YOU'RE MISSING SOMETHING IF YOU HAVEN’T TRIED INDIAN FRYBREAD

For those of you who've never eaten frybread along with a meal or as a dessert topped with honey or maple syrup, you've missed a real treat. And if you're not from the U.S. Southwest, where it's a cultural icon, perhaps you don't even know what Indian frybread is. Basically, frybread is an all-purpose flat bread that's served like biscuits in the East and South or tortillas in the Mexican American parts of the US. But frybread has its own tradition, rooted in Native American history, and is something so easy to prepare and so tasty that you might find yourself hooked on it. Now, that's not such a bad idea at all, especially, if calorie-counting is not on your agenda.


Frybread is a comfort food delight and so good for campfire evenings.

The history of this simple bread is both interesting and sad. It's widespread adoption among Native Americans happened in the mid 19th century. That's when the US government's policy of decimating and displacing tribes left the survivors in areas of the country that didn't have the rich natural resources that had been their heritage for thousands of years.

The U.S. government provided rations of flour, salt and lard and almost nothing else to those that made it through the struggles of forced marches and other travails to end up in reservations. Having so few food choices,  Native American women used what was available, and that's how frybread became a staple food. It was originally baked wrapped around a stick over a campfire and only later became a skillet-cooked food. While the Navajos get most of the credit for popularizing frybread, this kind of flatbread was a common bread on many reservations throughout the U.S. Today, frybread has become a symbol of pan-Indian resilience and, as a cultural unity food, takes table-top honors at Indian powwows. But you don't have to be a powwow-goer to learn to make and enjoy this delicious flatbread.

Today, frybread doesn't usually keep people alive but is a savory addition to meals that gets raves when heaped with combinations of meat, beans, veggies and cheese. Some people call these variations: "Indian tacos." It also makes a wonderful dessert when topped with honey, maple syrup, or jam. Covered with powdered sugar, they taste a lot like cake doughnuts. And it's a great treat for young and old when the dough is wrapped on a stick and cooked over the campfire. Whatever it's uses, it's one of our U.S. ethnic and comfort foods that everyone should try.

And, for those who shy away from the use of lard, vegetable oils and butter make acceptable substitutes. Other potential ingredients include cornmeal, oats and an egg added to the wheat flour. And, however it's made or what it's purpose, frybread is a totally hands-on experience, with kneading as an essential part of the process. Here's a usual recipe.

How to make frybread (recipe is for approximately 10 saucer-sized, flatbread patties).

Ingredients
4 cups of unbleached white flour – OR -- 2 cups of white flour and 2 cups of whole wheat flour)
1 Tbs. baking powder
¾ - 1 tsp. salt
1 ½ cups warm water (2 Tbs. powdered milk can be added)
¾ -1 cup shortening, warmed to room temperature
Extra flour for the bread board and for hands

Directions
- Put flour in bowl, add dry ingredients. Stir.
- Mix in warm water to form dough.
- Cover hands in flour.
- Knead dough by hand until soft but not sticky. Cover with a cloth and let stand for 10-15 minutes.
- Shape dough into balls about 2 inches across then flatten them into rounds by patting and stretching the dough. Can also be rolled out on a board.
- Melt a quarter of a cup of shortening in frying pan. When the grease is hot, put just one or two dough patties - at a time - in pan. Fry one side till golden brown, then turn and fry the other. Continue frying, adding a bit more grease as needed, until all the patties are cooked.
- Patties may be drained briefly on a paper towel. Best if served right away.

EGGS FROM HEALTHY HENS – WHAT DOES IT MATTER?

Most of us eggs eaters, like to think that eggs are “lifeless” – sort of like eating cheese, or potatoes or spinach. Of course, our conscious minds know the difference. When we eat eggs we are eating what was once a living being - in the fetal stage. The main difference of the egg from other meat-protein sources is that it never was a living, breathing bird. Still, the hen that produced that egg definitely is or was, and her conditions might mean something to you. And, if you have any heart at all, you don’t want to think that you’re eating something that’s a product of endless suffering, injury and disease.

Several huge salmonella outbreaks at egg production factories seemed to capture public attention on the safety of eggs and the conditions that surround the poultry living there. A New York Times article focused on how the U.S. egg industry treats the over 300 million chickens in phases of annual production and marketing. 97 percent of all US eggs live their entire lives with tens of thousands of other birds, crammed  in filthy and inhumane production units. Certainly no compassionate person could watch the videos taken in these places without being physically ill.


Make a chicken's life a little better and eat healthier eggs, too.

Among the horrors of the conventional battery-cages are total darkness – that means blindness and barely able to move in indoor pens as long as football fields. Birds can’t even stretch their wings and routinely injure and kill others just looking for enough space to stand up. They are routinely de-beaked. The waste that's generated on these gigantic farms causes terrible odors for miles around and pollutes local water supplies.

