No
would be complete without a handsome weather vane set high atop a barn or shed to direct the gardener or pioneering meteorologist which way the wind blows.
But most people keep weather vanes around for purely ornamental reasons; dating way way back to the Triton figure built in 48 B.C. to adorn the Tower of the Winds in Greece. And today's
are throwbacks to the ninth century A.D., when the pope allegedly ordered every church in Europe to put a figure of a rooster on its dome or steeple as a daily reminder of Jesus' prophecy to Peter: ""I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me." (
).
Learn something new every day.
We've been eyeing the
and thinking about contracting a welder to create a nice weather vane for the very top of the building (maybe of the late
dog?). But simpler and more to the point might be a
situated out by our raspberry bushes, compost, raised beds, and permaculture herb garden (I know—those over-ambitious Better Farmers. You'll thank us come summertime, we promise). Yes, that does sound nice. Then we could lie on a couch in the library or gaze wistfully off the back porch and mutter softly Dylan's famous words: "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."
Don't have a friend who welds? You can make your own weather vane with some copper pipe, sheet steel, hack saw, and a few other choice ingredients. The Web site
has some very
that'll have you up on wind patterns in no time. There are also some very lovely weather vanes available
sure to please any fancy.
Perusing ways to conserve energy and reduce
's carbon footprint, I came across a stellar article by Gary Reysa, a retired aircraft engineer and contributor to
, a fab magazine covering all things green and sustainable.
Reysa and his family set out to cut their total energy use, energy costs, and greenhouse gas emissions in half. They met that goal by executing a few simple home projects, ranging in complexity from bubble-wrapping windows to
(he promises it's not as daunting as it sounds). The Reysas cut their energy from 93,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year to 38,000 kWh per year—an annual savings of $4,500 in energy costs, and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 17 tons.
Wowee!
Check out his full article
for details on the following energy-saving projects.
The Top Eight Projects
Initial
Cost
Savings
per Year
Energy
Reduction
per Year
CO
2
Reduction
per Year
Personal Computer Power Management
$20
$178
1,780 kWh
3,560 lbs
Install Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
$50
$117
1,170 kWh
2,340 lbs
Seal and Insulate Heating Ducts
$20
$75
940 kWh
480 lbs
Reduce Infiltration Losses From House/Seal Leaks
$50
$156
1,980 kWh
1,010 lbs
Vent Dryer to Inside During Winter
$5
$63
630 kWh
286 lbs
Insulate Windows With Bubble Wrap
$38
$75
960 kWh
490 lbs
Eliminate Phantom Electrical Loads
$70
$57
570 kWh
1,140 lbs
Use an Electric Mattress Pad
$125
$186
2,320 kWh
1,150 lbs
Totals
$378
$907
10,350 kWh
10,456 lbs
With only 12 weeks to go until "season" starts (read: the population in the area spikes by about 200 percent), we're already making spring and summer plans. The workshop schedule is almost complete. Residencies are being set up as you read this. And construction started Monday on some home renovations designed to contain the influx of creative types to this old house.
But I'll admit that even as we think large and pro, my mind keeps wandering back to lazy summer days spent on the deck with some nice lemonade and good company. And so I started doing some research on
mui importante
items like hot tubs and
.
A hot tub is going to require a little scrimping and saving, unless you're handy and want to have a go at
. But a patio umbrella? No problem! Whether you're interested in buying some to complete your deck design or building one custom, there's no shortage of inspiration.
The
is super cool for its versatility and ability to shade even tiny spaces. Don't have the $200 it takes to buy a beautiful new one?
by cutting a regular patio umbrella in half. Just scour your garage and the local thrift shops, and use a tablecloth or some nice fabric you find as the shade. This is a great way to keep broken umbrellas out of landfills, and a fabulous conversation starter with impressed guests.
have straight-edged canopies instead of hanging fabric valances. These shade-creators are popular in European cafes and markets. Consider how much ground you're trying to shade, the layout of your patio, deck or yard, and of course how much you can spend. You're only a few months away from summery bliss. And again: If you hunt through some thrift shops, Craigslist, eBay, and garage sales (weather permitting), you'll often find you're only a fabric-swap away from having a good-as-new patio umbrella.
The Redwood Neighborhood Association is here to provide support for the local community and to promote community spirit and pride.I'm helping out with some editing and posting on the blog, and have been sitting in on their meetings for the last few months. Stay tuned for news of the Farmers Market Committee, Redwood Business Committee, and cool events happening in and around Redwood to benefit the local community.
