Climate Change... seasons

The climate of our fair planet is going through some changes. Both natural cycles and mankind’s influence are affecting it on a broad scale, the combination of which could produce some pretty major transformation from what we are used to. How fast this will evolve is still unknown. But I can truthfully say that in my own lifetime basic weather patterns have changed a lot.

Here in California's far northwest, just inland from the coast, the general weather pattern was easy to predict. The sun was out full time by the end of May and you saw little or no precipitation of any sort until late July or August when there may be a thunderstorm or two. Come September there would be a rainstorm to remind you winter was coming and you better finish getting the firewood in for the winter. By November it would be raining full time. During winter it would snow one or more times at elevations over 2000 feet. In January and February you would probably get one full week of warm sunny weather to remind you not to despair, you can relax about building an Ark, and that the day will come when you are not wading through rain and mud everywhere you go. Periodic dry weather would increase through May and then the cycle would start over again. It had been like this as long as anyone could remember.

Back around 1970 this changed. That was the first year of a 7 year drought (meaning only 30 to 45 inches of rain, not 60 to 100). You would get up in the winter and the sun, low in the sky and too far away to be warm, would shine brightly blinding you with its low angle. Since then the weather has never resumed its old, predictable, pattern. There also seem to be more intense storms followed by long dry spells in the winter. This summer, as noted in our post "Fire on the Mountain" we had a wholly unusual thunderstorm in June! Our ability to adapt is already being put to the test - as well as that of all the local flora and fauna.

In some cultures bad weather and other natural catastrophes are attributed to displeasing the various Gods, or Spirits. In the cases where we have changed our own environment through pollution, from poisoned rivers to acid rain, the tons of plastic refuse in the oceans or greenhouse gases, I can only hope we have attained a point where we have displeased ourselves.

In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are
consequences. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (1833-1899)

As a specie, our ability to change our habits to lessen our influence on the world's climate is one of the most important challenges facing us. Our ability to adapt to change, natural or man made, will determine our survival. These are interesting times.

Meanwhile, on the smaller scale, we undergo a climate change with each passing season and these fluctuations have an effect on our health, our skin, and even our temperament. Whether you go from hot and dry to cold and moist, warm and foggy to cool and soggy, or hot and humid to cold and dry, these changing conditions have their influence and the transitional season of fall gives us some time to prepare for the harsher (usually) environment of winter.

Not only is it time to boost your immune system, it is time to become aware of how the different conditions interact with your skin and complexion. Many people need to use more moisturizer in the winter months. Our lips may chap more readily in winter, but even more so in the transformational times of spring and fall. The dry, cracked, chapped heels and hands of those who garden or wear sandals in the summer months may fade, only to be replaced with dry skin elsewhere and hair that frizzes or otherwise reacts to the winter weather – both outdoors and in the now heated interior spaces of home and work.

While many notice the seasonal changes in their interior and exterior health, colds and flu have their “season” but changes in skin and hair fitness often are not related to the different climate conditions.

Time passes and things are always changing and, whatever the cause, it helps us maintain our health if we are aware of how these external differences act on our bodies and adapt our diet and personal care to flow with the seasons.

What can you find at Simmons Natural Bodycare to help you adapt to winter weather? Check out our moisturizing soaps, and our Apothecary section. You will find lotions, creams and balms to help keep your skin happy in every climate.

Belonging...

We are affiliated with a number of groups. It is human nature, I think, to belong to various groups, beginning with family and moving out. Belonging strengthens you and the other members of the group, as you enhance and enlarge the possibilities when you work together. It can be a support system for the benefit of all. Yet I don't feel it has to define who one is or make you beholden to mimic any group's belief's identically.

Take our immediate family. I love my family and feel very much a part of the group - yet we are all very different individuals, with different tastes, tempos, and basic beliefs in some cases. There is freedom to be oneself in this group without it jeopardizing one's membership even if it isn't always all smooth relationships. And we are there for each other in times of need.

Then there is the community. Our rural area is sparsely populated, but I suspect that makes the community stronger in some ways. Even if we do not know each other or participate in the same activities, I know the folks up here all feel they belong as a part of this region (or, perhaps, that it is part of who they are). We come together to support the events and organizations that define the locale, be it rodeo or festival, the school, or the rural clinic. We work together to help each other, improve things (school and clinic board, our volunteer fire dept. and emergency rescue team), and more. Within that are sub groups such as the back-to-the-land folks, the ranchers, the loggers, the old timers (you get to be one of those when there is no one else alive who can remember a time before your family was here. 30+ years and 3 generations counts for nothing!). These groups are separate generally, yet overlap comfortably when community events occur. Despite our differences there is common ground.

