth. Just kidding, we are close to town and all the interesting places to go like the zoo and some places called 5-points and Vista. Both areas are nice little places with cool stores and restaurants, we will have to find the micro brews in the area but don't know if many exist. Definitely not like Grand Rapids. I am really glad that we got this place. It actually was the first place that we looked at. We did look at other places but this one just felt right. I'm excited to get it all set up and looking nice. We are lucky we got this place, to tell the truth we are lucky that we even made it down here in the first place. I think that I will leave that until tomorrow when I have more time. Besides, it is a good story.

Who needs the bachelor life........not me thats for sure

my baby at bombay

at the water festival with another gorgeous lady

Well it is now two weeks until we move and I don't have my Eva here with me. We parted ways today for about a week while her and her little sister Carla travel out to North Dakota to visit their oldest sibling Deana. I wish them a safe trip it seems like they should have a good time, I believe they are camping up in the U.P. right now. I can get jealous of Eva sometimes. I always think that she gets to go and do great fun things and I have to be stuck at home working.

Well this was going to be a lot longer but I am working 10 hour days most of this week and then a wacky schedule this weekend. We have the Kent County Amateur this weekend so it is in early then leave and come back at night and work till dark. My last day there is sunday so I get a little bit of a vacation before we move and then I have the time where I am looking for a job. I have to come back in August to attend a wedding so I suppose I do get to do some fun things. All in all, I really miss my wife and she has only been gone one day. (sigh)

My little Green Bean

Ok, technically he is not mine per say but he is my nephew. His name is Riley.

chillin' with the guys

"hi"

glad to see uncle nathan

This kid is the greatest and he is "green". My brother and sister-in-law are both environmentally minded and are organizers for the Great Lakes Bioneers. They, originally just my brother, are the cause of my green transformation. They have been raising Riley to have a love of nature and a desire to make a difference. I would say that he is the "greenest" two year old that I have met and am thankful for Jeremy and Erin's influence on him and pray that he continues on this path. I am sure that you will be hearing more about Riley and his many environmental adventures in the future.

Hey Ya'll

As you can see by the title I am trying out my new accent. Well OK its not an accent, I haven't even been down there yet, but more like words and phrases that I stereotypically think that I need to learn since I am moving to the south. I'm gonna be a "fucking Yankee", I apologize for my crude language but I have been told by a multitude of people that I will be called that down there. I suppose that I can accept that. I am a lover not a fighter so I don't think that I will be getting into fights because of someones ignorance and prejudice.
The big day is quickly approaching so my nerves are on edge and getting worse everyday. We pretty much have a place picked out and finalized so that is not an issue, well not that big of an issue. I suppose the next step is to get moved in and settled and start looking for a job for me. I do get a little bit of a mini vacation to see the sites, do some fishing and generally just relax a while. I think that will really help the transition.
We took a big step in the moving process by going through all of our clothes and other junk and deciding what we really, really wanted and what we honestly could do without. About half of the stuff that we decided to get rid of we were able to unload with a yard sale and those that we couldn't we donated to Goodwill. We were able to make some money but not a lot, just enough to make the weekend especially enjoyable. It was a time well spent with good friends. So about two and a half weeks left before we leave and my mind is all a flutter. I will try and post more before I leave but can't promise anything, but do check in to my farewell to Michigan post. I will miss everyone here so very much. I don't want to leave.

My job does have its perks...

Although I can't stand the pollution. Anyway enjoy the pictures until next time. Soon I promise.

Nothing could be finer than South Carolina

"Without change, something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken."
- Frank Herbert

Well, it is official we are moving to South Carolina. Eva recently graduated with a degree in Music Education and has been looking for a job. She has applied to many places in Michigan and also in other states like Kentucky, Arizona, Alaska, Maryland and others. She just went down to South Carolina with her brother to go to a teacher fair. They both had applied to teach down there and both had interest in them the day after they submitted their applications. Well, short story even shorter she was offered a few jobs down there and she accepted.

