Dear Diary: I am a horrid gardener

Dear Diary,

I spent the week catsitting at my mom's house (I miss the kittens already), living a life of luxury with a car, a giant house (as compared to my shoebox apartment) all to myself... the WHOLE time I was there, I comPLETEly forgot to check on my vegetable garden. Read: I have no idea if I'm growing a pumpkin that needs to be protected from ravaging racoons, or rabbits, or opossums... (which reminds me, I was in a museum in Sweden once, where opossums were considered a rare rodent creature in the creepy dark nighttime/underground section, whose main habitat is a small area located in and around northern Virginia).

I guess that's not entirely true, because I did spray it with fungus-killer last weekend. No new fruits then, so maybe there still aren't any. Finally saw the beautiful orange pumpkin flower when it was open. It's large, star-shaped, and about two shades lighter in color than the pumpkins themselves. My tomato plant, when I sprayed them all to kill the mold, was encroaching on my bell pepper plant, but hopefully hasn't overtaken it yet. Speaking of which, I'm sure they all need weeding, too. Bah.

Well, I did get back to my apartment last night to find all of my house plants thriving, a little bit taller and a little bit crookeder than they appeared when I left, which means they got enough sun and didn't miss being watered. So I won't complain about having a black thumb. Not yet, at any rate. But I won't claim it's green, either.

Yours truly,
a forgetful gardener

Montpelier

I had originally planned to go hiking yesterday, to Marys Rock where supposedly the bird-watching in autumn is excellent, due to the migrations of various birds of prey. Instead, I chose to visit Montpelier, restored home of president James Madison. They just finished restoring it recently, and had their grand opening last week, I believe. Unfortunately, "finished" did not include furniture. Some of the walls were painted, most were coated with varying stages of plaster application (there are three different coats if one chooses the plaster route, apparently). Unfinished rooms aside, it's a beautiful home for the most part, with the most amazing triple-paned windows (designed by Thomas Jefferson) in the drawing room, which opened far enough to become doors! Aside from the main house, I walked through a very small cottage, built probably at the end of the 19th century, which was used for guests in the early 20th century (rustic vacation, anyone?), checked out the gardens briefly - I love gardens, but the very formal style I just don't find interesting or beautiful at all; and briefly peered at the furniture, which is being kept in a barn for the time being. Lastly, I went for a walk in the Landmark Forest, which had three trails that added up to about a mile of walking. I had to quit early, though, because I wasn't enjoying it nearly as much as I should have. The potential existed, it merely stopped short of being realized. I must have been the first person in months to walk the paths, as I kept running into spiderwebs running across the path - some with spiders still in them! Shudder. On the way back, managed 43 mpg, going pretty much the speed limit (attention drivers! Driving the speed limit does have its advantages), though I burned quite a bit trying to pass a couple cars that could not achieve a consistent speed. Note to self...

Halfway to St Patricks Day? And Antibiotic Tissues?

Who knew? Not I. But apparently in the DC area, Halfway to St Patricks Day is a valid celebration. Or perhaps it's a marketing ploy disguised as a valid celebration, created to convince consumers of beer and other alcoholic beverages to go out and spend more of their money mid-week than perhaps they would normally. Usually I'm against these things, but this time I had a great night out, and snagged (through the footwork of a friend) a free green Washington Nationals Cap, which I was unable to purchase months ago when they had their "green" event.

On another, completely random note, what's the deal with antibiotic tissues? Sounds weird, doesn't it? They look weird, too, with little blue dots all over them that remind me of the microbeads in my shower gel. All these antibiotic products may seem great on the surface ("Kills 99.9% of germs!") but really, how true is that claim? More importantly, how quickly does that other tenth percent become Super Bug?

Triathlons: the Finish Line

I spent Sunday morning this past weekend in a surprisingly interesting fashion: I waited at the finish line for The Nation's Triathlon (to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society), just a block away from the Federal Triangle Metro stop at 12th and Pennsylvania.

I got up late yesterday morning, so I didn't have time to eat breakfast before I left, so I brought it with me, even on the Metro (without drinking my coffee, which was hard -though it did keep my hands warm in the air-conditioned train car). I found a spot directly in the path of the hot, hot sun (Brother Pele's in the back, sweet Zina's in the front, cruisin' down the freeway in the hot, hot, sun), and ate my breakfast under the keen eye of a neighbor's dog, who was very interested in my bacon... Mine, puppy. Mine. Anyway, once I finished my breakfast and coffee I started clapping for everyone who ran by, because I know that if I were just finishing something so incredibly impressive like a triathlon in the hot, humid weather of DC in early September, I would want someone to clap for me. A big moment, you want somebody to notice, right?