Beyond that many belong to groups that go well beyond community. Some are temporal, such as environmental organizations, political parties, volunteer care groups, or book clubs. Others are spiritual. Sometimes these overlap. And of course there is the group of citizens of a particular country.

Being an American, the same as being a citizen of another country, is usually a group, like family, that you are born into. And, like family, it should give you the freedom to be who you are with your own individual beliefs, that family does. Of course, I am speaking of freedom, not license to behave in a manner which results in excessive or unacceptable behavior.
Being a member of any group should in no way diminish your individuality. It should be a way for you to share it and to enhance and strengthen your relationship with the world around you.

And I feel is important not to forget we all belong to a bigger group, the family of Mankind and the family of Earth. We are all linked together as the inhabitants of this lovely habitable planet. In the big picture, we all look out for each other through our daily actions. With that knowledge subliminally in your mind, I believe you can live a conscious life.

Now...
That said, for citizens of the United States the time is coming up to assert your beliefs in an important way. VOTE!

We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.
-Thomas Jefferson, third US president, architect and author (1743-1826)

As an U.S. citizen, the most important thing you can do is participate in the process that governs our country. If you haven't already, please use this link to REGISTER TO VOTE
While it may feel as though we are mere voices in the wilderness, and that our lone vote may not have any effect, these votes add up. For each issue, for every candidate, you belong to a group of like minded voters and by adding your vote to that group you help create the change you want to see for the future.

Water, water, everywhere...

"Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink"

- Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, by Coleridge.

Here in our area summer is dry. Even the summer thunderstorms carry little moisture, which is why the Solstice storm was able to start so many fires. Dry lightning is a danger in a dry forest.

But even without fire, these long, dry summers make one hyper-aware of how precious water is. Well out of reach of municipal water supplies, each home or ranch is responsible for its own water supply. Developing a source, maintaining it, pumping and storage is up to each of us, and when that supply gets low, particularly if you garden or when there is a threat of fire in the vicinity, every drop of water counts.

Pretty much everyone is aware that water is the backbone of life as we know it. When they talk about traces of water indicating the possibility of life on Mars they may only be talking about bacteria... But without water - nothing at all. Luckily, we live on a very wet planet.
Earth's surface is almost 3/4 water, but despite that only a tiny amount is fresh water, available for humans and most animals to share. Merely 7 thousandths (.007%) of a percent of the water on Earth is accessible for human use!

Interestingly, this amount is fairly finite. We are not making more fresh water: it is a closed cycle (learn more about The Water Cycle). And, while we effectively reduce the amount of water available through pollution and other contamination, what we really need is access to more fresh water to support the Earth's growing population, agriculture, and industry. The numbers don't add up.

In many parts of the world water has traditionally been scarce and therefore a treasured commodity. But it is now becoming more precious even in places where it was once free and abundant. Perhaps we can start now to conserve water to prevent a last ditch effort to restore our aquifers or ration our supply. How you live, what you eat, what you use... all these things have a much bigger impact on water use than you may think. For instance, water is an important part of almost all manufacturing processes. Consider that it takes about 3 to 5 liters of water to manufacture a 1 liter water bottle - before you fill it! And that steak - there was a lot of water invested in the raising of that steer before it moved to the dining table.

[Speaking of bottled water... It is usually no better than the tap water in the location it was bottled in and is actually less regulated for contaminants than that tap water! Check out the Environmental Working Group's Guide for Safe Drinking Water.]

Check out this site to learn what your water footprint really is made up of, and then use the handy Water Footprint Calculator to see the impact you have as an individual on the world's water supply (Use this conversion tool to figure gallons from meters). You may be surprised!
See this great article, "Everything You Know About Water Conservation is- Wrong", in Discover magazine's online version for more on how water is used.

But, that said, you must have water to stay alive, to stay clean, to stay healthy. The biggest beauty aid there is is drinking enough clean water. It will keep you hydrated, which gives you healthy skin, helps remove toxins from your body, and keeps you healthy overall. And the true key to radiant beauty is health.

I don't think we need to be stingy with water - yet. But I do think it is important not to be wasteful of it. If you are watering your lawn and the water is running off down the street... that's overkill. Ditto for running water down the drain while brushing your teeth. Simply being conscious of your use can make big changes in your overall water consumption.