Any male chicks born in the commercial egg  industry get thrown onto conveyor belts where they are suffocated or pushed alive into chicken meal grinding machines. Any hens that survive their egg-laying life – up to about 2 years, are then near death from stress and nutrient starvation. Then, they suffer “forced molting", a grotesque operation that deprives them of food and water for up to 2 weeks, a final stressing that tends to increase their waning egg-laying frequency.At this point they are thrown together one over another in truck cages where they go to the chicken slaughterhouses where further nightmare conditions lead them to a painful death. There they end up on people’s table, unlabeled as to their ordeal, and sold as “regular” farm-raised poultry.

While it seems logical that the battery cages and other abuses of the egg industry should be outlawed, there is no major push to end these conditions by US consumers. News from the European Union shows that there is a grass-roots move to ban this means of production throughout the region, and some countries have already signed on.

Commercial choices aren’t all that good
Given this situation, some people now regularly buy cage-free or free-range eggs. According to the same Times article, 2% of our commercial eggs are from cage-free hens and 1% is from free-range birds. Of course, just being caged-free or free range, by label, does not mean that the birds are actually living out happy, healthy lives. Many of them don't have access to the outdoors, and aren’t fed optimum food and may be medicated on antibiotics. Also the majority of even the so-called “free-range” birds don’t get much time free from their cages because the doors to the outside pens are too small, relative to the total number of birds. Sadly, the same Times article reported that many "cage-free" and "free-range" eggs come from the very same farms that produce battery-cage eggs. It’s simply an industry ploy to capture well-meaning consumers who will pay more money for eggs that come from somewhat better poultry production conditions.

While the real conditions vary considerable, clearly these 3% are better off than their battery-caged cousins. They are, at least, able to scratch and spread their wings and, sometimes, according to their individual luck, be involved in healthy chicken pastimes. And the eggs they produce taste better and are healthier for you from a nutritional standpoint - with more vitamin E and more total omega-3 fatty acids.

For my choice, I'm trying to be a vegetarian. I eat mostly vegetables and grains. Now, I’m not so strict at that, and I also eat a small amount of  fish during any given week. Also, away from home, when served it, I will eat poultry. But, to get some animal protein on a regular basis,  I eat cheese and eggs. I'm just anxious to find the best eggs I can from chickens that haven’t been brutally abused. The options, unfortunately, aren’t so clear. My personal decision has been to buy only cage-free eggs, even though I pay up to 2 dollars more per dozen. I’d rather eat fewer eggs per week than accept the conditions of battery-caged hens. But, I’m poised to take further action….

Raising chickens may be the solution
Unless you’re ready to accept the high price of eggs from (hopefully) more humanely raised hens, you might consider having a few chickens in your yard. Anyone who has ever been around chickens knows they exhibit many complex and entertaining behaviors. They appear to be sensitive and intelligent animals, and it’s a crying shame that so many of them are forced to lead such terrible lives.

The answer may be easier than you think. Hens, it turns out, are easy to care for and, when treated right, each will provide 4-5 good quality eggs per week. That means that, with an investment of a few cents and a little care, as few as 3 hens can give you at least 12-15 eggs a week. That’s quite a savings over commercial prices. Home-raised eggs are indisputably better in flavor, texture and nutritional value. Your hens also keep down the weeds and eat harmful insects. Their needs are simple - a shelter at night, a watering can and a feed trough. They can get sunlight, insects (their favorite meal) and exercise on their own.

If you’re in a place where you could possibly keep some chickens, you should seriously consider this option. While local residential zoning may differ, most cities allow hens to be kept for eggs  for home consumption.

GREEN GARDENS: GOOD FOR FAMILIES AND FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

Small-scale farms, over the centuries - if not millennia, have been the basis of family subsistence and sometimes provided farmers with additional seasonal earnings. But, over the past 100 years, more and more small farms have given way to large-scale agro-business. The principle that guides agro-business is the maximization of all (or nearly all) available agricultural resources for the purpose of generating profits. Agro-business depends primarily on monoculture, and the outcome of large-scale monoculture has been massive soil erosion, overuse of fertilizers and pesticides, and toxic waste in our waterways. While agro-business has been efficient in filling up our supermarkets, much of the food that's produced is of poor quality, having lost part of its nutrients and flavor in its long journey to the family table.

Over and over again, agro-business, by its practices, has ignored the health and well being of local communities and harshly damaged eco-systems. Worse yet, it has all but strangled traditional farming efforts. Now, very few farm families are able to make enough money to sustain their costs and turn over even the smallest income, and only a small fraction of the U.S. population lives in rural areas. This is a sad story and our government (and those of a lot of other countries, too) has done little or nothing to stop this process.

Today, most family farms have been turned into sub-developments and commercial centers, and almost everyone, excepting the rich, has been forced off rural lands. With no small-scale farming, a large majority of the population has to work for wages in businesses or receives government money - either in some direct capacity or as a dependent on government aid. Food has become "something" that you buy in the supermarket.

