This'n that - green addition

People are starting to get used to my roof, I think.  They don't stare as they go by anymore.  Today a couple that I often see on the walking trails asked me about my roof, and said that they love it.   Right away, they zoned in on what I considered to be the selling points... it helps to insulate the house, it isn't made with petroleum products, and it'll last as long as the house does.

I've been kind of leery about discussing the roof with any of the neighbours, after all the complaints that were made to the city; but was relieved to know that this couple wasn't involved in that.  Actually, from the questions that they asked me, I get the impression that they're thinking of doing the same on their house.  I hope they do.

As an aside, they pointed out that I paid significantly less than the cost of a new vehicle for this roof.  The vast majority of people around here replace their trucks and SUV's every 4-5 years for a cool $40+K.    Knowing the modest car that I drive (and that I plan to continue driving it for many years to come) somehow made me feel more justified.  Given the choice between this or a gas guzzler; I'll happily take the new roof.

I suspect that my garden is ready to harvest, but I'm not sure.  I've never grown many vegetables, so I'm afraid of pulling them up too soon.  The peas were a flop.  Tomatoes did much better than last year's puny crop, but not a tonne. Out of three plants, I've got about 10 tomatoes.  Carrot greens are only a 3-4 inches high, so I suspect that they didn't do so well.  Beets, on the other hand, did very well.  I suspect I'll be eating fresh beets well into the new year.

I found a new store in town that specializes in humanely raised, organic meats.  The owners actually drive around to local farms, check the living conditions, select which animals they want, and transport them directly to be butchered.  (I prefer to pretend that that last part doesn't happen.)    I've been a vegetarian off and on for years.  I would prefer to be a non-meat eater, but never seem to manage it.  I will say, though, that having found this store makes me feel a lot better about the meat that I do eat.  Plus, today I had free range organic chicken for dinner.  You'll never be able to convince me that isn't better than the stuff you get at a regular grocery store.

I'm thinking of joining the No Poo movement.  This is not about constipation, as the name would imply.  This is a movement towards making your own shampoo at home, and avoiding all the chemicals, packaging and expense of buying it for 8-20 dollars a bottle.

Some say that you can use a mixture as simple as 1 cup of water/1 tbsp of baking soda.  Other recipes involve  making a tea from various herbs, and mixing it with distilled water and castile soap (or vegetable glycerin).  I'm tempted to try this out, and keep reading about the how healthy your hair will be as a result.  What's holding me back is that there's apparently an adjustment period for a few weeks until your scalp adjusts, during which your hair will seem quite greasy.  I'm not too keen on going through the greasy phase.

I also found a recipe for making my own toothpaste.  Somehow, that seems like less of leap of faith, and may actually be the next step.  Then again, a choice between bad breath and greasy hair, I think I'd prefer the greasy hair.  If I wait a few months, I can hide the grease under a toque.