Summer Inspiration & Persperation

The hypnotizing hum of cicadas ...

the sweet smell of freshly cut grass and a burning charcoal grill ...

the bead of sweat that forms instantly on the nape of your neck ...

and the other one that rolls down small of your back
whenever you step outside between 10 and 4 ...

making it at two or three shower day ...

yes, summer is here.

I'm usually a water conserver and eco-friendly tree hugger all the way ... but the stickiness of summer leaves me with only two options.

A) Run the AC at full blast all day long making my house a comfortable 75 while condensation fogs up my windows in contrast with the steamy humidity outdoors. Thus ... eating up electricity.

B) Taking more than one show a day. Thus ... using up extra water.

I pick B. And I don't feel guilty about it with all the rain we've been having. A total of 8 days straight. My drought tolerant plants have bloated up and exploded ... making them just as slimy as the snails that are now eating them.

Now that I'm off my weather soapbox and done justifying my need for extra showers ...

I had to rearrange my schedule a little to shoot some video in Tampa. Can't really show off the "sunshine state" when the weather is behaving like Seattle. We were back down to the bay this week and one of our stops peaked my eco-interest.

Considering I've got a speech to give mid-June on the process of becoming green certified lodging and an article due to a local publication on the "green scene" ... any eco-friendly subject matter peaked my interest and the new Tampa History Center had some jaw dropping facts.

The most interesting to me was that the atrium's double-pane exterior windows are filled with argon gas, providing extra insulation and wind-resistance to inclement weather off the bay.

Neat.

They also recycled a lot of reusable material during construction, proving that it is not necessary to bulldoze and consume to create something fresh and new.

Guess I need to use this green spark of inspiration add a little perspiration and get some work done ... off to do some research ... and then to write.

--Rachelle

Some More Smores Please!

Last night we decided to take advantage of the cooler weather and light up the fire pit in our courtyard. Nothing like some graham crackers, marshmallows and dark chocolate all melted together to take the edge off of the chill in the air. Oh, and of course a hot steaming mug of hot chocolate.

We invited our neighbors over to join us and our guests in the finger licking goodness of roasted marshmallows and telling stories by the fire under the stars. It was much like camping, only better. You can't beat having the feel of the outdoors with the convenience of being able to walk a few steps to get indoors to snuggle into some flannel sheets and brush your teeth in a real bathroom without a woodsy spider staring you down.
Aaah ... the convenience of being able to have backyard smores.

A perfect evening kick-off to our downtown Mount Dora Art Festival.

--Rachelle

Ghostly Gardens

What ever happened to global warming? I think this is the COLDEST winter I can remember here in Central Florida ... and from what I see on the news everyone in the rest of the country is experiencing the same. It even sounds weird to say "cold winter" and "Florida" in the same sentence. At least we're not dealing with power outages, snow and ice. Our preparation for record lows includes pulling out our scarves and sweaters and covering up all our plants in the yard to the point where it looks like we have lawn ghosts and have rewound back to Halloween.

It's a bummer. Usually our winters are mild enough to get some pre-spring gardening done. Our landscaping sure could use some love ... but it may just have to wait until after Valentines Day.

Until then, my little white sheet ghost garden will have to do.

--Rachelle

Going Green Saving Blue

So, what does it take to "go green?" While a lot of things that are labeled "green" or "organic" have inflated prices, there are many things you can do that still save you some green in your wallet as well. It is possible to conserve and save on your electric and water without spending a fortune.

Just this past weekend, the City of Mount Dora hosted a rain barrel workshop where they explained the benefits of collecting rain water, instructions on creating and installing rain barrels and even a fun outdoor painting session afterward. Did you know that during a storm where we receive just an inch of rain water, that inch equates to 600 gallons of water collected from a 1000 square foot roof? That's nothing to sneeze at!

The rain barrels hold up to 55 gallons of rain water that can be used for drip irrigation, watering potted plants, washing your car, cleaning garden tools and any other outdoor water need you can think of. They're pretty affordable, running anywhere from $45 to $100 depending on the size and style. Much more affordable and easier to set up than a cistern system. Plus, painting it is kinda fun.

Last year, Tremain Street Cottages became the 1st Certified Green Lodging in Lake County through the State of Florida's Florida Green Lodging program. Just trying to do our part to create a healthier environment for ourselves and our guests by making more informed choices. So I'm looking forward to adding this new hand-painted lawn tool to our garden to save water and green up our lawn!

--Rachelle