But, with the recent emphasis on “doing more with less” (money, that is), families have found that, even in the cities, they can turn some of their efforts  into farming resources that produce family.  All this can be (and mostly has been) done without the need for large investments. And, just about anyone, who hopes for a greener world, should consider family gardening as a clear reflection of their personal values in areas such as better nutrition, family solidarity, greening of living space, saving money, and sustaining eco-systems. What’s more, family gardens can be decorative additions to the home when they include a mix of beautiful flowers along with the veggies.

Whether you have a lot, a little, or no yard at all, you can come up with a way to grow some food. The satisfaction of seeing green plants grow and the good taste of homegrown food will be well worth the cost and work involved. So, if you have space, time and money for a good-sized family garden, by all means go for it. And, for the majority of us who are (almost)  gardening novices and facing what we once thought were insuperable limitations, the good news is that we can also succeed using non-traditional ways of gardening. What’s important is that more families follow green garden principles. And, if enough people do green gardening, not only will their individual families benefit, but their combined efforts can contribute to healthier ecosystems.

WAYS TO DO SMALL-SCALE GREEN GARDENING
Containers
Don’t let limited garden space keep you from growing vegetables in containers. Small patches of yard, patios, and even rooftops can be sites for container gardening. It’s fairly easy to do this kind of gardening with a minimum of equipment, and many different kinds of vegetables can be grown in pots. You can be pretty much imaginative with the types of containers. Recycled containers of all shapes and sizes can be used, and they are a greener alternative than buying a lot of new pots. Just be sure that all containers are washed clean and deep enough to grow the crops you plan to sow. Even old tires can be used if you line the tires with heavy weight plastic to prevent possible toxicity. Here a list of some popular veggies that are easy to grow in containers.

Green onions - Choose mild-flavored varieties and sow small bulbs anytime from March to July. Thin out the seedlings to 1-inch spacing. Harvest them when the bulbs are about 3/4 inch in diameter.

Lettuce - The loose leaf varieties are the best in containers. Plant the seeds 3 inches apart and don’t overwater them while they’re germinating. Use good potting soil and water them with a low-volume sprayer (rather than hosing them down). When the leaves are the size that you want, pluck off the outer ones in just the quantity that you need for the day. This stimulates more leaf growth. You can continue to plant seeds in emptied spaces every 2 weeks or so. That way you’ll be harvesting for several months.

Green beans – Opt for beans that grow into bushy plants with red, white or pink flowers. French green beans are a favorite. Their pods are 4-6 inches long. Sow the seeds in early June. They need to be planted about 2 inches deep and use stakes to provide the stems with support. Some of the climbing varieties can be 5 feet tall, so they'll need a solid support. Pick the pods when they are about 4 inches long.

Tomatoes - With the price of fresh veggies as high as it is, you'll be glad to have a good supply of salad-size tomatoes almost the entire summer. The best small container tomatoes are compact plants that don’t require pruning and the bushy varieties are good  because they don't require staking.There are also great cherry varieties that have bright colors and a delicious flavor.  Standard tomatoes will need larger pots with at least 3 cubic feet of soil. Tomatoes are best when grown in a sheltered and sunny spot. Insert a stake or a wire tomato cage in the pot at the time of planting. Stems can be tied to the support as needed.

Cucumbers - These veggies can be climbers or ramblers. They need a lot of water and like a sunny location. Choose the smooth skins ones unless you plan to make pickles. Sow them in tubs, placing 3 seeds 1-inch deep and a few inches apart. You can do this any time in late spring or early summer. Thin them out to leave only the strongest seedlings and cut them off with a sharp knife when they're about 8 inches long. 

Herbs - It's really easy to grow herbs in pots, and they make attractive additions for porches, front lawns, and sunny kitchen windows. Their root system is very shallow  so they can grow in almost any container.  Most herbs do best with at least 6 hours of daily sun, but if you live someplace with near triple-digit temperatures, you’ll need to shade your herb container gardens from the afternoon rays. Also, herbs grow better in potting soil and most don’t need any extra fertilizer. Drainage holes are a must to prevent root rot. Just be sure to sow your herbs in separate pots or combine them with others that require similar levels of watering. Popular herbs for container gardening include rosemary, thyme, cilantro, parsley, sage, and mint.

Raised beds
Raised beds are freestanding structures typically made from wood, stone or concrete filled with soil and compost.  Like containers, beds can be placed on concrete slabs or rooftops and are excellent in small yards or anywhere there is poor soil.  They keep soil warmer, provide better drainage and require less maintenance than traditional gardens.

Most often, these "constructions" are rectangular, longer rather than wider, and about 3 feet in height. For comfort, your bed should be about 4 ft wide so you can reach from both sides. They can be any length you like, but most people choose to have them from 10 to 16 ft feet long. (In the small space I have in my yard, my raised beds are only 2.5 ft wide and about 8 feet long because they end up against walls on three sides. It's a sort of a hybrid raised bed/container garden .)

