DIY

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Do It Yourself

On the Trail with the Lost Bus

Submitted by TimJFowler on Mon, 2011/04/25 - 12:16pm
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Winsor Trail Work Crew

This Saturday I met up with the Santa Fe Fat Tire Society, the Trails Alliance of Santa Fe and the Lost Bus Boys for a maintenance work day on the Winsor Trail. The Winsor Trail is a well-loved and heavily-used trail in the National Forest just above Santa Fe, NM.

Behold! The Sustainable Cookie!

Submitted by EcoMommyo on Mon, 2011/04/25 - 9:54am
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Home Made Fig Bars

I have finally made the cookie I've been planning for years. Behold! The sustainable fig bar! I was blowing big dough on packages of this treat from a classic American cookie company and thoroughly enjoying them. I just love Fig Newtons and will defend them to my grave from all the fig haters out there in the world. I have also had a few versions from various fancy bakeries that made their own. I knew mine would not taste the same as the commercial classic but with multiple pounds of figs in the freezer needing some purpose, I gave it a try.

In Just Ten Minutes a Day...

Submitted by TimJFowler on Thu, 2011/04/14 - 2:28pm
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Nate Downey signing 'Harvest the Rain'

'Can I have a minute of your time?' Have you ever heard those words from a stranger, probably holding a clipboard, on the street? Did you stop for a minute or walk by more quickly? I consider my time precious and often walk past. In 'Harvest the Rain' author Nate Downey boldly asks for 10 minutes of your time every day to spend on catching, directing and using rainwater. After reading his book I'm not sure he asked for enough.

I'm a Homewrecker

Submitted by TimJFowler on Fri, 2011/03/25 - 2:50pm
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Thermometer Shield with and without bird nest

It's a hard realization, but if you can't be honest with yourself...
I recently built a simple thermometer shield to protect an outdoor thermometer from direct sunlight and reflected heat. I reused a section of white PVC pipe to provide additional cover for the outdoor sensor. A pair of nesting birds found the pipe and decided to move in.

A Home Grown Potluck

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2011/03/15 - 4:06pm
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Uncle Sam Says Garden to Cut Food Costs

The Santa Fe Complex and Home Grown New Mexico are holding a First Community Homesteading Potluck Gathering on March 29th at 7pm at the Santa Fe Complex. The potlucks will continue through the summer on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The goal is to bring individuals together to organically create an environment of education between the different levels of experience.

Oh Poop!

Submitted by TimJFowler on Wed, 2011/02/23 - 11:03am
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Mule Poop

It takes a little planning and a few barnyard animals, but finding free fertilizer can be easy and cheap. A friend of mine who lives outside of town has mules ... and their byproducts. Mules are great animals, if you have the room for them, and they produce a considerable amount of fertilizer. Local stables can be a good source of livestock manure if you can haul it away and compost the stuff.

Fussy Babies & Fussy Recipes

Submitted by EcoMommyo on Sun, 2011/02/06 - 3:42pm
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Fussy Recipe

I’m afraid my love affair with Cook’s Illustrated might be coming to an end. Unfortunately, fussy babies and fussy recipes do not mix.

I’m home with the little one and I’m looking for food that will sustain us during this winter’s bitter cold and can be made with either a child in arms or during nap-time. Surely, chili completely fits the bill--hearty, warming, freezes well, can perk along on the stove. That’s how I usually think of chili but not so at Cook’s Illustrated.

Darn!

Submitted by TimJFowler on Wed, 2011/01/12 - 4:28pm
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Darning wool socks

The more I learn about conservation and frugality, the more I re-discover what my grandparents knew. In this case it's darning. I vastly prefer the warmth and comfort of wool socks, glove liners and sweaters to cotton and most synthetics. Those same wool garments (especially socks) consistently wear out in the same places. Instead of throwing out mostly-good wool socks I've started darning (mending) them and extending their useful life.

Eco Resolutions and Results

Submitted by TimJFowler on Sun, 2011/01/02 - 4:19pm
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Times Square New Year's Eve Ball

Like many folks, I made a New Year's Resolution last January. "That's my plan for 2010, make one dozen changes to burn less fossil fuel and eat more locally." According to Psychology Today, "setting specific goals, sharing our resolutions with others, and focusing on the benefits of achieving the resolution" are simple strategies towards sticking to resolutions. I hoped my goal was ambitious yet achievable and I shared it with EcoDaddyo readers. Now let's see how well I kept my resolutions.

2010 Resolution Results

Hatches, Battened

Submitted by TimJFowler on Sun, 2010/11/28 - 5:44pm
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Storm Warning flag

There's nothing like the threat of winter and an onrushing storm to motivate me to finish a slew of projects. Summer seemed to stretch on forever and our fall was mild until recently. But we've woken to a few dustings of snow lately so I overcame my inertia to finish a few more projects. I've replaced and re-weatherstripped the back door and covered a gaping hole in the wall behind a bathroom vanity. Wow, why did those projects take me so long to finish?

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