--- Janice McDonald <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>
> this week it was on the news that blog groups all over were going
> to
> have a day dedicated to blogging about how to have a greener
> planet.
> I thought we, as horse people, should be more into having a green
> planet than anyone else! After all, our horses happiness in large
> part correlates to having a nice pasture, a comfortable environment
> without catastrophic drought/flood/fire/storms. we all have a
> responsibility to our livestock to live more "green".
> Janice--
I took a trip to Seattle last fall to visit some old friends....it
was interesting being in a big city again...but what was soooo funny
to me
now remeber I sold my beautiful just remodeled updated city home
(where our source of heat from from a wood stove (2 cords a year for
us to have heat and a lot of splitting and work)
to live out in the rural part of Hawaii, off grid, no grid power, no
city water, no garbage service....2.5 miles on a dirt road from the
highway. We lived for 3 years without any electricity, we wanted the
experience, and I appreciate electricity like I never have before.
Anyway, my old friends are telling me how I need to do something to
conserve energy, save water, save the planet, all the while they are
going to Star_ucks coffee house to buy their lattes.
(because they feel that Star_ucks is a green company)
and they can feel good about it because they brought in their on cup.
I just stared at them in amazement....Sally and I catch and use our
own water, I maintain the system myself...if we run out, thats it...I
have to haul water or BEG a water truck to come down my road to
deliver me water at $160 bucks for 4000 gallons, we have had to do
that twice, and I tip well so that they will come back, plus I have
to trim trees for hours before they will bring their truck down the
road.
I just think it is amazing what some people call being green...
blogging to me doesn't do much for the effort, LIVE IT.
I guess it can get some info out to people, but there is so much talk
about being green these days how could you really avoid it?
We live in an area where a lot of people grow their own food, and a
lot of it...we are still aspiring to it. There is a farm just a 1/4
of a mile down the road, they are at 80% of eating food that they
grow or raise or hunt...that is pretty high, and they eat very very
well, goat milk and cheese, wild pig and farm raise grass fed goat
for meat....and all the fruits and veggies.
I know this other guy who will only eat stuff within a 10 mile radius
of his land...he eats well, he does not even farm, he gathers food
from all different types of sources...not for everyone, but his
footprint on the planet is pretty light.
We tried using a subaru forester for our farrier buisness, it was too
difficult...so we bought a truck that would haul our horses, and had
4x4, we need it for some ranches that we go to...and the tundra gets
20 mpg on the highway, so for a big truck that hauls 7000lbs its
great! How many of us really have to tow more than that? Especially
with our Icelandics.....
We are thinking of getting a Jeep Wrangler with a small tow behind
trailer as our next farrier rig....but I still have to check out the
MPG issue and other things......
Not sure about that yet, it might need to be a RAV or a GEO
Tracker........
Skye
~~~~Fire Island Farms~~~~
Breeding Quality Icelandic Trail Horses
Certified Farrier Services
'Natural Balance' Shoeing and Trimming.
Founder, Navicular options for your horse.
808-640-6080
