conservation
Cleaning Green
The COVID-19 pandemic had everyone staying put. For me, one of the downsides of spending all that time seating around was I got to see just how dirty my motorhome was. We didn’t clean it as thoroughly as usual when we got home in the Fall and it showed. I looked at the products I Read More >>
Firewood tips to contain nonnative critters
Perhaps the only thing better than sitting around a campfire at the end of a summer’s day might is sitting in front of a fireplace with a roaring fire on a cold winter’s night. As cold winter temperatures settle across the country and many people cozy up next to their warm fires, experts warn that Read More >>
No Ash trees in our national forests? Say it ain’t possible
A tree with many uses Black ash, a dominant tree species of forested wetlands in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, serves several purposes. It provides multiple ecosystem services. It is a valuable resource for Native American basket-makers. Now the ash tree’s existence is threatened by the emerald ash borer (EAB). It is killing virtually all ash Read More >>
Earth-friendly BYOBag
I have been advocate of BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag) for decades. Last year I did a blog on making your own grocery bags. I hope people have found it useful but I found an even easier, more earth-friendly BYOBag. I don’t know about other men, but my Fred is hard on his clothes, particularly Read More >>
Fire!!! Got a plan?
There doesn’t seem to be an end to the misery folks in California are going through with all these horrible fires. So many missing. So many dead. So many homes gone. So many acres destroyed. My heart aches for all those people and what they must be going through wondering about loved ones. When Fred Read More >>
Morel Mushrooms – yummy
As a results of last year’s 41 Complex and Saddle Complex wildfires, which burned more than 47,000 acres on the Bitterroot and Salmon-Challis national forests, conditions are expected to provide a bounty of morels mushroom. This means you, private citizen, can pick up to five gallon per day or 20 gallon for the season of Read More >>
Magnificient Ponderosa pine
There are few trees, IMHO, more beautiful than the Ponderosa pine. I have read the Ponderosa pine outlines the “real” American West. If you’re driving through the high desert of the Southwest, the towering mountains of Colorado, or watching an old episode of Bonanza on tv, the tree youare most likely seeing is the Ponderosa Read More >>
Light Pollution
A light pollution map If you have spent any time in a national forest or grassland west of the Mississippi River, it is likely you have noticed the night sky. The sky appears bigger, taller, wider. It also seems darker and has more stars that sparkle, not just twinkle. The Milky Way is clearly visible. Read More >>
Colorful Acorn Caps
The best crafts for entertaining children (whether camping or dealing with yucky weather) are really easy, take a little more effort than a quick run to the closest, and allow for some creativity once the basic skill is learned. This Colorful Acorn Caps craft has all these elements! FYI: Oak trees do not produce all Read More >>
Knapweed – Pretty but harmful
Although it isn’t a major problem in this little corner of Arizona, there is one weed that has been spreading hate and destruction across the western States since the late 1800s. Its called Knapweed. There are several varieties and you’ve probably seen it along roadsides, next to pond, beside railroad tracks, and just about anyplace Read More >>
