Lowes blows...

After making a cuppla bucks last night on a CL sale of stuff I dumpied, I took a bike ride on the dumpie bike over to Lowes to check out their clearance plants to see what kind of food plants didnt sell too well. Man was I f'n surprised. racks and racks of dead/ near dead plants at 50-75 percent off. The only thing I can think is that they bought way too much, and given the sorry state of economic affairs they didnt sell. Now they cant afford to water the tenderlings so they are letting them die. I wish they would just put them out to the dumpie so some kind hearted plant lovers could grab them up either to revive or use in the compost bin. But alas. I gues old man Lowes will try to profiteer off of the near dead plants as long as he can.

Being that I was on the dumpie bike and had to be particular what I rescued I grabbe a cuppla grape vines (still in pretty good shape) for $4 each (regularly $20 ea) and planted them in the baskets of the dumpiebike and rode home. The grapes may not be good this year as its a tad late in the season but the leaves will be good for stuffed grape leaves at the very least.

On the way back I saw a cuppla signs for a moving sale so I dropped off the grapes , grabbed a refill on my coffee and rode over to see what kind of deals I could find. Got a pair of jeans (Levis- Strauss) in one size bigger than my usual for $2 and a tamale/ corn pot with canning attachments for another $2. Also picked up the SUnday paper that was laying in front of an empty house (victim of a foreclosure as the notice was on the front door) .

All in all a successful SUnday morning

a SAturday morning surfing find..

gimme a f'n break. a green razor. If the force that oversees our creation and evolution had want us to not have facial hair or leg hair or underarm hair he would have not given it to us or on the other hand thru evolution we would have lost it. But I cant believe the lengths that corporate America will go to "pimp" the green movement. I for one would not buy this. When I stopped shaving about 20 years ago I was still using the old Schick that my father used. One blade two-sided stainless steel handle. Built to last. And for the disposal of the blade there was a slot in the back of the med cabinet that sent the blade into the house structure where it wodl be safe.

Anyhow if you are interested in the details on this. check this out here.

	Handle is made from 100% recycled plastic, including Stonyfield Farm® yogurt cups
•	Ergonomic handle with contours and gripping regions enhances performance and control
•	Titanium coated triple blades with Vitamin E and Aloe lubricating strip offer a close shave and are easy to replace
•	Replacement blades available in packs of 4
•	Handle also works with Personna® Acti-Flexx® and Gillette® Sensor® blades

Jack of all trades..Master of none

I was doing some minor, minor plumbing yesterday and I recall that just a few years ago I had never plumbed.. I knew nothing about plumbing. I learned by DOING. Sure I made mistakes and errors but I was able to correct them at minor fiscal expense.
I began thinking about my entire generation and the next one coming and how little we know about living in a way that doesn’t need specialists/ consultants to take care of all of the things we don’t know how to do. I have spent years teaching my children that "can't" is not a legitimate term to use in any instance. You can do almost anything you want to. If you choose not to do something then that is your choice. You can do it but you choose not to.
Now, perhaps specialists are needed and I’ll survive just fine, but I suspect that I will be better served by having a general knowledge about a lot of things and being able to do more things for myself this being able to pass that general working knowledge down to the next generation.
I then wondered if I would be able to learn all of these things. On top of that, I thought of what I do know above and beyond the “average” person my age and I began to wonder if they’d be able to catch up if the time came that it was needed. Is the learning curve too great? Have we gotten too far away from the lifestyle where you could do things for yourself? I hope not.
We should all make it a goal and a responsibility to ensure that our children and grandchildren have the survival knowedge and skills necessary to exist in this ever declining world. That too me is one of the most important things to pass down besides the learning to learn is the learning to be self-reliant when necessary.

Living with a sellout

When the COMCAST beast added the planet green channel a few weeks ago I was excited to see the Living with Ed show that everyone was talking about. People have said that I am like Ed in that I am an eccentric old hippie living very eclectic and non-traditional. So I began watching this show in earnest. I was excited to see someone with money and prestige living like he did. But alas after a tad I began to follow the adventures of his simple green moving to normalcy and his followoig of whoring products to which he attaches his name. He lost touch of his roots. I guess it was the money and the fame coming back.

Alas as I was dared to by a colleague I wrote to ED and asked him why he didnt publicize and forward the non-corporate green methodologies that we dumpies and freegans and downright poor people follow in our efforts to survive. ie dumpieing, freeganing, rainwater collect in covered garbage cans instead of $300 models, riding dumpied/ refurbished bikes, etc. His response to me was quite short and I will include it here

" I did all that stuff on the cheap for years…from 1970 to 1982 everything I did was home made and scrapped together. Lots of those tips and stories are in my book LIVING LIKE ED as well.

ed"

So he gave up the "living cheap" stuff back in 1982. This is 2008. That is 26 years he has been buying green environmentalism. And now that its chic he is making money and gaining prestige by "pimping" it to the yuppie masses. Another sell-out.

But the show is entertaining as is the entire Planet green network.. As for the producers of Trashed. THank goodness for the stupid waste criminals for without them I wouldnt have half the crap I have saved from going to the landfill in support of my own endeavors.
Maybe I will create the new low-budget" hit comedy for the masses "living withTrashdigger"

the summer shed project

all winter long I have been contemplating a larger shed at the homestead to protect the bikes, increase the size of my work shop, store more food staples and dumpie finds for eating and selling on the CL. I think I have found the inspiration I need.
http://summerville-novascotia.com/PalletWoodShed/

HAve a gander around and see what is possible.. I did. ANd now I am off to gather pallets in my daily rounds. I think 4-6 pallets for the floor will do well. SImple design. MAybe a few plexi-glass windows for light and a potbelly stove for winter work..

what a great way to end bike to work week

Pull out the tent, the camper, the winnie or just sleep under the stars in your own backyard or on your porch this weekend.

http://www.nwf.org/backyardcampout/

If you’ve got a wish to get outside and check out the great outdoors with friends and family, consider getting involved with the Great American Backyard Campout set for this upcoming Saturday.

Sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation, they’re asking folks to register their campsite and take part in what may be the largest concerted camping effort in backyards across America since the Revolution.

Of course, you’ll need to provide the gear, s’mores and fun yourself, but there’s no doubt it could be a great way to bring out the kid in those around you while inspiring some of the real kids around you to take a new appreciation for nature itself.

To date there are approximately 19K people signed up to participate, but there’s certainly room for a few more.

Registering for the Great American Backyard Campout
To register just head over to the Great American Backyard Campout’s website and fill out the details of where it is you’re camping out, whether it’s in your own backyard or even your favorite campsite nearby. They promise to load you up with packing lists, recipes, wildlife guides, activities, and tips to help ensure you have a great time

a natural version of "Round-Up"

Tired of those pesky weeds taking over your yard?  For months now I have been scouring for a natural version of round-up. Well this morning while listening to a podcast I got the recipe I was looking for.

Try this this simple homemade recipe to stop them in their tracks. Start with a quart size spray bottle. Mix 1-1.5 cups of vinegar (preferably 20% acidity) and 1.5 cup dish soap. Add solution to the spray bottle and fill the rest of the way with water. Shake well. Spray directly on weeds. The vinegar kills the weeds while the dish soap holds it in place. The best time to spray is in the middle of the day.