Raised beds can grow standard-sized plants and involve less back-breaking work than earth-level gardens and their soil warms up faster in spring allowing for earlier planting. The disadvantage of raised beds is that they dry out fast and require daily watering. With a north-south bed, you can use the sunny end as a hot slope for early crops and herbs while salad and other leafy crops can grow on the shadier end. Beds will have better drainage if you use a  mix of soil, compost and other growing materials.

Community and pirate gardens
If you really want to grow some veggies, but don't have even a square yard of patio space, you might look for some other people who want to work on a neighborhood or community garden. By sharing the costs and work with a bunch of people, you can have more varied and abundant crops. Of course, administrative questions, such as how the work will be done and how to divide the harvest, need to be established before starting up a cooperative venture. Beyond that, there are even those brave souls who garden on land that's not theirs, choosing empty lots, pieces of urban green, and even public park areas. This could be tricky in several ways besides being technically an illegal act. You'd have to find land that's not likely to be identified as pirated space or seen by other people who might take away your harvest. So, GrandmaS doesn't recommend pirated gardens. A better thing to do is to get permission or rent a space - doing this might be easier than you imagine.

GREEN GARDEN CHALLENGE
So, I hope you're now convinced that you can grow veggies (and/or flowers), someplace in your home or yard or elsewhere. And it's best if you can follow the green gardening principles listed below. But, if you think that all that’s a lot to do at once (or too costly), then just focus on a couple of projects right now. Later on, you might be able to do more. (Get started by doing an Internet research on some of these topics and select the ones that suit your gardening style and pocketbook.)

- Use recycled containers whenever possible instead of buying new ones.
- Compost your food and yard waste.
- Water wisely and use water conservation methods.
- Use a rain barrel in the months with adequate rainfall or create a rain garden for runoff from roofs and other overhangs.
- Use natural organic fertilizer and pesticides.
- Re-purpose and recycle your garden tools and equipment.
- Have a plan for freezing, canning or sharing your veggies with others should they appear in quantities greater than your immediate family needs.

Notes
For inspiration on green home gardening, see PathtoFreedom.com. This blog is the story of super-successful urban homesteaders who grow almost all of their own food and do lots of other major green activities at the same time. And they do all this on 1/10th of an acre!

GrandmaS' Almanac Calendar includes a list of gardening activities (taken from Farmers' Almanac) to do according to the phases of the moon. 

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CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITIES FOR A DOWN-HOME ECO-VACATION

Now, the idea of eco-vacationing may sound like something that only young people or the fanciful do, but I'm talking about something quite different. And, of course, I'm not envisioning  the eco-vacations that the super-rich and famous take to exclusive and exotic places. What I'm thinking about is the possibility that “everyday” people offer their homes in the backwoods or working farms as eco-vacation spots this spring or summer to others who want to try out a few weeks of simple living and physical work. I see these eco-vacations as a means to create links between similarly concerned families who wish to build kindred spirit and explore ways to build better communities for the future. (Beyond that, there may be possibilities for eco-rentals of currently unused cabins or farmhouses for people who want a few weeks or months to explore a simpler lifestyle on their own terms.)

So, who’s the potential eco-guest?
I think a lot of us could be eco-guests. Many people are dead-tired of their 9-to-5 jobs and look for a break from those surroundings. Also, you know, there are a lot of unemployed people out there, and many of them aren't, by any means, inactive by choice. A lot of retired people as well, I include myself in this group, are still healthy enough and willing to explore a different lifestyle. And, these likely eco-guests probably don’t have the money right now for a "traditional" holiday trip.  Beyond that, they and their family members may really want some other kind of vacation - one that would give them the opportunity to get clean air and sunshine and learn some down-to-earth living skills and ways to reduce their carbon-footprints. They could do all this and, at the same time, participate in real, physical work in homesteading, sustainable farming, and other kinds of green-living experiments.

What would the eco-hosts offer?
An eco-host wouldn't need to provide "eco-luxe" accommodations but rather have some feature, or features, of a simpler, down-home lifestyle that would be of interest to eco-guests.  Basically, it would be something like a simple "bed and breakfast" place to stay. That would entail a private bedroom to sleep in and a bathroom that wouldn't be shared (at least not by a lot of other folks), and a special work project or two that other people could participate in for a few weeks or a couple of months.  The hosts would offer family-style lodging and companionship and teach the skills for the work or project to be carried out, as required. The guests would pay (or not) a low-cost board and do some work, the general kind and quantity to be determined by all parties beforehand. All the details could be discussed by email, phone, or face-to-face, according to the requirements of hosts and guests.

You can design your own kind of eco-vacation.
Now, this eco-vacation wouldn't have to be - probably shouldn't be - some wilderness or extreme survival experiment. Obviously, those projects exist but what I’m talking about here is quite a bit different than that. There are many areas of the country that offer clean air and real outdoors beauty, and this can be restorative for city folk. The fact is that, on average, Americans spend more than 95 percent of our time indoors, separated from nature. On the other hand, not so many of us want to live in tents and make campfires (for more than a few days at a time), and are poorly prepared, or hardly in the frame of mind, for some kind of survival school. In my opinion, what most eco-guests are wanting is the opportunity to learn more about the practical arts of simple, self-sufficient living, including gardening and building eco-sustainable homes and communities.

