Ringing in 30 with a bang

Posted on by annandmeg

First of all, I’d like to say a big THANK YOU for all the wonderful birthday wishes! I received so many messages/phone calls/texts from friends and family, and most notably, a birthday serenade from my amazing second family, the Kempers. I feel very loved, thank you!

July 3rd hiking in Bodega Headlands

July 3rd hike in Bodega Headlands

I thoroughly enjoyed closing out my 20s, and had even more fun breaking in 30. Let me assure you, 30 is not boring! Dad came in town a few days before to spend the week with us in California. We went hiking, and running, and hiking, and climbing…. All things I absolutely love. In case I was worried about being in shape, well, I’m definitely not anymore.

July 4th hike in Bear Valley, Point Reyes

July 4th hike in Bear Valley, Point Reyes

Outdoor adventures paired very nicely with the numerous birthday celebrations. We had a lovely dinner with friends and family at the Fishmans, and then a 4th of July/Meg’s 30th continues party at Auntie & Tio’s, accompanied by Charneth (the bling master) and family. Fun was had by all, including the infamous Tio cake and making the birthday girl prance around in goofy garb (see evidence below).

When you turn 30, you get to wear bright red pants and a fun apron.

When you turn 30, you get to wear bright red pants and a fun apron.

If turning 30 was this much fun, I can’t wait for the next decade!

The Big 30

Posted on by annandmeg

Happy birthday, Meg. You were born one day short of Independence Day, 1983.  Your determination and strength of character have made your progression through life a ceaseless adventure.  I am always proud you are my daughter and look forward to the experience of watching your life continue to unfold.

Have a wonderful birthday.  Love ya tons.  Mum

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U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment — A Review

Posted on by annandmeg

Dairy cows out at Pt. ReyesThe U.S. Sustainable Dairy Commitment is a collective effort involving the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, and dairy farmers, processors, retailers and businesses. The purpose of the commitment is to work together to “provide products that are nutritious, produced responsibly and economically viable for all.” [1]

The original sustainability commitment, signed between the Innovation Center and USDA in 2008, provides that the dairy industry will be proactive in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Specifically, the industry-wide, voluntary goal is to reduce U.S. dairy’s GHGs by 25% by the year 2020. Additionally, dairy producers have seen the following benefits [2]:

  • More than 6,000 producers received a total of $287 million through USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentive Program to implement conservation practices
  • USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program invested more than $53 million to install anaerobic digesters on dairy farms (anaerobic digesters basically break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen, and thus reducing the amount of landfill gas emission into the atmosphere)
  • Over 350 on-farm and in-plant energy audits were conducted, and nearly $640,000 in cost-share grants were provided for energy efficiency equipment

It is exciting that the dairy industry has accepted the challenge to reduce GHGs and make dairy processes more efficient, both for the sake of the environment and the economy. As an animal lover, I do wish there was some language about also incorporating humane practices, however it appears that humane practices are included in the requirement to produce dairy products responsibly. I’m sure that’s already written down somewhere in the industry guidelines, but it would be nice for this sustainability commitment to also include a pledge to engage in practices that are healthier for the environment, more efficient for the economy, and more humane in the treatment of animals in the dairy industry.

Are there are dairy buffs out there who’ve had any experience with this Sustainability Commitment? After reading a few articles from various news sources, and of course, the Innovation Center’s website, I’m very curious to see what impact this is having in the diary industry, and if dairy producers/processors are seeing a difference.

To learn more from the folks at the Innovation Center, you can visit their website at www.usdairy.com.

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* Please note, I am not an expert in anything dairy, except for the fact that I love the products. All views expressed in this article are my personal opinions and do not reflect the views of any organization with which I am affiliated. Please forgive any ignorance to practices or industry standards. Any comments are welcome!

[1] See Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy website at www.usdairy.com/sustainability

[2] Gallagher, Tom, “U.S. dairy’s sustainability commitment realizes benefits for dairy producers”, June 4, 2013,  http://dairybusiness.com/seo/headline.php?title=u-s-dairy-s-sustainability-commitment-realize&date=2013-06-04&table=features.  Gallagher is the C.E.O. of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

My new favorite place to run

Posted on by annandmeg

Helen PutnamMy new favorite place to run

A jackrabbit, snake, lots of geckos, a horse and a parrot. My Friday morning run through Helen Putnam was as beautiful as always. Only 3 miles or so, but lots of verticals, and an interesting assortment of wildlife!