Americans spend on average 32 cents out of every dollar on groceries and household items, according to ICFE director Paul Richard. Most people I know spend between $45 and $60 each week on groceries. But for people in many states receiving food stamps, they're expected to live on just $1 a meal.
Cue visions of Ramen noodles and ketchup on pasta.
Not so, says Linda Watson, whose 2007 experiment to see how well a person can eat on $1 a meal has turned into a food revolution called, simply,
.
The concept is simple: Instead of spending your dollar on the most calories you can get (a common, foolhardy supposition of those buying food on a shoestring budget), you maximize your nutrition. Mrs. Watson swears that after the first day of this brave new diet, she never felt like she was starving herself or missing out on anything.
With some basic ingredients and supplies, Mrs. Watson swears you can have an extremely healthy diet on next-to-no money. But don't take my word for it—check it out for yourself and report back.
Artists Networks of Upstate New York, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization established to promote the recognition of artists and crafters in Upstate New York. [sic] It is our intent to provide to a wide Internet audience detailed contact information about Upstate New York artists and artisans. Likewise, we list art studios and retail shops and galleries that include in their offerings the work of area artists. We also list festivals, shows and events, as well as arts councils and other arts-related organizations. Museums and other art exhibit venues are also identified, as are links to tourism sites, and sites or interest to artists and crafters. Network membership is a de facto result of listing with us. Our network membership is informal, inclusive, and free. There are no strings attached--no meetings, no dues, no obligations other than keeping listings accurate and updated. We believe that by enhancing recognition of artists, retail art locations, exhibit and fair venues, and arts-related organizations in Upstate New York, we can also help promote tourism, stimulate local economies, and energize regional identities.Our listing was put on the site today. We are all aflutter with the support systems in place in such a faraway land as this. But there's more! When Homer Mitchell of the Artists Networks of Upstate New York wrote to us announcing our appearance on his site, he included this tidbit:
"I am attaching a flyer for artists. I hope you will let artists associated with Better Farm list with us. Thank you for your support."
Those lovely sounding
hanging on front and back porches the world over got their start in India during the second-century B.C. as vessels used to ward off evil spirits and pesky birds (the latter a tradition continued today with tin pie plates and plastic owl decoys). These "wind bells" later found their way to China's temples, palaces, and homes. Their expansion through Asia brought with them a promise of good luck. And let's not forget their purpose in the States...
"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings."
Below are instructions for creating your own wind chimes (and, by extension, supplying countless angels with lovely wings). But before we begin, here are a few considerations:
Tonality More important even than how your chimes look is how they sound. Extra-long aluminum wind chimes produce some of the lowest, metallic tones you can find (one of my personal favorites). Take a moment to consider whether you prefer the sounds of seashells clicking, hollow pieces of bamboo fluttering in the breeze, glass tinkling, or metal tapping on metal, a la rain on a tin roof.
Size/Weight Consider how much noise you want your wind chime to make, how far apart each chime will be spaced, and build accordingly. Six hundred shells hanging from a thin branch will probably make big noise but tangle easily and potentially fall fast.
Location A wind chime placed in your yard will need to be weather-proofed; making certain mediums less desireable than others.
AppearanceBamboo wind chimes have a totally different look from, say, a wind chime made from old car or house keys. Consider your audience, decor, and above variables when picking out what kind of chime to create.
Now that we've done some brainstorming, here are a few simple ways to turn your home into a cacophany of sound (roommates and family members, enjoy your final moments of silence!)
MAKE YOUR OWN WIND CHIMES
Material List
You can make your wind chimes from just about anything, including:
seashells
broken glass, sea glass
bamboo
silverware
wood
stones
keys
old, broken jewelry
Depending on the weight of the items you choose, select corresponding twine, rope, or floss. In general I recommend a high-quality fishing line to hang everything.
Create Your Platform
Everything dangling on a wind chime should be adhered to a common platform or ring at the top (see image at right). This could be an old 45, a plastic plate, a wheel of an old toy, whatever you like. If you're making a flat wind chime (see images at top), then you can really get creative and use anything you like (even bust out those welding, pottery, or carpentry skills!).
Hang Your Pieces
Depending on what materials you've decided to use, you'll either have to drill holes in the top of each piece or do some
. Then, attach each piece to the platform. In most wind chimes, the center dangling piece also has a weight at the bottom, called a "windcatcher." If you're hanging sea shells, the windcatcher would be at the bottom center and would be the biggest shell. This will be what really gets the music going.
