Earth Day 2008

OK, it's Earth Day and I want to know what all of you are doing about it. It doesn't have to be some grand gesture, just learning something new and applying it to your daily life would suffice. I've been studying up on how to 'clean up' our home, as in removing the toxins that we use to help clean and keep things tidy. I am finding loads of information about natural products that get the job done just as well, or better, than chemicals we've become accustomed to. As an example I am trying out a 90% Water/10% Vinegar solution as a way to rid our yard of unsightly weeds. I'll let you know how that progresses. In the meantime I have listed below some information I garnered from a local magazine called Granville. Read it, check you cleaning cupboards and make your life, and the planet, better.

How many of these chemicals are around YOUR house??

2-butoxyethanol
* Used as a solvent in carpet cleaners and specialty cleaners, it can be inhaled or absorbed through the skin and may cause blood disorders, as well as liver and kidney damage, and may also cause reproductive damage on long-term exposure.

Ethoxylated nonyl phenols (NPEs)
* A group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals still used in cleaning products, even though Environment Canada has declared them toxic under the Canadian Environmental Act. Known as 'gender benders', nonyl phenols can induce female charicteristics in male fish, for example.

Methylene chloride
* Listed as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, methylene chloride, or products containing it, are used as paint stripper. There are no warning label requirements in Canada for methylene chloride, which is sold in hardware and home improvement outlets.

Naphthalene
* Either Naphthalene, or another chemical called paradichlorobenzene, is used in mothballs and moth crystals. Naphthalene is listed by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazards Assessment as a substance "known to cause cancer", while paradichlorobenzene is listed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as a possible human carcinogen.

Silica
* Found in common powdered household abrasive cleaners, Silica is made from finely ground quartz. It is carcinogenic when it occurs as a fine breathable dust.

Toulene
* Used as a solvent in numerous products, including paints, Toulene is a potent reproductive toxin. Toulene is listed by California's Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a reproductive toxin that may cause harm to the develoring fetus. Pregnant women should certainly not use products containing Toulene.


Trisodium nitrilotriacetate (NTA)
* Used as a builder in laundry detergents, NTA is listed as a possible human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It also has an adverse environmental impact because it can impede the elimination metals in wastewater treatment plants.

Source: Labour Environment Alliance Society (leas.ca)

Upper Vezzano, Italy.

These are from an online photographer friend of mine, Paolo in Italy. He takes some amazing shots and I am of the mind to post some from time to time. I'll look for someone with pictures of British Columbia that are just as gorgeous. Enjoy!

Reflection of the day.

So, I had a fairly good day today. Dixon is in Kelowna for three days so I am bonding with the animals. I found a job online that I applied for, fingers crossed.

At 9pm I was sitting in the living room, cat asleep on my lap and the dog sprawled out on the floor, the smooth jazz station gently wafting from the tele as I played solitaire on my i-Pod. Suddenly a song came on that grabbed me by the ears and wouldn't let go - Angel Eyes by KD Lang. Gorgeous voice, superb orchestration, sultry saxophone and elegant strings. When it was over I sprung to the computer and summoned i-Tunes for a search. There she was with that song, part of a tribute album to Ella Fitzgerald. Sixteen songs and a bonus booklet for only $9.99. Beside Ms. Lang there is Chaka Kahn, Diana Krall, Gladys Knight, Etta James, Linda Rondstatd, Michael Buble, Natalie Cole and Queen Latifah! Most are favorites of mine (I swear there is a black woman in me somewhere!!). I simply could not pass up this selection and am now listening to these wonderful voices. Ain't life grand!

Can you get THIS in the US??

Well, I found my dream car du jour - the 1991 Nissan Figaro. These were made in VERY limited numbers, less than 20,000, for the Japanese market only. I found a company in Vancouver that imports them and sells them for $12-13,000. What a bargain!!

Here are some details:

The Figaro was introduced at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show under the slogan "Back to the Future". It was built by a Nissan special projects group called Pike Factory, who also produced other niche automobiles such as the Be-1, Pao and S-Cargo. Only four colours were available: Topaz Mist, Emerald Green, Pale Aqua and Lapis Grey. The least popular was Topaz Mist, which now has become the most sought-after version.

The Figaro was equipped with leather seats, air conditioning, CD player and a open roof. It was designed by Shoji Takahashi, who won a design competition with the car.

The engine was Nissan's MA10ET, a turbocharged 1.0 L (987 cc) I4.

Only 8,000 were originally available with an additional 12,000 added to production numbers to meet demand.

Now I really have to get a job so I can get one of these! Maybe it's mid-life crisis but I am smitten for SURE!

