Happy Valentine’s Day! Red Wigglers have 5 hearts…all the better to love you with!

Happy Valentine’s Day!  A heart shape is the universal symbol of LOVE. It in no way depicts the image of a human heart. That’s a relief!  I wouldn’t want to open a human heart shaped box of chocolates.  Although, I am sure there are some people who would find that appealing.

In the worm world, these wonderful earth loving creatures have five blood pumping organs in their tiny, hard working bodies.  I wouldn’t exactly call them organs, though.  They are more like bands which contract and release and preform similar functions as a human heart.  But the worms’ hearts do not fill up with blood the way humans do, they just squeeze the two blood vessels which help to circulate the blood through out the body.

Check out the illustration!  You can see the 5 hearts and the two blood vessels, ventral and dorsal. I grabbed this picture off of a cool site, Kingston Worm Farm.  They too are spreading the word of the worm.

Also, it would be nice to show your Red wigglers some love.  Feed them something sweet.  Maybe you have some strawberry tops left over after you feed your loved one some strawberries dipped in chocolate or smothered in whip cream!

A simple sign to remind us all!

Carlos snapped this picture at Mt. Bachelor after we chowed on the most delicious but bad for your body nachos!  What a simple sign to joggle your noggin!

Very simple but effective …..” Before you throw it, think can you recycle it.”

Love this sign Mt Bachelor!

We all need to think before we trash it!

My Vegas souvenirs! One’s environmentally friendly and the other eh…not so much!

Souvenirs, souvenirs, souvenirs!  I always have fun picking out special gifts for my family when I go on vacation.  2 of the 4 gifts are not pictured above. Not that they aren’t worthy of a photo op, but they have nothing to do with the substance of this post. The 2 missing are t-shirts.  Ana was happy to get a Spongebob t-shirt, and Max smiled when he got his red Vegas t-shirt! Max loves red and Ana adores Spongebob.  Who doesn’t love Spongebob?! Anyone?

The other two gifts are on opposite ends of the environmental spectrum.  The mini slot machine/bank is Carlos’s gift which has now turned into a  family gift. This was the best $29 spent.  Yes, I said $29!  I was in a Vegas Haze (lol) and didn’t look at the cost when I was shopping. When the clerk rang up my total, my jaw dropped.  $29 for a bank!?!? That’s crazy, but I was toooo tired to return it or even speak or moan or groan!  My jaw just remained open in shock as my credit card was being swiped!  When I got home and gave Carlos the gift, he put in a quarter, pulled the arm and I was transported back to Vegas!  This One Armed Bandit rang and lit up like it’s big brother! Wooohoo way to go Vegas Gift (trap) Store!  I know this toy will lose it’s attraction as all toys do and will end up in the landfill as another abandoned toy!  But who knows?! I hope to keep it for a long time ….. uh huh, yeah right.

The reusable shopping bag from Envirosax is so cool!  During our day at the Canyon Ranch Spa, we were given a $20 voucher to use at their spa and clothing store.  My girlfriends picked this out for me while I was busy basking in the steam room!  I am not a shopper what so ever and let them use my credit.  They came back with the bag and some lotion.  Unfortunately, I have no idea where I put the lotion (sorry biatches).  In my haste to catch my flight with an hour of “sleep”, I think I left it behind along with my over played Usher cds..boohoo!  (Carlos is happy though).

I am very happy to have packed the shopping bag.  I have many, many reusable shopping bags, but this one is the prettiest and the most functional.  As you can see from the picture, it folds up to the size of a fist and can be placed in a purse.  This is a cool feature because it’ll always be handy when shopping…..Unless you are like me and forget to put it back into your purse when you are finished unpacking your goods! Hey, life happens…..

Reusable shopping bags are awesome.  They are more durable than paper and plastic bags.  You can always sew any rips or tears, but that hasn’t happened to me.  My bags are over 2 years old, and they look as if they are brand new.  They are also washable which is another cool feature!

I am in favor of the ban on plastic bags.  There are many other options.  My girlfriend Kristi is sewing her own reusable shopping bag!  Little a has made her own shopping bag!  All it takes is some durable fabric, needle and thread.  A sewing machine would speed up the process, but if your watching a movie you can always whip one up in less than 2 hours!  Give it a try!

So these two gifts are cool, functional and fun!  I think I’ll have the most expensive reusable shopping bag in Bend and the most expensive, plastic bank too!

What if I have centipedes?

Centipedes are part of the decomposition cycle and will be found in a worm bin.  I really get the shivers when I see these guys skittering along the bedding. Most likely it’s because of their pincers and fast moving tiny legs. These creatures won’t harm humans, but if there is an explosion in your worm bin they may harm or kill the Red Wigglers!

Cause:  Centipedes like decomposing food and moist, dark environments like a worm bin.  They do help speed up the composting process because they eat the food scraps!  I think they have similar habits to those of the mites.  If their is more food than the Red Wigglers can handle, they will show up to consume the food.

Treatment: Usually they won’t cause a problem unless there are a bunch skittering around the bin.  If you notice a decrease in your Red Wiggler population and an increase in the centipede population, then there is a problem.  When I see a centipede, I remove it from the bin and bury the food scraps underneath the bedding.  Some sites recommend using a pesticide to kill the centipedes, but I wouldn’t.  That would kill the Red Wigglers!

Here are links to a few of the sites.

Description with pictures

Bug Forum

Credit for image

When would be a good time State Representative Conger?

After reading this tidbit of information on the local KBND website, I am confused by State Representative Jason Conger’s  reaction to the ban on plastic bags.  The website states that he believes the timing of the ban is poor, and their are bigger problems to solve.

My reaction…Problems will always exist and time keeps moving on.  If we let time move on without solving this problem, then this problem will become a bigger one in time!  Trash, trash, trash will always be accumulating with time.  This is any easy one to stop in a short amount of time.  Let’s evolve and be done with the plastic bag!