For those of you who know me, (and if you're reading my blog, there is a strong likelihood that you DO know me), you know that I am prone to hug the proverbial (and oftentimes literal) tree. I've been accused of being a tree-hugger since college. The fact that I've been a vegetarian for 20 years notwithstanding, I may have some other nature-friendly tendencies (gasp!). I believe in global warming (the result of which, in my mind, are polar bears floating away on tiny ice burgs while clinging to their baby bears); I believe in the Three Rs (Reduce! Re-use! Recycle!); and I believe that if you shoot it, you should eat it - and if you CAN grow it, you SHOULD grow it! And then eat it!
Where did I learn such leftist, counter-culture behavior?
From my hippie parents, duh.
Oddly, my dad was married to the federal government for 32 years, so you might not consider him a hippie at first glance. But then again, if you know my dad (and if you're reading my blog, it's entirely possible you DO know him), the ponytail and tie-dye shirt are more than just the result of a post-government act of rebellion. He eats what he shoots (squirrels, rabbits, elk and other "critters"), he loves a used coffee can to store his man-stuff in (the usefulness of the "stuff" is debatable), and he has created and implemented a water reclamation system in my parents' New Mexico backyard that would make the Corps of Engineers proud. Ahem.
My mom, however, has never worked for the government. She used to play the recorder (songs like "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme"), bake her own bread (the kids at school asked me if my mom was an Indian), she eats what she shoots, and she has a garden that would make Laura Ingalls proud (refer to blog post #2). The point is, the hippie doesn't fall far from the tree that she's hugging.
I asked my mom if I could feature her garden and the water collection system on my blog. It may not be a random act of kindness in the regular sense. This kindness is directed toward another mother - Mother Earth. She is one bad-ass baby momma.
My mom has been developing her garden over the past 14 years. It includes beautiful vegetables, culinary herbs, medicinal herbs (don't get excited, it's not what you think), fruit trees and ornamental plants. About 9 years ago my parents put gutters on the roof and installed barrels for rainwater collection. They have several barrels, for a total of about 1,000 gallons of water collection potential, that they use to water the garden. Brilliant!
Mom also has dedicated two large sections of the front yard to xeric plantings (low water use plants). This reduces the amount of higher water-use lawn. These xeric areas are watered only once a month if there is no rain at all during that period. When watering the small pieces of actual lawn, she puts the sprinkler on during the cooler times of the day. Since my parents live in the Southwest, they feel an obligation to use all their resources in a responsible, conscientious way. By conserving water in these ways, my mom can provide food and medicine for the family, increase the oxygen levels in the atmosphere (all green trees and plants add oxygen to the air), provide a cooler "green belt" around the house which reduces the need to use electricity to cool their house, and have a beautiful, colorful relaxing area to chill out.
Don't you love it when you see some dumdum watering their front sidewalk instead of the grass because the sprinkler is screwed up or the wind is blowing . . . or it's raining??! Hellooooo?? Ever heard of a drought? I personally don't care to act out The Grapes of Wrath any time soon. That would be so depressing and dusty. Hence "dust bowl," I guess.
In July, a local organization called Gaia Guild sponsored a garden tour and competition to promote backyard food production. My mom's garden won the "Most Water-Wise Garden." My mom said, "To respect and honor Mother Earth, to use all her resources and gifts wisely to improve and enhance our daily life; that is my motivation in everything I do." Mother Earth kicks ass. So does my mother.
So folks, the moral of the story is, try to reduce your water usage in your yard, if possible. Grow amazing veggies and herbs to cook with, if possible. And always attempt a complicated and cumbersome feat of engineering in order to lessen your water usage . . . if possible.
I kid. 
Not everyone has the skills and wherewithal to construct a device that looks like the boiler room on the Titanic. A hippie with a Master's Degree and the skills of a carpentry ninja. Not too shabby.
Not everyone has the skills and wherewithal to construct a device that looks like the boiler room on the Titanic. A hippie with a Master's Degree and the skills of a carpentry ninja. Not too shabby.
One last thought . . . When I was in first grade, I used to collect aluminum cans from the playground and save them to take home and turn in for cash on the weekend. My dad helped me build a can crusher out of 2x4s and a door hinge (didn't every kid have one of those?). My teacher took me aside and asked why I was saving garbage. She thought we were poor. Guess she didn't know I was probably one of the richest kids she'd ever meet.
Thanks, Ma and Pa (again, Laura Ingalls - and in case you truly have never met any of us before, that's really what I call my parents); thanks for teaching me to appreciate a crock-pot squirrel (I wasn't ALWAYS a vegetarian), a bountiful harvest, and for instilling in me respect for our environment and our natural community.
Until next time, with peace and gratitude.
Go hug a tree.
Thanks, Half-Pint. It's a warm fuzzy knowing your kid is proud of what you do, and that she has learned all those early lessons so well. You did a great job of putting this together with a lot of humor.
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