Go Green!!!

Chehalem Valley... the place I still call home.
(I've been away from home for almost 13 years now...yikes!)

Columbia River Gorge...one of my favorite places to hike in the world! There's nothing better than being surrounded by trees, enveloped by the forest, and finding wildflowers and waterfalls at every curve in the trail.

I've always been a bit of a tree-hugger at heart... being raised in Oregon will do that to you! I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a granola (although there may be a tie-dyed shirt & a pair of Birkenstocks hidden in the depths of my closet that I can't seem to part with), but I have always thought it was so important to take care of our beautiful world.

Interesting facts I have learned this week:
Those darn plastic grocery bags are illegal in a few countries! My mom and I for years have sworn that they are not recyclable, even though they have the little emblem on them. She even went so far as to ask a worker at Fred Meyer's what they do with the bags that are "recycled" at the grocery store & he said they throw them in their dumpster! I also hate how the baggers give you 50 of the dumb things & put two things in each bag! I have finally converted to the canvas grocery bags & love them! They hold so much more and are just really great...at least when I remember them! Both Fry's & Basha's give you 5 cents/ bag if you bring your own.
Fast food restaurants tend to overpackage their food, using unnecessary resources. Yet another reason for me to avoid the fatty food altogether!
There are really 5 R's, not the typical 3 of being "green": Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Respect & Responsible. The last two are news to me, but good ones I think...we should respect our earth & be responsible with what we have.


Take care of your Mother Earth...it's the only one you've got! (Matt Lauer, The Today Show)