I have to say that I am pretty excited but am scared to death at the same time. I have never lived more than 50 miles away from the town that I grew up in 28 years. It is such an odd thought that I, sorry we, will be moving so far away. I have to say that I am really going to miss it here. Not just the area and the great things to do but also all of my friends that I have here. I am hoping that some of them will want to come and visit us. In the past few years Eva and I have developed a circle of friends that are all amazing people. We won't miss the house but we will miss our neighbors Josh and Kristin and Jason and Christina. The porch parties we had were memorable....at least what I can remember of them. I am going to miss our good friends Joe and Jen too, I hope that they want to come and visit. I don't know what the possibilities are for that since it is hard enough to get them to travel the 5 minutes to our house now. I can't imagine that they will come the 14+ hours down to South Carolina to visit, it would be great if they would but I don't see it happening. Joe and I have been good friends for about two years now. I met him in class, we are both in the same program. I am also going to miss our friends Ben and Heather. For a while we hardly got together but as of late we have been trying harder to get together. Ben has always said that Eva and I are people that he would like to be like but when I think of him and Heather I tend to think that I would like to be like them. I have known Ben longer than Heather and think we have a good connection. We share many of the same beliefs and loves, especially the love of nature and the belief that it should be protected at all costs. I am dissappointed that I haven't known Heather for that long and wish that I could have spent more time with her. She seems like a good match for Ben, she shares many of his ideals, although she has never been camping before and that is a big part of Ben's life. I hear that he is trying to get her initiated though. Both of them are great people and I think some of the "greenest" people that I know. They lead a good life and I like to follow their example.

I will miss them all and my family very much but it isn't as if we are staying down there forever. I can't say that it isn't a possibility but who knows. The change is going to be drastic but I am looking forward to it. We will not be far away from the ocean and also not very far from the mountains. I have already been looking online at the hiking trails and other great outdoor things to go and see. In Columbia they have one of the top ten zoos in the nation and I am definitely going to have to go check that out. I have a great weakness for zoos and try to see as many as I can.

I think that the change will be good for me. After so many years living here and up in Big Rapids I don't think that I have changed much. I have lived through a lot of new experiences but I think that this will send me on my next stage in life and I find it exciting. The sleeper must awaken. I think that this is going to provide many new opportunities for me and Eva and look forward to finding out what those are going to be.

"Where thou art - that- is home." - Emily Dickinson

He who's not busy being born is busy dying - Dylan

I apologize to all of my loyal readers out there that I haven't written a new update in a while. Here is a little something to fill that need that you are all feeling right about now. I found myself busier than I originally thought that I was going to be this weekend. I understand that this isn't a valid excuse but it plays a big part in it.

On friday my friend Joe had a graduation party. Im proud of him for finishing up his degree. It ended up being a later night than I was planning on, having to work in the morning and all but it was a great time. Had a little too much to eat and drink that night.

Saturday I worked in the morning for a few hours. I always enjoy working on the weekend because I get to wake up and enjoy some coffee while watching the sun rise. I may get lucky and see some of the deer and other animals that like to frequent my golf course. At times it seems like you are the only person around for a long ways and at times you actually are the only one. I really enjoy this job but don't agree with the amount of chemicals that they use. Buck Creek runs right through the course and I am sure there is a lot of run off coming off the course. Especially now while it's flooded. Any way that is somthing for another entry.

After work I got to spend some quality time with Eva before she had to run off to get ready for our friend Erika's wedding. I ended up being the usher for the wedding and didn't officially know until a few hours before the service. I had never been an usher before and no one really told me exactly what I was supposed to do. Thank goodness that it was a small wedding. It was a good time which was punctuated by a severe thunderstorm at the end of the ceremony. It was nice that the reception was at the same place as the ceremony so no one had to leave. Fortunately the rain passed by the end of the reception and we got to enjoy a nice evening after reception party at the groom's parent's house. That evening ended up being later than I planned on also. It is also when I became very lonely because Eva left for South Carolina and her teacher fair late that night. She went down with her brother and sister-in-law. She called today and said that it is gorgeous down there. I expect some good pics when she comes back....THREE more days. (sigh)

Slept in really late on sunday. I was going to drive up north to visit my twin sister who was in town from D.C. but got a call in the morning from her to cancel our plans. She was up in T.C. and I would only have an hour or so to visit because I had to come back to go to work at 4. Our boss wanted us to come in and do some extra work because he has a big event coming up on tuesday with a lot of other West Michigan superintendants. Yippee!!!

