Cat Tales ~ 'Doggone Good Potting Soil'

Did you know that it is estimated that the 166 million cats and dogs in the U.S. produced about 15.4 million tons of droppings in 2011?

Mommy has been reading the newspaper again. This time she found an article about a local company, EnviroWagg, that takes the waste from dogs and turns it into potting soil! No $h!t! {{snicker}}

EnviroWagg has begun working with a local animal shelter to dispose of the 2.5 tons of droppings {{eeewwww}} the shelter generates every year. At EnviroWagg the droppings are mixed with sawdust, straw, pine bark, and other carbon sources, spiked with enzyme and heated to 145 degrees. Then it is tested to make sure it is pathogen-free. And the result is less landfill waste and some "Doggone Good" potting soil mix. 

Finally! Those silly Doggies are good for something!

Purz and Catnip Dreams.......Gomez

March Madness

Whew! So glad March is over! It was a crazy, hectic month!

So many places to go and things to get done. There was a Kindergarten musical to attend - The Emperor's New Clothes - which was fun! It was quite amazing to see all those little people on stage singing and acting. The musical lasted approx. 1/2 hour and there were very few forgotten lines and missed cues. Every Kindergartner had to memorize the whole play before roles were assigned.  WoW!  Huge Kudos to all the faculty that assisted with this performance. It was truly amazing.

Then there was the visit from the Tooth Fairy. Her first to our house. And snow to be shoveled. And the Vernal Equinox to celebrate. And more snow to be shoveled. The delight in seeing the first flower of Spring. And more snow to be shoveled. A School District Art Show to attend (pics to follow later).

Amidst all of that, there was endless hunting and searching for an enticing piece of property to call our own. And then the weekend drives to look at them.

Needless to say, I am most glad April is here. Even though I will probably be busier than ever since growing season will soon be upon us. April is National Garden month here in the U.S. and there is Earth Day to celebrate. So this month I will be posting as much as I can about plants and gardening and nature. (You won't want to miss this Sunday's Art Post!) And I will write more about the challenges our 'new' family unit has faced in the past year along with some ponderings and revelations.

Weird Wednesday ~ Airline Uses Cooking Oil as Fuel

Could airports of the future stop smelling like fuel exhaust and start smelling like french fries and fried catfish? Maybe.

A Trans-Atlantic flight for KLM Airlines is being powered partially by used cooking oil. Once a week, a flight from New York to Amsterdam (and back) is using bio-fuel consisting of 25% cooking oil and 75% jet fuel. These flights have been taking place since September 2011.

The cooking oil comes from Louisiana. Waste oil left over from frying Cajun Food is processed to remove impurities at a plant near Baton Rouge, LA. The oil is then shipped to New York. A similar system is in place in Holland. 

While this bio-fuel cuts carbon emissions by up to 80%, it does come at a price. The bio-fuel costs almost $10 a gallon. Roughly 3x the cost of aviation fuel. Would you pay more for an airline ticket to help save Mother Earth?

Read More Here!

And Here!