One of our rain barrel recovery set ups-- this one against our shed----we have two identical systems presently and I want to add a third which would bring us from having 160 gallons of recovered rain water on hand to 240 gallons available.

Our Chinese cheap solar panels on the shed roof--there are now five, since this photo was taken all producing to a gel battery storage system. I'm really only running shed lights, and recharging stuff until i can increase power production as money avails itself. But i really enjoy making any independent power I can..very pleasing to the soul.

I've written quite a bit about our garden without proving anything so i thought i would put up a few pictures of our backyard. bear in mind that we started everything from seed, so we are about two to three weeks behind most people tomato/pepper wise--and our flowers really haven't come into bloom yet. The area behind the rear lattice work is where we compost and where i would like our chickens(house) to go if we decide to get a pair. Eggplant, tomatoes, peppers run the width of the far back privacy fence.

We have several square foot gardens not visible in these photo's and about 20 more tomato plants vining up the fences also not visible. Eggplant, cucumbers, herbs, potatoes, gourds, melons, cantaloupes, watermelon, squash and flowers are planted in the sun protected area that runs the length of the yard pictured below.

Corn, beans, squash, gourds, planted indian style in this area that runs the yard length back to the studio with tomato, eggplant and pepper plants against the studio.

Not bad considering that we started this spring with the entire back yard dead--no grass nothing. My amazing wife planned and built up everything you see here..(I was just occasional, doubting, labor) and there is more you do not see in these photo's but this will have to do for now.

My tenure as hybrid boy began as a search in early 2000 for a Honda Insight, a 3 cylinder, two seat, gas-electric hatchback being produced then---not a Prius.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Insight

I was literally forced to turn to Prius ownership because Honda dealers I contacted were all dicks.

I could not find an insight on a dealers lot nor would a Honda dealer help me in ordering an original Insight. So i lost out on a vehicle that I really did want because the people who were supposed to be selling them were----truly dicks. Every dealer blew me off and kept trying to sell me one of their SUV's. They were bait and switch ---uh----Dicks.

The 1999 Thu 2006 insight would have been a better commuter car

for me. Small, light weight, two seater viable really only for the daily drive back and forth to work. Anywhere between 14,000 and 19,000 are claimed to have been produced with a guesstimate of 70 mpg on the highway. They are visible on the roads today if one looks for them. Please do not misconstrue. I am satisfied with my Prius at 52.7 mpg during my daily commute--but it is a larger car than what i need for this duty, almost a family car. I never use the backseat for real humans..and honestly it was the only thing available that i could seemingly actually BUY...

Honda stopped production of this little car in 2006. Used original insights have at least 80,000 miles on them and with a technologically complex vehicle..... buying used is something to avoid, which explains the lack of Citroen's in America. When I do see an original insight on the road i always nod, smile, and mutter to myself---"what dicks".

GOP weirdness continues unabated.

Sarah Palin will not run again for Governor of Alaska.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0709/GOP_sources_Palin_wont_run_for_reelection.html

--William Gibson in his novel Burning Chrome obliquely but aptly described a specific segment of the public as a sweating blind, potato the size of a baby hippo, housed in a trailer outside of Topeka that can only scream it's disapproval.... or vote it's approval....... Palin is the darling child for this screaming, sweating, hippo potato public, and with their----- her one true audience's support. She will run for Potato President for them...and titanically lose.

---the karmic wheel spins............

Remember that we are the little locker people in MIB II----

warren