I went because a friend of mine, who has apparently been doing this for five (!?!) years now - and every time she tells me that, I can't believe it - ran this one. So I looked really hard at every short (and I can say that instead of the euphemism "vertically challenged" because I'm short, too) woman as she finished, and of course nearly missed my friend! She ran by, and I yelled in a sort of knee-jerk reaction, forgetting to whoop and even to clap, before I crossed over to look for her.

I feel this is a good time to promote the use of sunscreen: Use it! Even at 10am in the morning I felt like my hairline was burning, and then my ear started heating up... not so much fun. Made me wish I'd brought my cap like I thought I might, before I left the house. Luckily, I don't have a stripe of sunburnt forehead today, but it was a close thing.

I've just recently become a sports fan (hockey, college football and tennis are my favorites) but even so, I never thought watching people run the last 10 yards of a race would be as interesting as it was. Instead, I enjoyed it more than I expected to. I guess one of the main attractions is that it was really good people watching. Not only is a spectator watching people, but the people are running, and the different strides can be fascinating. The other reason I had so much fun watching must have been that the part of the race I watched amounted to the most emotionally exciting section: the Finish Line.

How To: Avoid the Evils of Junk Mail

Just visited another article on New American Dream's website, that lists and explains the various ways one can reduce junk mail. It also contains a link to an electronic petition, which follows on the success of the Do Not Call legislation.

The Trials And Tragedies of Growing a Vegetable Garden: Story of a Pumpkin

This year, at the Navy Museum, I participated in a children's program on Earth Day, whose purpose was to create "victory gardens" (click the link for Wikipedia's definition). Victory gardens began during World War II, as efforts to reduce pressure on the public food supply. Families were asked to create their own vegetable, fruit and herb gardens so canned and other goods could be sent overseas to the sailors and soldiers fighting in the war.

Out of all the seeds we had available, I decided to grow a pumpkin. Though I must admit, I decided in part because I expected it to fail. Ironically, it succeeded beyond my expectations, and to make a long story short, I now have a pumpkin plant growing in my backyard. Along with tomatoes and bell peppers, but that's another story.

Before long, I noticed my pumpkin had a disease called powdery mildew. Not fun stuff. Spreads fast, and according to the gentleman who helped us at the garden center, also always in the air. So I'm growing this mini-vegetable garden, which reduces my dependence on packaging and emissions while increasing oxygen production and other good natural things, while at the same time, produces free produce for me to enjoy! (Hopefully, eventually we'll get that far).

Also, at the store today I was shown a chemical spray to help get rid of the mildew. Fortunately the gentleman I mentioned above happened by just about the same time I asked what damages the product might have on the environment, and he pointed me toward a brand called Safer, whose active ingredient is sulphur, which also gets rid of the mildew, and is organic! Yay!

So now I'm fixing the mildew problem, I need to get started on rodents. Something ate my only pumpkin. Yes, I had a pumpkin, it was bigger than a softball but smaller than a basketball, and I came home one evening, and it was gone. This was only two days after I discovered it, mind. So the next project is a fence of some kind. I think we're going to re-use the bamboo we're trying to get rid of, as stakes, and wrap some wire mesh around it. But if any knowledgeable gardeners happen to read this, I would appreciate suggestions of better methods.

So far, I think the bell peppers and tomatoes are doing alright. Gardening is harder work than I thought! Turns out it's not just digging, planting and weeding.

The Washington Post Goes Green All Over

Attended an event this past Wednesday at the Washington Post, a Q&A session with Post writers. Only stayed for the first half, which was quite interesting. But I'm jumping ahead.

When we arrived, we received a green publication, and a bingo-like card to fill as we walked around each of the tables, which were set up as a small Going Green expo. Everyone who visited every table got a raffle ticket. There were too many window companies, in my opinion, but at one of the window companies' tables I got a free reusable shopping bag!

Ironically, most of the tables were handing out half a dozen pamphlets and brochures each.. most of them white paper, which is easily recycled, but some not - and the first step is to not create that paper, so that it doesn't need to be recycled, which unsurprisingly uses more energy than not having anything to recycle in the first place.

I found the panel session to be fascinating. Firstly, the MC asked a question, which made for a great ice-breaker, IMO. Not only that, it was a pertinent question: Is this new green consciousness a fad, or is it here to stay? The members of the panel almost unanimously agreed that trends show it seems to be here to stay. Although on trips up to Massachusetts over the Labor Day weekend, they noticed just as many cars speeding (which uses more fuel than going the speed limit) there were, they mentioned, fewer cars on the road than in previous years. (I took the train). More effort is being made by companies to create big changes, like NASA, which is moving toward eliminating coal plants in the near future. Furthermore, Jura Koncius, writer for the Home section, mentioned that green labels are selling more. Incandescent lightbulbs are being phased out, and apparently will soon be outlawed in the US (haven't checked up on this and am a bit sceptical). Also on the rise are farmers markets.