Yep thats it.....I thought weekends were for relaxing. Ok Ok yes I did a lot of partying but it was busy. What can I say. I really did do a lot.

My own two hands

I have been listening to this song a lot lately and it really makes me happy. Ben Harper is the one who wrote it and he sings it with Jack Johnson. The message in the song is absolutely perfect and touches me on an interesting level. Here are the lyrics, I recommend that you listen to it when you get a chance.


I can change the world

With my own two hands

Make it a better place

With my own two hands

Make it a kinder place

With my own two hands

With my own

With my own two hands

I can make peace on earth

With my own two hands

I can clean up the earth

With my own two hands

I can reach out to you

With my own two hands

With my own

With my own two hands

With my own

With my own two hands

I'm going to make it a brighter place

With my own two hands

I'm going to make it a safer place

With my own two hands

I'm going to help the human race

With my own two hands

With my own

With my own two hands

With my own

With my own two hands

I can hold you

In my own two hands

I can comfort you

With my own two hands

But you've got to use

Use your own two hands

Use your own

Use your own two hands

Use your own

Use your own two hands

With our own

Our own two hands

With our own

Our own two hands

With my own

With my own two hands

Visions of Superman

Do you ever dream of saving the planet singlehanded like Superman? I do. We need more supermen.

To whom it may concern

I may have come out a little dramatic in that last post. Forgive me I am new at this and have been enjoying reading my friends Ben and Heather's blogs. They amaze me at how easy they make it seem. They both are amazing writers. I hope that I can meet up to their standards. I am sure to include them in many of my future posts.

On the scale of stupid

I am up there pretty far.



I can't say that intellectually I am stupid it is just the actions that I take that tend to be stupid. Pretty damn stupid at times. You know the kind, the ones that seem like a great idea at the time but end up getting you in trouble, hurt or loosing a friend. Sometimes it is all three at the same time. Oh don't get me wrong there are a lot more things that can happen to you because of these actions these ones are just the ones that seem to get me the most.

It seems like in every stage of my life I have made stupid mistakes and knowing me I am going to continue to do stupid things. I just can't get away from it. Is stupidity an addiction? If it is I'm hooked. Hopefully they have a twelve step program for this.

To all of you out there who have been caught up in my stupidity I apologize whole heartedly. I am sure you know who you are, if you are not sure just ask and I am sure to be able to come up with something

Drowning slowly

I signed up for summer classes and only needed three more classes to be done with my associates. I was only able to get two of them. It would have made things much easier if I could have gotten all of them. Eva is looking for a job and is applying out of state a lot. I don't really want to move away from all of our friends and family. I will miss too many people too much and am just starting to develop some relationships. Do you ever feel like you are drowning? I'll get through it...I always do.

A New Day

Hello. I'm new to this so bare with me. Lately I have been reading my friends, Ben and Heather's blogs. It really amazes me how well they can write. I find reading their blogs a way to keep up with them when I don't get the chance to hang out with them. I think that they feel that I ignore them from time to time but this is far from the truth. I love hanging out with them and got a great chance to do so just last night. Ben and Heather came over later in the evening and invited me to a party at some friends of his. What a great time that we had, there was a band and lots of great people and we all fit comfortably in the Bunghole. I am so glad that I was able to be with them I think that it really helped our friendship. I would like to try and make saturdays our day, you know hang out do whatever comes to mind. That would float my boat.