So, the eco-vacation that I urge you to consider here - to offer or to join-up – isn’t some kind of predetermined scheme, but rather the opportunity that you can dream up that would help you, your family, and other people explore a more satisfying and environmentally-friendly way of life.

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COOKING-UP GOOD FOOD FROM DOWN-HOME RECIPES

Cook down-home meals for best taste and budget-friendliness
Recently, I mentioned the need to get out our old family cookbooks and food preparation notes, and learn to make and enjoy ol’time, down-home meals.  You remember the ones that your grandmothers made. (At least, the grandmothers of the people I usually hear from. Weren't they the best you ever ate? ) My reason for writing about these ol'time recipes has to do with likely food price increases in the near future. If you’re following GrandmaS over the past few months, you know that I’ve repeated, many times, about how it’s not necessary to spend a lot at the grocery store. With just a handful of basic ingredients and the effort that it takes to cook “from-scratch” recipes, you can make many hearty, family-pleasing meals on a tight budget. The other point I’ve made is that the money that you “free-up” by not buying a lot of processed and convenience food can be spent to stock up your pantry. And that’s something that would be smart considering the uncertainties about food supplies and costs in the coming months.


Don't depend on agri-business and mega-food commerce
Also, not everything we eat has to come from the supermarket. We have the farmers’ markets and road-side stands that give us fresher and usually local-grown produce at a reasonable cost. What’s more, it’s almost spring (at least we’d like to hope so), and we can begin to plant a large or tiny garden, depending on the available space. Now, you know, almost no one can say that they have absolutely no space for a garden. Blogs on the web show all kinds of adaptations that allow for planting a patch – a few square feet of yard space, on the patio, on the roof, and even in window sills. Whatever space you have, you can use it to plant something. Our Earth needs to be greener - we've cut away way too much.  And one way, we all have to get greener is to plant – trees, if we can - and to grow part of our own food, thereby, reducing the strangle-hold that big-business agriculture and mega-food commerce have on our lives.


Inspiration for this recipe
The recipe that I’m highlighting in this post refers to beans and greens, a down-home, from the garden, classic. Well, maybe – unless you’re an experienced gardener - you’ll still want to purchase beans from a commercial source. But, for most of the year, you can have a good supply of greens right out of your own garden. Greens are easy to plant and care for, and they don’t need much depth of soil. The same goes for green onions and a lot of kitchen herbs. You don’t need too much space or special conditions. (A rain barrel or two can help for plant watering.) Beyond that, tomato plants and squash are really no-brainers when it comes to first-time gardening.

So, here goes one of my favorite recipes that uses only basic ingredients – a lot of which can come from your own garden - and this dish makes for a tasty, down-home meal.


Baked Beans With Greens
1 good-sized bunch of twice washed greens - mustard greens, collards, kale (almost any kind of greens - even cabbage)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery piece, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4 pound of white beans or chickpeas, cleaned, soaked overnight or parboiled, and drained.
3 tomatoes or 1 large can of tomato sauce
3 cups water
Herbs - mixture you like of parsley, thyme, cilantro, and a bay leaf (always cook beans with a bay leaf to reduce their gasiness)
Salt, pepper and chili powder to taste (Option: A lot of people put some catsup in their baked beans. I prefer to use a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 Tbs. of brown sugar.)


- Cook greens with a little salt at a rapid boil for 5 minutes. Then drain and cut in small pieces.
- Heat olive oil (medium heat) in a deep, ovenproof skillet and cook onion, garlic, carrots and celery for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes or tomato sauce, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the drained beans, the remaining water, and more salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the greens, cover and place in the oven. Bake for an hour or so at 300 degrees until the beans are tender and creamy. More water and/or more bake time may be added as needed.
- Option: Put herbed bread crumbs, thin-sliced, cooked potatoes, and/or grated cheese on top the beans, and continue baking for another 15 minutes.
- Serve with a fruit or vegetable salad and whole grain bread, and you'll have a hearty, vegetarian meal for 4 - 6 people.


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TWO-WHEEL OUT YOUR DOOR AND ENJOY THE RIDE.

There are a lot of advantages of biking on a regular basis. And, just about anyone at any age, youth or adult, can get a lot of personal benefits from biking. Nearly half of daily trips by American adults cover less than 3 miles. That’s an easy distance for even moderately healthy people to pedal, so the bike should be able to replace many car trips, depending, of course, on the weather and the traffic conditions.

To mention just a few of the benefits, bike riding is cheap, friendly for the environment, and fun. While cars get into terrible jams, bikes stay mobile and can be ridden to get around the worst traffic. What’s more, bicycling benefits society as well as individuals. The more people who bike the fewer cars are on the road, and that helps reduce traffic congestion and carbon-based emissions and saves our local governments money for road repair.

