Plastics Update

After studying the pile of plastic waste that I collected in only 10 days (see this post), I am still at loss how to avoid many of the sources of single-use plastic. I have found that at least one local store still takes some bags, and will recycle what I can, but as I remain skeptical that much will actually get recycled, I have identified a few places where I can make a little extra effort and reduce my use of single-use bags in the first place (note: I do try to re-use whatever I can, as many times as I can. In the end, they are still plastic waste).

1. I will make more fabric produce bags, and shop where I can use them. I made a LOT of these a couple of years ago and gave them out at Christmas. In the end, I didn't have enough left for myself. They're a little fussy to make and I've been lazy, and never got around to making more. Time to fix that! (BTW, the fabric is another case of re-using something that would otherwise be waste, a set of worn-out sheer curtains I knew there was some reason I never threw away).

2. I will dodge fruit that only comes in clamshell plastic. This will hurt a little--I know of no other way to get fresh blueberries, when my own bush isn't producing (which it does for about 1 month a year). I will probably keep buying frozen berries out of season, though of course they come in single-use plastic bags.

3. No plastic meat trays. Again, this is a half-satisfactory trade-off, as even the meats from the butcher counter are wrapped in plastic before I get them. If the trays are truly recycled, they may be a better option than plastic wrap, but again, I'm dubious about how much plastic really gets recycled in a meaningful way.

4. I have already stopped buying liquid shampoo and conditioner, though there is a lot around here to use up. Sometimes (like for trips to the gym) it's more convenient, so I'll use the liquid for that until it's gone. This one is easy--I'm very happy with my shampoo bars (from Trader Joe's, and I hope they don't discontinue them), but am open to suggestions for the best place to get conditioner bars.

5. Finally, I'm also shifting away from plastic bags and plastic wrap for food storage in my own kitchen. I have a lifetime supply of storage containers, and plenty of room in my fridge, so this is easy. I will keep on using plastic wrap when I repackage meats for the freezer, but that's really about the only place it seems necessary.

Of course, "grow your own" is a great way to avoid packaging, at least during the growing season!

 ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2021

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Photo Saturday: Grand Canyon Outtakes

Jemima Pett suggested it, and since there are so many more photos in my Grand Canyon rafting album than I was able to share even in 8 posts on the trip, I'm doing one more, just for some of the pretties that didn't make the cut. Of course, I lost track of the days of the week again, so here's my Photo Friday coming on Saturday again.

These are just some random photos from the first half of the trip that didn't make it into the main trip reports, with minimal commentary.

Approaching Navajo Bridge, Day 1

 

First morning on the river

Looking for whitewater

Some kind of wormish fossil

The sandstone and limestone portions of the Canyon are full of fossils.

It's not just fossils. The Canyon is full of life.

 Humans, too, sometimes being strange.

The apex of river fashion

Creekside boulder reveals the radical variations in water level in the Little Colorado

Keep an eye on the sky.

Morning haze.

Water color

The beautiful green or clear water we had all the way isn't natural or normal, of course, but a result of the Glen Canyon dam and a lack of recent run-off in side canyons.

Sometimes the color is a reflection of the walls. Sometimes, as here, that red is intensified by minerals in the water.

Hope you enjoyed a little photo break!

 ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2021

 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated.

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Writer's Wednesday

Today I'm just giving a quick update.

One story out on submission was rejected, and is ready to go out again.

The novel stands at 38,600 words. After some struggles over the weekend, I had a 2400-word day on Monday, and Tuesday came close to 2K. I won't have a complete draft by the end of the month, or even before heading to the mountains in August, but I should have a significant part of one.

Finally, I've been kind of neglecting the Smashwords Summer/Winter sale. It's got a few more days, and I've change a few prices, so head on over and take a look. 

While we're at it, I want to remind readers that when authors--not just me, but all the writers offering books at special prices for the sale--give free books are deep discounts, we are hoping you will at the least write a review somewhere. Is it required? Of course not. But it is deeply appreciated. So much depends on reviews, so consider giving that gift if you read and enjoy our books!

Today's bonus photo. This feels a bit like the way a story develops, so tightly closed at first that you don't think it can ever be anything. You can't force it to open, but if you just let it go its own way, it will blossom.

From the Grand Canyon outtakes

That's a datura, and here's what it looks like in bloom.

This one was not far from my house on a recent cloudy/smoky morning.