Our Daily Ocean: Day 75

On Wednesday--June 22-- I celebrated my 33rd birthday!  Of course, we celebrated my birthday at one of my most favorite restaurants at Wrightsville Beach-- Tower 7.  Normally we do dinner and a clean up... but this time we had to do it in reverse because Tower 7 had nearly a 2 hour wait (!!)... yup... tourist season is in full swing.  And we brought 6 to the beach on Wednesday! ;)

From left to right: Aunt Karon, Aunt Kay, my son, my Mom, my daughter, Aunt Kathie, and my sister Audrey. (not pictured: my cousin Cody)

Some of my family-- my mom, sister, 3 aunts and my cousin-- flew in (from Missouri and Iowa) for a long awaited visit!!  It's such a great birthday gift for me to have them come stay with us!!  

Just like last year, I made a birthday wish for my family and friends to support the efforts of a cause... err... person I believe in.  My birthday wish??  For everyone to support the ocean conservation efforts of Wallace J. Nichols.  

Since Dr. Nichols was a kid he's only wanted to do one thing...

"Work for the ocean.  Not Nike, not Apple, not NASA.  The ocean.  Our ocean."  

Much like our oceans-- to remain an independent scientist-- he needs all the support he can get...

20 minutes on June 22, 2011 at Access 18

Litter by weight: 1 lb 5.5 oz
Cigarette butts: 439

Total amount of cigarette butts removed from Wrightsville Beach, NC in 75 days: 

22,414

Our Daily Ocean: Day 33

Merry Christmas!!  After the gifts were opened and our kids played for hours... we drove to Wrightsville Beach to do a 20 minute clean up with my brother and his girlfriend.  

Unlike us, where it takes us about 15-20 minutes to get to Wrightsville Beach... my brother LIVES at the beach.  Lucky boy.  So as we were driving to the beach... my brother (Ryan) and his girlfriend (Gabby) took a walk down the beach strand picking up litter as they walked.  During their walk they stayed at the top of the beach... close to the dunes... and by picking up litter as they walked they removed an overflowing paper grocery bag of litter including balloons, condoms, aluminum cans, plastic bags, degraded plastics, straws, bottle caps, rope, styrofoam... the list goes on.  All together the two of them collected 5 lbs 4.9 oz of litter including 86 cigarette butts.  Once we made it to the beach, they were at Stone Street (Access 29)... so we picked them up and we all drove to the far south end of the beach-- Access 43

Today was the first day that my brother did a clean up with us.  He's one that usually doesn't notice the litter... but between me and Gabby... he's getting trained. ;)  This was also the first time that my husband has been to Access 43 to do a clean up with us.  He, our three kids, my brother and Gabby all headed right to the sand dunes... I made a left and headed straight to the ocean.

The view above was to my right... the view below is what I saw when I turned back over my left shoulder...

Did you know that aluminum (and steel cans) are lined with BPA??  Seriously.  No joke.

The past couple of times we've been to the beach... we've seen the number of cigarette butts on the beach start to decline.  I expected the same to happen today... guess that would've taken a Christmas miracle... because as soon as I saw the wrack line and moved some of the organic debris... I knew that today's numbers weren't going to be low. :(

Under all that vegetative debris was over 50 cigarette butts along with Styrofoam, bottle caps, and straws.

The past week I've been collecting my plastic waste for the Fake Plastic Fish "Show Us Your Plastic Challenge"... I've really been striving to reduce the amount of plastics that our family of 5 uses and while I know where I want to be with our plastic consumption.... there is no better way to know where you're going then to see where you've been :)  Every time we do litter clean ups... I'm reminded of all of the plastic products that we no longer use...  from bottled waters to straws... and two of our other most common finds... zip lock bags (haven't used in nearly 6 years) and individually wrapped snacks...

Ziplock bag.

Larabar. (make them instead!!)

For Christmas, my four year old son got his first camera.  He wanted to take it to the beach today... little did I know he's been paying attention and learning from what we've been doing.... check out his view here.

20 minutes on December 25, 2010

Litter by weight: 3 lbs 12.4 oz

Cigarette butts: 720

Total amount of cigarette butts picked up off of Wrightsville Beach, NC in 33 days:

12,533

Green My Ride

For the past 5 and a half years, I have had been driving a Toyota Sequoia. (I know, I know.)  Over the years, it's been such a struggle for me... I really loved my Sequoia... it's dependable and it fit our family. BUT... it's also a gas guzzler... and such the opposite of everything that I am... and everything that I believe in (ummm... if for some reason you don't know what I believe in... you may want to start from the beginning ;) )

When people would ask me, "How do you like your Sequoia??"  I would always hesitate... say that it's really great... make sure I told them our reasons for having it... and how I wished Toyota could put the technology of the Prius in it :) 

As much as the Sequoia was "not me".... there are were SO many reasons why I justified having it:

• 3 kids in car-seats and no way was I getting a mini-van.

• When family came to visit... having the ability to seat 8 people really was nice. 