Trip into the city.

Well, with the LONG weekend here we decided to take a trip into Victoria to get some shopping done. We are on the lookout for patio furniture for our deck but can't seem to find a higher set so that we can see over the railing. I suppose it isn't that big of a deal, seeing that the panels in the rail are GLASS and we can see right through them, but we were looking for higher perches from which to enjoy food, drink and the view. We were told to try Sears but alas all they had were the standard height tables and chairs. I've now started researching possibilities that are locally manufactured and will let you know what we find.

We also checked out the Sears Garden Center, something that I have NEVER seen in the States, and their selection wasn't too bad but of course they were still ramping up for the season so there was a lot of empty space yet to be filled with goodies of green. We wandered about in Hillside Mall, looking for info on cell phone service, and as usual were overwhelmed with the myriad of choices from the different providers. YIKES, it is as bad as in the States, but one thing I noticed is that usually voicemail tends to be in an extra cost package, not standard. We are leaning to Rogers due to our rural location and their larger number of towers out our way.

We were then off to Finest at Sea seafood emporium in Victoria. It is run by a local fisherman and he sells in the shop what his eight boats catch every day at sea. We heard they had BC sashimi-grade albacore tuna and they certainly do. A recent article in the local paper stated that the flavor of this local tuna is supposed to be fantastic so we splurged and picked up a pound to try for a special dinner tonight. We love our tuna seasoned and seared on the George Foreman indoor grill - just a bit of olive oil on each side and some chipotle and we are good to go!

After the fish store, which did NOT burn down by the way, just an out building behind did, we were off to Chinatown and Silk Road Tea Company on Government Street to try to find Dixon some Cinnamon Tea. He really enjoyed a particular blend back in the States that came from Mrs. Kelly's tea company in Minneapolis but we have not been able to find a similar product since our arrival in BC. Silk Road has a fantastic selection of teas but alas no Cinnamon tea so our search continues.

The trip into Victoria was a delight for the visual senses as there are blooming trees EVERYWHERE, more than I have ever seen in a city before. No matter what street or neighborhood we found ourselves there were trees in bloom, sometimes as far down the road as they eye could see! It truly is a fantastic sight and I would urge you to not miss it if possible. Sorry to say my camera was at home. Spring seems to come a bit earlier in Victoria than out in the hills of Sooke so there are not too many trees abloom out in our area, yet. We have 2-300 daffodils in bloom in the yard and some Hyacinth and I noticed the same blooms all over Victoria. The sunny weather seemed to have the populace out in full force also as there were loads of people everywhere we went. Douglas St. was a madhouse of traffic, something I usually see during the work week, and there were mobs of people in downtown Victoria, particularly around the Empress Hotel and the inner harbor.

Today, if the weather stays clear, we are off to Whiffen Spit with the dog for a romp along the sea.

I hope this finds you all well and stay tuned......

More of the garden...

Daffodils

Unknown in the rock garden.

Sedum emerging.

Not sure what this is but I like it.

Grass left from last year but still looks nice.

Lenten Rose. (Hellebore)

Lenten Rose (Hellebore)

Cool color!

Mass of Creeping Thyme on the rock wall.

Sedum in the rock garden.

SPRING!!

Some Daffodils in a pot that the previous owners left for us.

Hyacinths in the garden.

Huge Pink Magnolia just about ready to bloom.

Fatsia Japonica!

Lenten Rose.

Spring has arrived on Vancouver Island. At least I think it has. We are still getting used to the season schedule here but it sure is nice to be able to get out into the garden and start exploring. I've stared at it all Winter and cleaned up a bit but I didn't really want to get into anything until I see what comes up this year. THEN I'll start reorganizing things and adding to the selection. We have about 200 Daffodils just about bursting into bloom (yes, I counted them) with colors ranging from bright yellow to a soft cream color. There are some strange looking blooms that appear to be some type of Hyacinth, just a short version, but they sure do smell good! I've counted about 20 rose bushes and most are bursting with new leaf growth. A couple look like they have seen better days. There are maybe a half dozen Rhododendrons, Hen and Chicks in the rock garden, Creeping Thyme, Rosemary, Holly, Fatsia Japonica (GORGEOUS!!), assorted Pine, Spruce and Cedar, a few Maple trees, 6 HUGE Butterfly bushes, two Magnolias and loads of others that I have yet to identify. All I know is that by moving to Zone 7 or 8 it sure has expanded the selection of things that I can put in the garden!! I've not seen any Peonies or Lilac so we are thinking of adding them. Enjoy the pictures!!