It was a perfect way to start the weekend, and a great warm-up for our long hike at Mt. Tam on Saturday.

Sundays With Terry–It’s All About Local

Posted on by annandmeg

Sunday breakfast is all about the ritual of exploring Kansas City neighborhoods and finding local restaurants, coffee shops and cafes. There is something truly special about finding one-of-a-kind places to eat. It supports the local economy and gives us the opportunity to really savor the tastes of Kansas City. In recent weeks, we have visited a variety of fascinating coffee shops that are worth a second visit:

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YY’s is within walking distance of the Kauffman Performing Arts Center, but miles apart in attitude. It is a “dive” in the best sense.  The food is good, the maple syrup is real, and the few customers who fit in the confined space  seem to represent a microcosm of Kansas City.

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The Roasterie in Brookside is “Bean Baron” Danny O’Neill’s coffee shop that features his own locally roasted coffees, and a wonderful assortment of rolls, croissants and even desserts.  It is wonderfully suited to the charm of neighborhood near our home.  Danny travels the world in search of great coffee beans and has worked hard to perfect the art of fine coffee.

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Hi Hat focuses on the Pembroke Hill School crowd.  Parents drop by Hi Hat after dropping their kids off at school.  Students visit the coffee shop before and after school.  Too small to have much room inside for customers, except in the coldest weather there are often people gathered on the tiny front porch visiting and enjoying coffees, frozen drinks and muffins or rolls.

We have so many great places to explore here in Kansas City. It’s not only important to support our local businesses, but it’s just so much fun!

Sebastopol, CA to require solar power on new homes, buildings

Posted on by annandmeg

What a cool idea. Solar panels on top of each and every newly constructed home or building! I recently had a discussion with some cohorts here in Petaluma about how great it would be if people would just start using all the rooftops in the city to generate power using solar panels. Well, sounds like Sebastopol has the same idea.

As I read in the Press Democrat’s online article from May 8th [1], Sebastopol City Council recently voted unanimously to require solar power systems on new homes and commercial buildings. Sebastopol is now the second city to make such a move, following Lancaster, CA, which is located in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Nice work, Sebastopol. I’m sure there will be a number of details to work out moving forward, but I’m excited about the idea of using alternative energy in Sonoma County.

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[1] Story covered by Staff Writer Guy Kovner of the Press Democrat. You can go to the website at www.pressdemocrat.com and search under the “Politics” section. Or click on the hyperlink in the body of this post above to go to Kovner’s article.

(Photo courtesy Wiki Commons)

Shooting into Sunset

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Shooting into Sunset

This was one of my favorite sunset shoots. The clouds were beautiful, the sky crimson, and the plane flying towards the sun made for some artistic photographs.

Cataract Falls

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Meg at one of the lower waterfalls on the Cataract Fall Trail.

Meg at one of the lower waterfalls on the Cataract Falls Trail.

Life is busy. Crazy busy. Luckily, Jake and I love exploring, and we had the perfect day last week to go on a little adventure. For our anniversary, Jake took the day off and we went for a hike up around Mt. Tam. Finding the trailhead to Cataract Falls was no easy feat, but we managed to find it just off a hairpin turn in the road. With just enough space along the side to park the jeep, we headed off for the ~3 mile hike, which was nearly straight up the whole way out.

After passing a small lake, the trail comes to the bottom of the first of seven waterfalls. We hiked a little ways up, and then we just couldn’t help but to scale the moss-covered rocks along the sides of one of the falls. Though we quickly discovered our need for better hiking/climbing shoes, it was definitely an exciting adventure. We’ll be back soon, I’m sure!

Nature’s Wall Art

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I love graffiti.  But nature has her own art.  It’s superior to anything that human beings can create.  Well, at least for now. This clematis covered most of the stone wall behind it.

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To jump or not to jump….into the ocean

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To jump or not to jump....into the ocean

About halfway between Avila Beach and Pismo Beach (well, the far north end of Pismo), there is a cave that goes through to the ocean and then drops off into the water. It’s beautiful. On a hot, sunny day, it’s a very tempting jump.