Your two-wheeler also offers you some real health perks. A long-term study of over 30,000 people in Amsterdam showed that regular bike commuters had greater health benefits (40% less risk of death) than those who regularly did other types of exercise, including high intensity sports. And that makes sense, because commuting is a moderate, every day activity while sports and going to the gym are usually done only a few days a week.

Those are just some of the reasons that bicycles are the most used form of transportation in the world (that’s about 1.4 billion bicycles to only about 400 million cars). Other eco-friendly pluses from two-wheeling include the possibility of using the bike for transport businesses (package delivery and bike-taxis), bicycle-powered water pumps, and even generating electricity.

Most of all, the automobile is expensive, and cycling is the only real alternative to cars for short commutes and errand trips. According to one expert study, the average American car-owner can expect to pay a lifetime total of about $300,000 for cars and related car expenses. But that estimate is based on past experience and doesn’t take into consideration rising fuel prices and higher costs for future vehicles. And, just think, bikes mean no circling the block looking for parking spaces and no parking tickets or towing fines. Best of all, you can expect to pay hundreds of dollars (not several hundred thousand dollars) for your bike costs over a lifetime!

Get wheeling!
So, if you’ve got a bike in your garage or basement or have been thinking about buying one, this is the right moment.

If your bike’s been sitting somewhere a long time, get it out and examine its condition. Does it obviously need maintenance? If it does, don’t take it out until you sure it’s running safely and comfortably. If you see something that needs fixing, visit your local bike shop. Get it right at first before you start wheeling around and continue giving your bike periodic tune-ups as needed. It will last a lot longer that way and be a safer means of transport. Hey, with a little study and effort, you can learn to do most of the maintenance yourself.

If you don’t have a bicycle, most new ones cost in the range of $100 to $200. But you’ll save a lot of money and be even eco-friendlier if you buy a used bike. So, stop by your local bicycle shop, cruise thrift shops and yard sales, or take a look at the classifieds in the newspaper. There are also some online sources for used bikes such as "Craigslist" and "Freecycle".

What more do you need to get started?
While biking sounds great for many reasons, still many people are hesitant to start out. And, the main reason most people aren’t riding bikes right now isn't lack of interest or low levels of physical fitness - it’s fear. Most of us are afraid of taking a spill or getting hit by a car.

So, how can we feel (and be more) safe while two-wheeling? First, always use the bike helmet and be properly dressed (closed, tie-up shoes, arms and legs covered), so that a minor bike accident stays minor – without any major consequences. Then, study city maps to find out where there are bike paths and protected lanes – and avail yourself of them whenever possible! Also, you probably have the option of biking on the sidewalk. That may be your safest bet in high traffic areas. And, if you’re wheeling on the sidewalk, you should cross streets by getting off your bike and walking with the light (or cautiously waiting at the corner) the same as pedestrians are supposed to do. Don’t forget to use bike lights and reflectors if you’re going to be biking at night or at dusk.

Also, petition your city and county government for more bike paths and protected lanes and show enthusiasm by supporting community bike rallies. Experience in cities around the world show that two-wheeling tends to be safer when more people are biking. The accident rate actually goes down because more car drivers become bike-aware and start driving better around bicyclists.

CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH THE YELLOW, CANINE CAT BURGLAR

About 10 days ago, our young dog, Sofi, part German Shepherd, part Husky and now weighing about 70 pounds, began to show signs of going into her first heat. We were concerned because, to our best calculations, she was only 8 months old. But then, we could easily be wrong because we really don’t know her birth date for sure. Anyway, we hoped that we were wrong about her condition. But, because the signs of hormonal change were there, Enrique cancelled the walks with our dogs around the neighborhood until we could clear up the confusion.

A week ago, our doubts about Sofi’s situation, if we had any left, were ended. All night long we heard her racing from one side of the house to the other, banging her body into the fence, trying to catch the attention of the many dogs that romp down our street. While Sofi was busy making a show of herself the entire night, Helen, her still puppy companion, was barking on and off, seemingly every time another male dog came to the front of our house. In the early morning, we woke up to find six male dogs were making a huge noise, trying jointly to knock over our very sturdy iron rail fence – that stands 7 feet high. Sofi was at the fence, enjoying her newly acquired popularity. Enrique went out yelling as loud as he could and chased them away with a meter long staff that he uses for weapons training. Enrique then fixed up the chicken wire addition to the fence that Sofi had worn down over the past months by sticking her head over it to look out at the many interesting activities occurring on our corner, including passerby street dogs, truck vendors, and people waiting for the bus. He also put up an additional half meter of wire.

Now, I should tell you that most, if not all, of the street dogs in our neighborhood, actually have homes. At least they have houses where they go to get food most every day along with a pat on the head – if they’re lucky. It’s just that they aren’t allowed in the houses and, lacking fences or chains, they don’t have any reason to stay in their own yards. The houses in this new section of the city are tiny, and most have only one multi-use room and two small bedrooms. What with the occupancy per house being, by my best estimate, about four or five people, there just isn’t any space for a dog. Nevertheless, many people here say they "have" several dogs.

