Oh so Eco

Brian and I live forty minutes from the closest town. The closest town has 8,000 people in it and one and half grocery stores. There are parks, gardens and one main road of cars. I hear people talk about the worlds energy crisis and our disappearing natural resources. Gas prices are $4.20. Buzz words like "whole foods" and "organic" have been trendy for years. The worlds climate change has created enough of a stir that second graders know the words "Global Warming" and magazines display pictures of that cuddly Polar Bear and his melting habitat almost every month.

Back in the day I wasn't sure where to start or how to help. I thought about throwing rocks at Walmart, I wrote an email to President Bednar (then the president of BYUI) about better recycling on campus, and I would pick up trash on the road when I found it (LA kind of cured me of that one. . . not fun to pick up urine soaked McDonald's bags). I've realized that even the most "green" of people and organizations can't avoid damaging the planet and using up valuable natural resources. It always makes me laugh when people pull up to the entrance station in their mile-long motor-home that eats more gas than a semi, and ask in an angry voice why they are drilling on the BLM land outside of Canyonlands.

BUT, despite the negative undertones of my post, I like trying to be "Eco-friendly." Bry and I have planted a garden and used composted cow-manure for fertilizer. We plug our shower water and scoop it out into five-gallon buckets to water. Last week during the monsoon, We ran around in the pouring rain scooping water from the gutter and filling up 40 gallons worth of buckets. The plants we harvest will hopefully cut down on our trips to the grocery store and reduce our food and gas bill. NPS has recycle bins next to our house so tossing that tuna can after lunch is a no-brainer. And since we live one minute from work, the bike commute is no problem (our one-time bike to town was a bit of a disaster). Although I've left my rock-throwing-angsty emailing days behind me, there's nothing like living in the middle of nowhere to leave me feeling oh-so-eco.

Land of many uses

Last week I read a book that spoke to every surpressed childhood fantansy of mine; sitting on picket fences, waiting for seeds to grow, milking cows and sewing patchwork quilts, feeding chickens and getting dirt in my fingernails. I want land. I want to own "a bit of earth." And I don't mean I want land and a house in one of those neighboorhoods where people tell you what size your mailbox needs to be, or that you can't have chickens because it will wake your neighbors who live two feet away. . . I don't want to beg for a non-natvie species garden or be denied pets because "I'm only a seasonal." I'm not venting-- as a matter of fact, I don't even feel impatient. I'm only expressing a dream that I want to happen, but I'm perfectly content waiting for it. Someday, Brian and I are going to build a house.

We spent all day yesterday playing in the La Sal mountains. We climbed mt. Peele (12,720 ft) and Tukunakavitz (a few feet lower). We didn't see a soul the whole time. There were no trails and no cairns and the air was cool. It hailed on us, it thundered and wildflowers were everywhere.

There's no place like home

SO my family came to visit me in Canyonlands! Cath, Mom and dad showed up and we took a 28 mile trip down the colorado river, a sweet bike ride (cath and I), showed them our place, our garden and our sweet cooking abilities and then we took off for the reunion in Idaho next to the Tetons. It was sooo nice to be up in the mountains. Brian and I slept outside every night. Emily and Jerry were even there! There is really nothing in the world like spending time with family. Life is richer, fuller and better when we are all together. Bry, Cath and I tried to hike Table Rock. It was covered in snow and we forged some raging river of freezing water. We made it up a ways, but Cath and I chickened out b/c it was getting dark.