Green Options

Like millions of Americans, we’re celebrating July 4th, Independence Day.

However, we’re celebrating this national holiday by focusing on the many aspects of our life that, in various ways, have led us to quite a different vision for a sustainable tomorrow – complete with local, renewable energy and lots of delicious meals harvested within ten miles of where we live – if not from our own kitchen garden.  Sometimes we even celebrate July 4th with a rainbow.

Here’s how our Independence Day is different — and yours can be too:

•  Be energy independent by generating all our power with renewable energy systems.
For a vast portion of the United States, there is enough solar and wind energy to completely meet our needs right where we live.  True, adopting renewable energy will require an investment either personally or for your business if you work from home.  But with present Federal tax credits and many state incentives, the time couldn’t be better.  We completely power our Inn Serendipity Bed & Breakfast and Farm with solar electric and wind turbine systems.  In fact, we overproduce renewable energy to the tune of about 4,000 kWhs (kilowatt hours) a year.  We share the surplus with our neighbors.

I still have quite the collection of plastic bottles in my home and wanted to think of another activity to reuse them before sending the rest to the recycling center. Making them into bowling pins is a simple craft/game that does not take a lot of work and materials, but will teach your children to have fun with reusing materials.

You simply fill up your cleaned plastic bottles with tap water and then add any sort of substance that would easily color the water. Beet juice, carrot juice, cayenne powder, curry powder, dandelion root powder, cream of tartar or tempura paint would work fantastically to color the water.