Enrique and I are lucky because we have a corner lot and that gives us more yard than most of our neighbors. We also keep our 2 dogs behind a strong fence, and they only get out when we take them for walks. To continue with my story, the six street dogs did not return after their encounter with Enrique. They apparently had tried with all their combined strength to topple the fence without any success. What with Enrique’s obvious anger and means of dealing with them, the six street visitors did not come back, at least they didn't when we could see – or hear – them.

We thought we had handled the problem the best we could. After all, the fence had withstood the combined weight of six highly motivated male dogs. We knew that no dog could get through the chicken wire without jumping as higher than a meter and then propelling himself through the 8-inch wide, diamond-shaped rails. In our judgment that would be impossible. When we no longer saw the six earlier canine visitors, we convinced ourselves that, even with Sofi’s continuing provocative actions, that we would not have any further problems. Of course, as you might imagine, we were wrong.

Five days ago, I left the house to go downtown early in the morning. As I waited on the bus on our corner, I saw an underfed, medium height yellow dog on the opposite corner, sniffing the air and looking over at our house. He was really ugly and looked just once removed from a fox or a coyote. At the time, I imagined that Sofi’s perfume had drawn him there. But, I was unconcerned. Enrique was home and, as we had seen in the past few days, the fence was a solid barrier against Sofi’s suitors.

Enrique was at home that morning and, after a while, he went out back to do his regular weapon’s training. He was carrying the meter-long staff. When he went out the back door, the two female dogs greeted him as usual and began to follow him around as he prepared to do his practice. Everything seemed normal. Enrique had just begun his practice when he saw something strange. At first he wasn’t sure what it was. Then he realized that some animal had dashed out of our large doghouse and was speeding around the side of the house. As Enrique ran around the corner of the house, he saw a scruffy, skinny yellow dog, trying to exit our property. He was furious at the presence of the intruder and began to yell and run after the dog. He also tried to hit it with the staff. When the dog reached the fence, he leaped and hurled himself through the small diamond shape rail just above the chicken wire. Just as he went through the fence, Enrique hit his back leg hard with the staff. The dog yelped and went away limping as he headed down the street.

Even with as mad as Enrique was, he was amazed. The dog was as agile as a trained circus dog. The evidence was clear. The yellow dog had entered our back yard without making any noise, sometime in the early morning. To do that, we agreed that the yellow dog must have had the skills of a cat burglar. He obviously had entered the property through the fence without making any noise, made fast friends with both Sofi and Helen, and had been in the doghouse with both females for perhaps as much as an hour. The remarkable part of this is that neither female dog had barked at the intruder. I guess his incredible savoir-faire overwhelmed the two of them.

Now we don’t know what actually went on inside our rather large doghouse. There must not have been a lot of extra space in there what with three dogs inside. Nevertheless, the weeks ahead will tell if the intruder was able to mate with Sofi. What we do know is that the yellow dog would have to have even more sophisticated cat burglar tricks in order to come back into our fenced yard. The same day of the unwanted dog's visit, Enrique requested fifty cinder blocks and made a block wall on the sides of our house. Only the gate remained unprotected with block. Then, Enrique took a large piece of canvas and lashed it to the sides of the gate. The canvas appears to be impassable.

I saw the yellow dog two or three times after that. With each appearance, he was limping a little less. He continues to come up to the fence at least once trying to see if he could get in again. He hasn't been able to pass through the fence and he just sniffs around and barks to Sofi. She comes to the fence and barks back, but had no way of doing more. Whenever Enrique or I see the male dog, we opened the front door and chase hime away. The yellow dog yelps loudly with fear and goes away fast, fearful or being hit again with a stick.

From what we can see today, Sofi has finished with her first heat. We are now breathing a sigh of relief and our new cinder block side walls are providing a lot of needed privacy for us as well as for our two female dogs. The dogs, of course, are not at all happy with the newly enforced fence that blocks their view of street happenings.

HEALTHY LIVING INCLUDES PHYSICAL EXERCISE.

For me, a day without physical exercise is like a day without sunshine. Things just don’t seem to be right. I can do many things on such a day, even be very busy, but I won’t have the same good spirits and energy if I haven’t been active. It’s a life-long habit and I look forward to it. When I use my energy for exercise, I find that it is returned to me at least twofold.

Having said that, I want to clarify that I'm not an advocate of extreme sports. I’ll leave that to those younger people that enjoy it, and I don’t always do strong physical exercise -- although, sometimes I do. On some days I jog or practice martial arts. My husband is a karate instructor and I enjoy that kind of exercise and helping him with his classes. But, as I get older, I can’t do that much exertion every single day, and so I alternate days of strenuous exercising with walking and/or yoga.

We also have a lively young dog, and that gives my husband a reason to run a bit and me a reason to follow along, usually jogging or walking behind. After a few minutes, all three of us slow down to a more comfortable pace and just enjoy being in movement together. As for yoga, I have practiced hatha yoga since I was a young girl, and it has been a joy and a comfort to me. Yoga is probably the most important reason that I’m able to do as much as I do at my age.

