Recycle a Kitty. Or Two.

I've long had goals of recycling everything I can get my hands on. After all, we live in a world with LIMITED resources. We should do all we can to preserve those resources.

Remember? Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Three key words to remind us how to decrease the amount in landfills and the need for raw materials.

Eons ago, recycling was new. And then I went to Western Washington University. On the West side of the state. Ecology and the environment were (and are) hot topics at Western.

And now, thankfully, ecology and the environment are big everywhere. True, I may go overboard at times, if one asks my family, but so what?

If we all went overboard to reduce our waste, reuse all we could, and recycle everything possible, just think how much we could save! Natural resources, money, landfills, garbage, the environment...

And I LOVE the new refurbishing movement. Let's take the old ugly, and transform it into something tres chic and use it for another 40 or 50 years. Amen, Sistah!

I am so glad to live in a city that has recycling as a part of its waste management plant. Not glass, but let's not open that bottle of worms - for now.

Being good stewards, after all, is a part of God's Big Plan. He gave us this place. We need to take care of it.

Enough preaching.

On the personal level, I've had additional help with recycling. And destruction, but that's another subject.

Meet my new converts. Mabel and Monet, on the job, condensing my recycling box so more can be added.

Way to go, girls!

Let's not fight about it! Let's see if you can get your kitties to recycle.

The gauntlet has been tossed.

The Bees Have It

Bees are fascinating.

B's, as in the insect, not the letter.

After the movie that came out a few years back about bees and ecology and the importance of their diligent work, I have attempted to plant and grow more bee-friendly plants. I want to supply bees with a pesticide free garden, water, and plenty of yummy flowers.

So far, so good.

After our neighbor moved, taking his hive with him, I noticed a dramatic decrease in the number of bees visiting my flowers (which include fruit and vegetable blooms). I was concerned to count a total of three bees the next day following the moved hive.

But slowly the numbers and varieties have increased. Have you noticed how many different types of bees there are? Black, yellow, striped, tiny, fat, long and skinny, short and wide, huge, fuzzy, and plain. It's fascinating to watch them work.

Right now, what's hot in the bee kingdom?

Squash. Flowers. Tomatoes.

Raspberries.

Beans.

Lavender.

Parsley.

And sunflowers. Lots of sunflowers.

Short of having my own hive, I think I am doing a pretty good job of hiring bees as my tiny little personal gardeners.

Hip, hip, hooray, bees!