Halloween at our front door

See the other pictures of our pumpkin carving night at http://www.flickr.com/photos/28574817@N02/sets/72157622623505458/

What is this plant?

My Heartland Community College class, on how to design an ecologically sustainable yard with native plants, begins tonight! Getting into the spirit, I can't wait to learn what this amazing flowering plant in our yard is called. I know that it is native to our area, since it is planted at our neighborhood elementary school's native plant garden, and I see it all over Founder's Grove. During most of the summer, the flower part of the plant is a light green, barely looking like a flower. But then in late August and September, the green turns to a beautiful red, then dark red, attracting all the bees in its vicinity.

Gettin' back to The Life in Founders' Grove

In our fifth week living in our new house, I still can't get over how superb it is living in a central location within the city! We made that a major factor in choosing our house, and so far at least we have reduced our car use dramatically, which is a major quality of life issue for me. I sometimes don't use the car for a week or two. Rachel takes the bike trail or the bus daily, and I actually can walk to work. And every single major destination is within a mile or so and bikeable.

For me, the goal of divorcing myself from the car is more than just environmentalism. It's having your feet on the ground, being able to exercise in the course of your life, having a sense of community with the town folk, and enjoying the beauty of a gorgeous neighborhood.

Moving Day