The last point made in answer to this question was the one main motivating factor: Greed. It all comes back to money. If green products become cheaper, or even if they're statistically cheaper over the long run, consumers will start buying them, and corporations are going to market what sells.

Question number two asked why all the focus is on consumers. One panel member responded that it is also a political question (hint hint: if you're not already involved in politics, get started!!). Marc Kaufman put it this way: Obama says environmental policies are going to change, McCain says they're going to change, Biden wants change, Palin doesn't.

One attendee asked why green products like Seventh Generation detergents aren't on the shelves, and the answer was: Speak to the store manager. If that doesn't work, write the company itself. Also, Proctor and Gamble (according to a panel member not the most environmentally conscious company) has started packaging its detergents in more concentrated forms, which cuts back on transportation emissions and materials used in the packaging itself.

Lastly, a lady asked if organic food, which evidently sits on shelves longer, isn't less healthy than normal produce. One panel member's opinion was that organic food, no matter how long it's sitting on the shelves (I wouldn't buy fuzzy vegetables) is healthier, because there are no pesticides. Statistically the produce that gets the most pesticide treatment is the peach, followed by apples and lettuce. I'm never going to not wash my produce again, and when I wash my lettuce you can bet I'm washing the insides of the leaves, too. No doubt.

Some useful websites:
Environmental Working Group (for lists of produce that are grown with pesticides)
Green Pages (lists of companies that sell green products)

Keeping Your Refrigerator Happy

A friend passed me this link, a Consumer's Report about how to get the most efficient and cost-saving use out of one's refrigerator:

Consumer Report's Happy Refrigerating Tips

If I had cash, I'd go home tonight and perform the "dollar test".

To Do: Check refrigerator operations.

Boston, Day 4: the MFA

Got up early this morning to have breakfast (coffee yummm and cereal) and headed over to visit with my other family in Topsfield. Got a tutorial from my eleven year-old cousin on how to solve a Rubik's cube - apparently she and her brother watched a video on YouTube which explained the theories and "algorithms" behind solving the puzzle. The whole thing was very impressive, and way over my head.

After a game of Bananagrams (in ways, much more fun than Scrabble) and headed into Boston to see the MFA, where I dragged my poor cousins through the sections full of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman art and history. The Greek pottery was interesting - such fascinating subjects painted on pots, vases and amphoras. We also got to see the exhibit on Art Nouveau Jewelry, which included plenty of beautiful pieces. Made me want to go jewelry shopping! Also I've decided someday, when I have a place for it, I'm going to find a replica amphora of red figured Greek pottery, or whatever the technical term is.

That evening, we stopped by the Gelateria in North End to have traditional Italian-style ice cream (I missed it; it's much better than American ice cream, IMO)

The train ride home was long, but uneventful. It's almost good to be back.

Why Bother?

I know a few readers and I have been having something of a debate to answer the question: What effect can one individual have on the Big Problem? (Whichever problem one might be referring to at the time, or indeed, all of them at once). In this case, however, we'll stick to the Green Problem.

This article, by Michael Pollan of the New York Times, proposes to answer the question, Why Bother ? Why bother growing your own garden, or turning off your water faucet while you wash your hands or brush your teeth? Why bother using a clothes line instead of a dryer, or handwashing dishes instead of using a dishwasher (see post about Dishwashing Dilemma, and article at Slate.com for more on that issue, however)... Why bother opening windows instead of turning on the AC in the summertime? Why re-use and recycle when the trash can is right there? Why make all these little changes in your life when it's easier, and more habitual, to go on as you always have?

What can one person do, when the crisis is already here? Does it really require legislation and different technology before the change can be effective? Then again, what happens when 300 million people make the decision to bother?

Things Metro Could Learn from T

1. Flat rate fees (each T ride is only $2! Imagine that...)
2. Day, weekly, monthly passes. Seriously. Discounted fares for these passes. This might (gasp!) lead to more commuters using Metro.
3. Following on from #2, let's update and repair the system, so more commuters can ride without worrying about it falling apart.
4. Increase the number of neighborhoods in the DC Metro area serviced by Metro (excepting maybe Baltimore, that might be a little ridiculous).
5. Service to Dulles (with a cool color like silver). I know this has been in and out of the works for a while now, but let's get a move on!
6. More advertisements (hey, more revenue so you don't have to overcharge your customers!).
7. This has been said before, but it is possible that the escalators don't need to run constantly - motion detectors would reduce energy usage and cost to keep them running and maintained.