SegoLily

Friday, December 28, 2007

Tracks in the Snow

Do you know who made any of these tracks?

And who made this home...

...with these tracks?

Monday, December 24, 2007

View the Calendar of Events every Monday. It can also be accessed by selecting Calendar from the right-hand column, and older calendars can be viewed there also. Check back for updates! If you have any events you would like to submit that compliment the sites content, please email them to pachaATcableoneDOTnet. Thanks!

December 31st - January 6th

Monday, December 31st, 2007
*New Year's Eve 5K Run/Walk
The New Year’s Eve 5K fun run/walk, a fundraiser for the College of Southern Idaho Student Recreation Center, will start at 11:45 p.m. Monday, Dec. 31 at the CSI Student Recreation Center.

Organizers say the walk will take place on a course that is flat, lighted, paved, and snow-free through the CSI campus. Prizes will be awarded for each age group for runners and walkers in men’s and women’s divisions.

A New Year’s Eve party will be held in conjunction with the event, which will run from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. It will include refreshments and fireworks at midnight. The entry fee is $25 before Dec. 25 or $30 thereafter. For information, contact Jaime Tigue at 732-6479 or register online at http://www.spondoro.com/

Wednesday, January 2nd, 2007
*“Rafting the Grand Canyon” – Presented by Idaho Alpine Club
Rob Thornberry and Martin Moore recently spent 18 days ushering a raft down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. They put in at Lee's Ferry in late season on October 24, 2007 and took out at Diamond Creek on November 10, 2007. This meant their party of 4 rafts and 2 kayaks had shorter days and longer nights than they would have experienced during the height of the summer season, but they were rewarded with increased solitude because of fewer people on the river. The trip was a "do it yourself trip". Rob, the outdoor editor for the Post Register for the last 17 years, and Martin, a CH2M-WG Idaho LLC employee, along with the rest of their party, had to plan the trip themselves; from obtaining the rafts and organizing the equipment to planning the food and cooking their meals. Through their slides, Rob and Martin will convey the beauty and excitement of rafting the Grand Canyon so come and enjoy.

The meeting is open to the public. All outdoor enthusiasts are invited to attend.More Info

Saturday, January 5th, 2007
*Gull 101 Workshop with Birds of Idaho
Start the new year right! Join R.L. at the landfill for his famous Gull 101 workshop and become more "gullable". The flora is lacking but the avifauna is interesting and R.L. is the expert! Note: This can be a very cold trip so dress warmly, especially on your feet.
Trip Leader/Contact:
RL Rowland 336-9808
More Info

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

A Consumption Manifesto

Click for a "beacon in the smog".

Since now is a prime time for some serious consumption - I thought it the perfect opportunity to introduce Ask Umbra's Consumption Manifesto. Ask Umbra is an advice column on the Grist website - "gloom and doom with a sense of humor." They offer very informative environmental news all the while keeping it fresh and funny with they're clever (albeit corny at times) headlines and commentary.

Here is the manifesto:

Article One. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. This brilliant triad says it all. Reduce: Avoid buying what you don't need -- and when you do get that dishwasher/lawnmower/toilet, spend the money up front for an efficient model. Reuse: Buy used stuff, and wring the last drop of usefulness out of most everything you own. Recycle: Do it, but know that it's the last and least effective leg of the triad. (Ultimately, recycling simply results in the manufacture of more things.)

Article Two. Stay close to home. Work close to home to shorten your commute; eat food grown nearby; patronize local businesses; join local organizations. All of these will improve the look, shape, smell, and feel of your community.

Article Three. Internal combustion engines are polluting and their use should be minimized. Period.

Article Four. Watch what you eat. Whenever possible, avoid food grown with pesticides, in feedlots, or by agribusiness. It's an easy way to use your dollars to vote against the spread of toxins in our bodies, land, and water.

Article Five. Private industries have very little incentive to improve their environmental practices. Our consumption choices must encourage and support good behavior; our political choices must support government regulation.

Article Six. Support thoughtful innovations in manufacturing and production. Hint: Drilling for oil is no longer an innovation.

Article Seven. Prioritize. Think hardest when buying large objects; don't drive yourself mad fretting over the small ones. It's easy to be distracted by the paper bag puzzle, but an energy-sucking refrigerator is much more worthy of your attention. (Small electronics are an exception.)

Article Eight. Vote. Political engagement enables the spread of environmentally conscious policies. Without public action, thoughtful individuals are swimming upstream.

Article Nine. Don't feel guilty. It only makes you sad.

Article Ten. Enjoy what you have -- the things that are yours alone, and the things that belong to none of us. Both are nice, but the latter are precious. Those things that we cannot manufacture and should never own -- water, air, birds, trees -- are the foundation of life's pleasures. Without them, we're nothing. With us, there may be nothing left. It's our choice.

Click here to get Grist by email. You can get Daily Grist, Weekly Grist, Ask Umbra and more "green news to amuse."

Monday, December 10, 2007

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Southern Idaho Outdoors in Picture Form - In the South Hills Once Again

See how snowy the roads were.

On this trip, it was my Husband, our Little Boy, and me. It was the same route as my last outing, but in the reverse (in on G-5, out on Oakley-Rogerson). There was a lot more snow than last time and the roads were completely covered in it. I was glad not to be driving. Of course my Husband drove with ease and confidence.

It was absolutely gorgeous up there and the chill air was rejuvenating and refreshing. We had a lot of fun kicking about in the snow. Didn't see any wildlife aside from a few unidentified birds. Our dog came along too, and I'm sure he made all animals aware of our presence way before we could have spotted them.

I just love the South Hills and it's a great pleasure to experience them throughout the changing seasons.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Scenic Idaho #7

Went out to the South Hills again.

It was beautiful.

And we brought something home...

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