• I don't drive that much (about 10K a year)

• We have a crazy-ass Weimaraner that we find it's easier on her (and our) mental stability if she rides along with us than stays at home.

• And having all the extra room was really nice for when we traveled... not to mention built in DVD players.

For the past 3 years, we have really wanted to get a different vehicle.   But it never really made sense for 2 reasons.

1.  Three kids in car-seats.  2.  My Sequoia was paid off.

So we waited... and waited... until 3 weeks ago... when we finally made the decision that NOW was the time to make the switch.  And two weeks ago, we bought a....

So even though I've always wanted one (the technology completely AMAZES me)... being a family of 5, I really never thought that it would make sense for our family.  Another moment of "proving myself wrong" ;)  I am absolutely LOVING it... and have not had one single second where I missed my big curb jumping Sequoia ;)  I have to say that I am still amazed at everything about the Prius.  Its size is very deceiving... totally always thought they were tiny... but they are so spacious (seriously)!!  AND the best part... after zipping around for the past couple of weeks... I've become a more conscious driver!!  Yes, I admit...from the moment I got my drivers license, I have been the "pedal to the metal" girl.  Green light. GO!!!!  Ahh... but not with the Prius.  As I accelerate, I watch the "Eco" monitor thingie and take my time and don't waste energy.  (I've been referring to it as the "marathon runner vs. the sprinter"... the marathon runner starts slow and builds up pace conserving energy... while the sprinter does short bursts and runs out of energy fast.  Something that I wish I would have thought of when I had my 14 mpg Sequoia.)  SO... for anyone who's ever thought that Priuses are slow... let me go ahead and tell you... it's not the Prius... it's the driver watching the Eco monitor trying to beat their best mpg :)

Oh yeah...thanks in part to my conscious driving (watching the monitor and coasting... I LOVE coasting)... I'm averaging around 50 mpg (it was 51, but my "heavy footed" hubbie has dropped it down a notch ;) )

My Sequoia (sold a week ago) next to my new ride.  (I may have changed my car... but the color remains the same... well kind of... Phantom Gray is now Winter Gray Metallic)

SO... what about all those things that I justified having my Sequoia for??  They're just that... justifications.  I don't miss a single thing about the Sequoia... not even the ability to jump curbs ;)

AND... there has been a whole other learning experience from this change....

When I signed the papers... I felt a tad strange.  I made a lot of different choices with this purchase than I would have made in the past.  I didn't get the top package... not because we couldn't afford it... but because we didn't need it.  I had made the decision that I did not want leather... in all of my other vehicles, I've always had leather seats... but I thought think that if I'm not going to eat a cow... then why the heck should I sit on one??  Anyway... as the dealer was going over what I was getting (or more so what I wasn't getting) I said to my husband, "I feel cheap."  And then the thought of my New Year's "Life Resolution" popped in my head.  Having leather... getting the top car package... is something that society has made me believe is one sign of success.  

I LOVE when I have moments when I see and feel change unfolding right in front of me :)


(Update:  As of May 2010, I am averaging about 58 mpg!! Woohoo!!!)

The Freshest Food

From the moment I started this blog, I have been asked when I'm going to talk about my garden.  I think I've been putting it off because my fall garden was rather lackluster this year.  Sure I had some green beans and sweet potatoes, but the weather was wacky so my lettuces, cucumbers, and squashes didn't grow... not to mention the fact that my chickens ate all my broccoli!!  But as I was going through some pictures, I came across this:

 Leeks--the only thing that actually survived my fall garden-- picked fresh on Christmas day!  The story is a simple one... I was in the middle of making scalloped potatoes when I realized that I didn't have any onions... oops!  Then I remembered that I had leeks growing right in my backyard... a Christmas miracle!  One of the greatest benefits of having a garden... the convenience.

However, my desire (my need) for a garden goes way beyond convenience.  My Grandparents had a garden that fed their family of 13... not to mention loads of grandkids :)  I can't remember a time in my life when I thought food was so good.  Fresh everything... the sweetest carrots, tomatoes, green beans, etc, etc, etc... pickles made by my grandma... and she even made her own rhubarb jelly (ok...I wasn't much for rhubarb, but everyone else liked it).... I can close my eyes and I'm taken back to their kitchen table.  For me, there has always been something comforting about all of that.  I give 100% credit to my Grandparents for instilling in me this love for fresh food...this food that has all the flavor it's supposed to have.... this notion that

*I* can sow, grow, harvest and feed my family with only my two hands... 


that is what having a garden is all about.

Now honestly, I'm no expert.  I view my garden as an experiment and if I get something to eat out of it... the experiment worked... if I don't.... well, at least I tried!  So as spring approaches, and my garden is (hopefully) kickin' I'll post some more... until then...

Wanna grow leeks?

They're easy... I just sow the seeds in the spring.  Keep an eye on the weeds and leave them be.  They're ready to be picked in late fall all through winter...AND they even survive frost!!!

(Oh, and if you don't know what the heck to use them for... you can use them to replace onions in ANY recipe.  Seriously.)