Category Archives: Energy usage

Bees & bikes

Posted on May 12, 2013 by Sandy

Wow! After a slow start, the Orchard Mason Bees have done really well this year. Last week, I shared a video of the bees doing their thing. A few sunny days later and the bee nesting tubes are pretty much … Continue reading →

Posted in Bees, Energy usage, Gardening | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Final summer harvest & I LOVE my Leaf

Posted on November 11, 2012 by Sandy

In the late fall and winter, I have to remind myself to head out the greenhouse every few weeks to water the potted trees. Obviously, they get zero rainfall inside and it’s a task I sometimes forget. While watering today, … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy usage, Gardening | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

A good energy usage report!

Posted on July 19, 2012 by Sandy

Contrary to most people, I look forward to seeing our monthly electricity and gas bill. I’m always hopeful that the numbers will show year-over-year energy reduction. Our latest bill showed great progress! At the same time, we produced 919 kWhs … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy usage | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Solar production check-in & great energy consumption progress

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Sandy

We’ve just hit an electricity production milestone with the solar production meter passing the 1500 kWh mark for 51 days of production. As I’m keeping track in the solar log, we’re currently averaging nearly 30 kWhs a day in production. … Continue reading →

Posted in Electricity usage, Energy usage, Natural gas usage, Solar | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Two steps backwards, one hobbled step forward

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Sandy

Many aspects of gardening involve adjusting for the unplanned and unexpected. Weather, of course, is a primary element to which gardeners have to adjust and readjust expectations and plans. Earlier in the week, I planned on using this weekend to … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy usage, Gardening | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Garden season 2012 commences

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Sandy

After a long blogging hiatus, I’m back! And I’m really late kicking off garden season 2012. Truth be told, I’ve been working on some other projects (not related to gardening and sustainability) that have monopolized my spare time over the … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy usage, Gardening, Solar | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

A day in the slow life

Posted on October 9, 2010 by Sandy

 Over at Backyard Feast, Toni put together a “A day in the slow life” meme and asked me to participate. In a follow up post, she wrote about The Paradox of Slow, which is equally as interesting. I pondered this topic earlier in the year … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking & food preservation, Energy usage, Gardening, Homesteading | Tagged , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

This is what an Italian prune should look like

Posted on September 15, 2009 by Sandy

One of the best things about having a small home orchard is being able to eat tree-ripened fruit.  Even when I shop at a local farmers’ market, I find that the fruit is often a bit on the green side, … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy usage | Tagged | 3 Comments

Green power! Get with the program

Posted on May 9, 2009 by Sandy

Last summer, we joined the Green Power Program at Puget Sound Energy. The Green Power Program allows energy customers to buy and add into the system energy from green energy sources (wind, solar, biomass and landfill gas). It’s a good … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy usage | Tagged | 5 Comments

December utility bill, snow, snow, snow, and animal husbandry in a frozen tundra

Posted on December 21, 2008 by Sandy

Our December utility bill (covering mid November to mid December) shows our best energy reduction results so far. Our daily average K HW usage for electricity was down 17%.  Our daily average THRM usage for natural gas was down 34%.  There are two primary reasons for … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy usage, Homesteading | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments