Reel Mower - Gas Free Lawn Care

Well summer is now in full swing and we have decided to give green lawn care a try. We've used corn gluten as weed control and other all natural products in our yard and garden. Now we are giving the old fashioned push mower a try. Some of our neighbors have gas and man-powered reel mowers already and we wanted to try it out. Jon always wanted to be able to mow the grass and not wake up our kids while they nap.

I really like our new reel mower we purchased from ecomowers.com They had a great deal on our model and offered free shipping. We purchased a Sun Lawn LMM 40 reel mower since it was one of the few mowers that can tackle bermuda grass. It weighs about 17 lbs. so I can carry it no problem, has nearly a 16" cutting swath, and mows the grass as low as 0.4 " to 2.2" high. There is an optional grass catcher attachment you can get and collect your clippings for composting. I really like how easy it is to push and Matthew loves holding the lower handle and pushing it too. I love that I can now mow the lawn and not have to wait for Jon to do it. Sometimes he travels for work and I am forced to do the the yard work. I can not operate the gas powered mower, but with our new reel mower it's a breeze. The only problem we have had is that we use pine bark mulch in our landscaping and that will stop the blade from spinning so you have to keep your lawn mulch free. Another issue is an unlevel lawn can also stop the blades. We sanded our lawn for the first time this spring and that seems to help with the uneven lawn. I think if we sand again next spring our mowing will be smooth sailing.

Birth Defects and Pesticides

Since it is finally Spring here in GA I've been working outside a lot with our boys. They have been great little helpers pulling weeds and planting in our garden. This year we tried corn gluten as a pre-emergent weed control and fertilizer. I'm not sure it did a great job as far as weeds, but it definitely made our rye grass look great.
Anyway, I was cruising Web MD the other day and I saw this article that really made me think. This is the time of year when everyone is putting down their lawn chemicals for weeds and farmers are getting their crops ready. Many people have heard the correlation of birth defects, cancer etc. with people living on or near farms using traditional agriculture methods (chemical herbicides/pesticides). There is a new study out that says that it isn't just people in rural areas that are exposed to the chemicals. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) sampled water in streams that feed nearly 50% of the nations drinking supply. The NAWQA found that pesticides were in their highest concentrations during the months of April through July. It was also determined that women who conceived during these months were 3% more likely to have a child with a birth defect, pregnancy complications or miscarriage. The babies conceived during this time were at a higher risk of a wide range of birth defects including Down syndrome, cleft palate, and spina bifida. The author of the study also said that 3% could also be a gross underestimation due to inconsistent recording of birth defects from state to state. I know what you are thinking. This is just another wacky study out there to make everyone be afraid and it doesn't really mean anything. The following quote from professor Paul D. Winchester, MD, is what really made me take this study more seriously: “This study does not prove that pesticides cause birth defects, but we set out to show that they did not and we were not reassured.” Something to think about for sure. Click the title of this post if you want to see the article on the study.

Introducing the Tesla Motors Model S

Pop Quiz: what has a 300 mile range, 45 minute quick-charge, and is not from Detroit or Japan? The answer: the all new Tesla Motors Model S.

Image Credit: Tesla Motors via www.teslamotors.com

Tesla unveiled their new sport sedan on Friday, March 27, 2009, and already the internet is swarmed with stories and pictures of the new release. Tesla quotes expected delivery timeframe starting in 2011. We hope that the vehicle meets that target, and applaud Tesla for developing two electric vehicles that feature groundbreaking technology and smooth lines (maybe a few other manufacturers up north will take note). We look forward to many more stories about the Roadster and the Model S between now and 2011.

Image Credit: Tesla Motors via www.teslamotors.com

So the big question is: how do we raise $50K by 2011 to be one of the first to own this new sports sedan? With a 300 mile range, daily commuting shouldn’t be an issue, even with the long Atlanta commutes. And since the vehicle is electric, sitting still in traffic won’t put to much strain on the battery.

Image Credit: Tesla Motors via www.teslamotors.com

Well, enough of my excitement. We’ve included a few images of the new Model S in this post, but for more information we suggest checking out Tesla’s site for the Model S: http://www.teslamotors.com/models/index.php

Let us know what you think, we’re interested in hearing your opinion...

Whitehouse.gov

A new website for the President of the United States and his adminstration was launched last week. The new look of the website includes a few areas worth mentioning. First, the Energy and Environment section highlights President Obama's plan to invest in clean technologies to improve the environment and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

The second area of the website is the "The Whitehouse Blog," which is updated daily and keeps everyone up-to-date on events and news from the Whitehouse. Check out the site regularly as the new administration settles into office and begins setting new policies. Currently, most of the news reported on the site provides insight to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.