DIY

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Do It Yourself

2008 Santa Fe Green Building Expo

Submitted by TimJFowler on Mon, 2008/11/17 - 2:29pm
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Santa Fe Green Building Summit & Expo logo

What: 2008 Santa Fe Green Building Expo
When: Nov. 21 2pm-6pm; Nov. 22, 10am-6pm; Nov. 23, 10am-5pm
Where: Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy Street, Santa Fe, NM
Cost: FREE to the Public

The $15 Water Heater Upgrade

Submitted by TimJFowler on Thu, 2008/11/13 - 4:28pm
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Water Heater Insulating Blanket

I have a cheap, inefficient water heater. Why? When I had the old water heater replaced I wasn't thinking about efficiency. So, the plumber installed an average, natural gas water heater. Buying a new, more efficient water heater can cost at least $500, plus installation. Being a creative and frugal guy (read: cheap) I found a way to upgrade my water heater for only $15.

Why I Garden #10

Submitted by TimJFowler on Thu, 2008/10/23 - 10:20am
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Green Tomatoes, Chiles, Tomatillos, Sage & Arugula

Fall is definitely here in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. We've already had a couple of light frosts, but the forecast last night was for a hard freeze. My wife and I went through our garden for the last harvest of the season. We harvested plenty of green Tomatoes, Ancho and Serrano chile peppers, Tomatillos, some of the more tender herbs like Mint, Sage and Basil and a bale of Arugula.

Happiness is a Full Rain Barrel

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2008/10/14 - 11:35am
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Rain Barrel overflowing with rain water

I love living in the Desert Southwest. We have hundred-mile views, low-humidity and 300 days of sunshine per year. But, the other side of all that sunshine is an average of 14 inches of rain per year. Unfortunately, the rains come mostly during the late summer monsoons, not evenly throughout the year. What little rain we do get is precious and worth saving. The easiest way to harvest our irregular, seasonal rains is with rain barrels.

Southwestern National Parks Tour

Submitted by TimJFowler on Sun, 2008/10/12 - 10:41pm
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Colorado River - Sunrise at Drinks Canyon Campground near Moab, Utah

Americans are lucky, or more accurately, fortunate. We are fortunate in the incredible beauty, diversity, wildlife and wilderness that is set aside and preserved by the National Parks Service. My wife and I recently took a week-long tour of National Parks, Monuments and Historic Sites in Colorado, Utah and Arizona. While our trip was short we camped, hiked, explored and absorbed a huge amount of nature, history and culture of the Southwestern US.

Are Sand Dunes the Future of Skiing?

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2008/09/16 - 2:07pm
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Sand Skiing - Getting the Hang of it

One of the many reasons I love winter is skiing. Well, I just tried another surface for skiing that doesn't need cold weather - sand dunes. While I fervently hope that the snow keeps coming each winter (and I'm working to make sure that it does) I've found a new place to slide on some old skis - The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

I'm definitely no expert, so I went with some new friends who are old hands at sand skiing. From what I've learned the basics of sand skiing are:

Go Camping

Submitted by TimJFowler on Mon, 2008/08/25 - 3:05pm
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Tent Camping in the Aspen Conifer Forest of Northern New Mexico

Get out of the house, away from town and Into the Woods! It's summertime and your tent and sleeping bag are crying out from neglect (well mine were anyway). My wife and I love camping but over-scheduling and other excuses get in the way much too often. Not this weekend!

Why I Garden #9

Submitted by TimJFowler on Wed, 2008/08/13 - 12:13pm
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Morning Glory in Bloom

The garden can be full of surprises. An interesting vine sprouted a few months back. Although I didn't recognize it, I decided to let it grow. My theory is that with as many wildflower seeds as I've sown I try to give any new plant a fighting chance to prove it's not a weed. My bet paid off with a Morning Glory.

Why I Garden #8

Submitted by TimJFowler on Wed, 2008/07/30 - 9:40am
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Delicata Squash Blossom

Blossoms on Delicata Squash (Cucurbita pepo) vines in the garden. Delicata (a.k.a. Sweet Potato Squash) is a heirloom variety with great flavor, but it is uncommon in the grocery store given its softer skin which doesn't stand up well to rough handling. So far it's been pretty easy to grow for us and forms the base of our Three Sisters (corn, beans, squash) garden bed.

More Info:

Wikipedia - Winter Squash

The Omnivore's Solution - a review of 'In Defense of Food'

Submitted by TimJFowler on Tue, 2008/07/08 - 3:16pm
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In Defense of Food cover

Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.

Those were the simple directions at the end of The Omnivore's Dilemma. It's a straightforward and direct answer to the question "What should people eat?" Yet somehow, that wasn't clear enough for a lot of people. What is food? How much is too much? What kind of plants? Etcetera and so on. So, Michael Pollan wrote In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.

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