Secure Your Work and Put the Chimes on Display
It's not a bad idea to secure any knots you've made with a drop of glue (I'm majorly into
, but use your own judgment). Now it's time to find a secure place to hang your wind chimes (be sure the spot you choose gets a nice breeze!). If you're living in a place like Redwood that's currently being snowed on, try hanging your windchime over a heating vent or in a doorway.
When you get your electric bill each month, you're being charged for the number of
you consume. One kWh (one kilowatt consumed over the course of one hour) on average in the U.S. costs roughly 10 cents, and is equal to about two pounds of greenhouse gases. A 1,000-watt appliance uses one kWh every 60 minutes. Here are some wattages of common appliances:
Aquarium = 50–1210
Clock radio = 10
Coffee maker = 900–1200
Clothes washer = 350–500
Clothes dryer = 1800–5000
Dishwasher = 1200–2400 (using the drying feature greatly increases energy consumption)
Dehumidifier = 785
Electric blanket- Single/Double = 60 / 100
Fans: Ceiling = 65–175; Window = 55–250; Furnace = 750; Whole house = 240–750
Hair dryer = 1200–1875
Heater (portable) = 750–1500
Clothes iron = 1000–1800
Microwave oven = 750–1100
Personal computer: CPU awake/asleep = 120/30 or less; Monitor awake/asleep = 150/30 or less; Laptop = 50
Radio (stereo) = 70–400
Refrigerator (frost-free, 16 cubic feet) = 725
Televisions (color): 19" = 65–110; 27" = 113; 36" = 133; 53"-61" Projection = 170; Flat screen = 120
Toaster = 800–1400
Toaster oven = 1225
VCR/DVD = 17–21 / 20–25
Vacuum cleaner = 1000–1440
Water heater (40 gallon) = 4500–5500
Water pump (deep well) = 250–1100
Water bed (with heater, no cover) = 120–380
To determine specifics for the appliances in your home, you may want to invest in a
. Simply plug your device into the Kill a Watt and you can see right there how much energy is being used.
But besides opting to use appliances requiring fewer kWh, actually unplugging items you're not using can save you (and the Earth) a bundle.
That's right—even while off, some appliances continue drawing energy from electric outlets. As much as 15 percent of your annual electric bills come from dormant items left plugged into sockets. Check out this data:
iPod docking station = 6.7 watts when playing music, 6.3 when the ipod was removed.
Older 32" TV = 80 watts on, 1.2 off
19" Plasma TV = 41 on, 1.6 off
32" LCD TV = 15 on, 0.1 off
DVD/VCR = 20.3 on, 19.8 off
wii = 17.5 on, 1.8 off
Desktop computer = 84.7 on, 16.3 off
And this: Only 5 percent of the power drawn by a
is used to charge the phone. The other 95 percent is wasted when it is left plugged into the wall. Most appliances, in fact, do draw some standby current. An easy way to determine which dormant items pull and which don't is to wander through your home looking for LED lights. Things like lamps, portable fans, and many old-school radios don't draw energy while off. But alarm clocks, most cell chargers, microwaves, electric toothbrushes, and stereos do. And anything that hums or gets the slightest bit warm even while off is drawing power.
Every watt of standby power will amount to a kWh in 1,000 hours, costing you around 10 cents. Forty watts of standby power averages a kWh per day—costing you roughly $3 a month. That adds up fast—especially nowadays, when it seems everyone has at least one computer, a stereo, iPod dock, flatscreen, DVD player, and electric shaver and toothbrush.
Here's the cost of keeping your appliances plugged in for one year:
(TV smaller than 40 inches) Plasma TV, $48.25
TV accessories, Digital video recorder/TIVO $39.71
Digital cable, $26.15. Computers, Desktop, $27.90
Computer accessories, CRT computer monitor, $8.97
Modem, $5.47 [from Real Simple Magazine the April 2008 ]
The International Energy Agency has a "
", encouraging countries to adopt a maximum of 1 watt of standby power on all devices. Items in the U.S. marked "
" are designed to use less than 3/4 watt when not on.
You can lower your energy consumption by plugging most of your electronics into a power strip and turning the strip off when not in use. Doing so will save you the energy equivalent of a 100-watt light bulb left on 24/7. Or better yet, maintain an "unplugged" policy with items like televisions, printers, phone chargers, and microwaves. After a few days of practice, we swear it'll become second nature.
Graphic Tees and funky prints on fabric are all the rage; but you may not realize how easy it is to customize your own gear for some ultra-chic gift-giving.
Redwood feels to many people like the middle of nowhere. In some respects this is true; but don't be deceived into thinking low population numbers match up with a low volume of excitement.