Many municipalities have laws regulating water use. I was made aware recently of water regulations in Denver, Colorado. Despite strict rules for greywater use (many health related and understandable... some not so much), I was relieved to see this in the law: "However, Denver Water customers are encouraged to catch unused clear water in a bucket or other container as it comes out of the tap and then use this water once; to mop floors, refresh pet water or water plants. For example, try catching water that comes out before the shower water warms up and then use this water to flush toilets or rinse the shower.” This is a great suggestion. Not only are you paying for this water that goes down the drain, but it is throwing away a valuable resource you can use to water plants, wash the sink, water your pets... You get the idea.
Then there was this: "Colorado Water Law requires that precipitation fall to the ground, run off and into the river of the watershed where it fell. Because rights to water are legally allocated in this state, an individual may not capture and use water to which he/she does not have a right.”
That’s right folks, in Colorado they do not have a RIGHT to the rainwater falling on their property because someone else OWNS it! Heck, if everyone caught every drop of rainwater the city (or water bottling plant) wouldn’t be able to sell it back to you.
If you are legally allowed to collect rainwater in your locale, AquaBarrel has a great storage method. This water can be used for landscaping and other uses while conserving your house water and lessening your water bill.
Just another little thing to be conscious of that is basic to life. As we acquire these habits we become more aware of the relationship of our lives to the world around us and the wonder of it all.


Update April 2009: We are only at 75% of normal rainfall - an average that was downgraded last time they recalculated it. There are predictions that this will be the year with the most wildfires in recorded history for the United States. Our water consciousness is greater than ever.

Update July 2012: Severe drought conditions exist across a broad swath of the United States & around the world. As the climate continues to warm this will probably persist. Check out this weekly updated World Drought Risk Map.

Update January 2014: Here we are, experiencing serious drought conditions here in California and the West in general. All this information is more pertinent than ever. Here are some more good water conservation tips.
And here is a good article in the Lost Coast Outpost on the situation here in Humboldt County right now(Jan. 2014).

Update April 2015: Another warm, dry, winter. Water is ever more precious in California, even in our traditionally wet corner of the state. You can view the current California drought conditions here.

Fire on the Mountain

The Solstice dawned here with welcome summer heat and glorious skies. These skies included the first puff of cumulus clouds that ultimately formed into towering thunderheads and afternoon storms, dramatic with lightning and sporadic fits of hail or giant raindrops.

A classic start to summer but for one thing - these storms sparked 100's of fires in the state, over 30 in our local area alone.

The next day there was the tell tale brownish streak of a cloud across the sky that can only be smoke and by Sunday morning we awoke to smokey skies and air. Today was even worse, you cannot see the top of the mountain across the canyon at all and our eyes are puffy, throats scratchy and everything tastes and smells of smoke. This with no fire really that close to us.
This affects all living beings. If you look closely, you will see a deer in the photo (bottom, right of center). They, the birds, and all the wildlife, are suffering the same ill effects to lungs and eyes that we are.

Nothing we can do about it except go somewhere else where it is not smokey or hope the wind comes up from the other direction and blows it away, rather than making it thicker, which is what has happened since I took the photo this morning.

But there are atmospheric pollutants in our lives every day that we can do something about. Given that there are so many, like this smoke, auto exhaust, industrial emissions, and such, that are only slowly being lessened as awareness grows, it is in our best interest to cut the number of irritants and toxins that we may inadvertently expose ourselves and our families to.

Air fresheners, scented candles, heavily scented soaps, dish, and laundry detergents... many of these rely on synthetic chemical fragrances to overwhelm our senses. Some of these chemicals are far from good for us, and are often the triggers for reactions for those with sensitivities. Chemical based household cleaners, pesticides and other products used in the home have caused the indoor air to be more polluted than outdoor air, even in cities, in some cases!

Remember that you can find fragrance-free or lightly scented, nontoxic and environmentally friendly products for all your needs at almost any store these days. And you can find everything you need for basic body and hair care at Simmons Natural Bodycare including a whole section of fragrance-free products.

Fire Update: As of June 28, the smoke just gets worse. It looks like a long, smokey summer ahead. To get the latest information on fires all around the United States check out this Fire Center site.
July Update: After a lovely 4 day reprieve, the smoke is back. There are simple face masks (small, similar to a painter mask in size and shape) that will filter out the smoke. If you are in an area with heavy smoke here is information on these respirator masks. They are available inexpensively in many places online as well as at medical supply and industrial supply stores.

In Memory of Rosie...

Our beloved old Australian Shepard, Rosie, died last week. That's her, with kid friends and with her good pal, the cat, Pepper. We miss her.

Rosie was my shadow and loyal pal, friend to all, and overseer of the farm. She lived the best possible dog life, to a ripe old age of 17 (119 in dog years?). A happy girl, ready to visit and play no matter how difficult for her increasingly arthritic bones, until the end.

May we all see life as excitedly as she did, each moment new, each being a potential friend, each hardship and ailment a mere aside to the things she wanted to do each day.