I mention my experience here because I hope that you are finding some time in your busy week to include a regular exercise routine. If you are keeping up with your exercise program – good for you, and more power to you. You may not need to read any further (unless you just want to reaffirm all the good you’re doing for yourself).

If you’re not maintaining an exercise routine right now, I hope what I include on this page will be your motivation.

I hear you saying: “I’d really like to, but…”

I know it’s all too easy to find justifications for not doing regular exercise. I know it from personal experience. There were also times in my life when I did a lot less exercise and tried to justify it for different reasons. But it always came down to: “I would, if I could, but I can’t.” That kind of justification doesn’t hold up very well. Let’s look at the most usual excuses for not exercising, and I’ll do my best to counter them.

“I’m just too old or too unfit.” Just forget about your age and current condition. Young or old, physically fit or not -- unless you are already bedridden –- there is an exercise program that is right for you. Look for some activity you like and start off slow. You’ll gather skills faster than you think. (By the way, if you know someone who is bedridden, go visit that person and, if possible, help him or her to get some fresh air and to do a little light stretching. It will do a world of good for the other person and for you.)

“I just don’t find time.” There are 24 hours in every day. If we sleep eight hours, work eight, travel as commuters - two, then we still have 6 hours to do some other activities. It’s a matter of making exercise a priority. If you have a busy family life, get up a half hour earlier and get moving before everyone else wakes up. Or, find an activity that you can do with your children or grandchildren. Or, instead of watching two to three hours of TV every day, take 45 minutes to exercise. If TV watching is really important, figure out a way to exercise while viewing your favorite programs. Stretching, calisthenics, running in place or two steps up - two steps back, jumping jacks, or jump rope are all possible to do in a small space, and they won’t take your full concentration.

“I don’t have any extra money.” Even if you don’t have money for exercise classes or a gym, that’s not a great problem. You can begin by walking or jogging, doing simple calisthenics and stretching. Those activities aren't too complicated, and you don’t have to pay a trainer or buy special products. With some tennis or walking shoes and comfortable pants, you'll go a long way. And, if you feel you need to follow a particular exercise program, there are free websites that will tell you how to go about achieving your personalized plan.

Now that you know that your excuses are not very good ones, make a plan to start exercising today or tomorrow, at the least. If you've gotten this far, then, take a look at some of the ways that keeping fit can make you healthier and happier.

Build strength and shed a few pounds

Too often people want to lose weight, and that is their main goal for exercising. But weight loss is usually slow, even doing proper exercise, and occurs over a period of months, at best. So, if rapid weight loss is their only motivation, they have set themselves up for frustration. Don’t fall into that trap.

There are a lot of other objectives that can be met by exercising, well before seeing a lot of weight reduction. These “intermediate” objectives are just as important as losing some pounds. The fact that you are exercising your muscles means that, from the very first day, you are increasing your body strength and stamina. Everyone needs to maintain strength throughout life – better muscle tone and overall staying power will help you in all your daily activities. You’ll find that by exercising, you’re achieving considerable success right away--even before your clothing size shrinks a lot.

Feel more competent and boost self-esteem

One way to feel more competent, in general, and to increase your self-esteem is to be engaged in something that is good for you – something that helps you achieve an objective. Exercise, like practicing any other skill – piano, painting, writing, etc. – is a means of affirming the best in you. Knowing you have skills, gives you the confidence to strive for new and more meaningful personal goals.

When you feel good about yourself, you know that you are somebody who deserves respect. That self-assurance can help you in many areas of your life. So, exercising is just as good for you mentally as it is physically. Besides, you won’t have so much time to sit around and feel sorry for yourself. You have more important things to do – like getting out there and working through your routine.

Socializing and rediscovering play time

You aren’t the only person who needs to get moving. Exercise can be a motive for socializing, and vice versa. Some of your family members, friends, and even your dog would be very grateful if you included them in your walking, dancing, or some other type of lively company. All of us with a body, people and animals, young and not so young alike, need a chance to stretch, run and play. And, it’s much more appealing to be exercising with our buddies than it is to do our routine alone.

Even though we don’t admit it much, we, as adults, still like to play in an active way. Exercising with others is fun – a time to be carefree and focused – just as we were as children when we played sports and games. If you don’t have anyone at the moment with whom to exercise, look for a group activity in a park, church or community center. You’ll find teammates there, and sweating together, they’ll become your friends. Look for sports, games, and other activities that you enjoy and wish to improve in. When you like an activity and enjoy it with friends, it’s fun and you benefit the rewards in health and well-being.

I hope that you’re convinced from this brief summary of exercise benefits -- that by keeping fit, you’ll be healthier, feel better about yourself, and have more opportunities to be social. So, don’t waste time and get a jumpstart on your workout program.

ENJOY YOUR OUTDOOR SPACE (7/2/2009)

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