Hanging Out Our Shingle for the Open House

Seven long years ago, Alex's father Tom Baillieul made a two sided British style pub sign for us.  It featured the name of our business dream at the time, The Baying Hound, a micro-brewery.  Many years and business ideas later, the sign is finally hanging.

What held us up for many years was lack of a hanger.  I finally realized we could make one and traced out a design on cherry plywood last weekend.  Alex cut it and we spent the week applying coats of Spar Urethane.  All materials were leftovers from making our wooden kitchen countertops.

Alex screwed the hanger into a window frame.  The rest of our house is sided in asbestos shingle which we dare not disturb.

Two s-hooks attached the sign to the hanger and we're in business!

I love the inclusion of Devie's likeness and our names in this sign.  Most of all, it feels great to finally have Tom's artwork displayed in proper fashion.  If you want to see more of his creations, visit his website EarthFriend Arts.

The pub sign will be proudly displayed at our early summer Open House.  On Saturday, June 5 from 11 am - 1 pm we invite visitors of all ages to the homestead.  Come enjoy iced tea and seasonal treats while you peruse the garden and visit the chickens at 349 Tibet Rd Columbus OH 43202.  I hope to see you there!

Bike Commuting Tips: Road Rules

Today is the first day of the Bike to Work Challenge!  If you aren't on a team yet and want a little cycling motivation, join my team, the Columbus Catch-Alls. Alex and I have shared a car for four years now.  Whichever one of us does not have the car typically rides a bike to our various destinations.  Alex is more experienced, often biking 22 miles round trip to his office.  My trips are usually shorter but involve towing Lil in a trailer hooked behind my bike.  In fair weather, we regularly forgo the car and ride as a family to events around town.

In the beginning, bike commuting was difficult and uncomfortable.  Through experimentation, we have learned a lot about how to make riding more appealing.  Today I'll write about our Road Savvy tips and tricks, followed by Equipment next Monday.

• Develop a routine.  Ours is that bikes, helmets, and glasses are in the garage with a lock always attached to the bike.  We simply get dressed, put on cycling shoes, grab a water bottle and we're ready to ride.
• Inflate your tires.  At least once a week, pump your tires.  Under inflated tires increase the risk of a pinch flat and make your riding experience less smooth and enjoyable.  An upright pump is handy for this.
• Follow traffic signals.  Not only are you legally required to follow traffic lights and signals, doing so keeps everyone safe.
• Ride like a car.  Go as fast as you can on busy streets to maintain regular traffic flow.  Ride to the right of the far right lane.  In heavy traffic or when crossing lanes, 'take a lane' by riding in the middle.
• Use a water bottle.  Obviously staying hydrated is healthy.  Water is useful to wash off glasses or a small wound.  Splashing water at a barking dog is a good technique to get them off your heels too.  And while I wouldn't ever advocate violence, it does comfort me to know that my metal water bottle could be an effective projectile.
• Avoid the sidewalk.  Sidewalk riding is slow, risky for falls and flats, and disrupting to those using the sidewalk for its intended purpose: walking.
• Be aware.  Sure, my legs are sore after a long city ride, but my mind is tired too.  There are so many things to keep track of: cars, pedestrians, signals, directions, etc.  Be hyper vigilant about cars in front of and behind you so that you can predict their moves and avoid accidents.  Especially look out for drivers getting out of just parked cars; collisions with opening car doors are very common.
• Seek out bike friendly routes.  A bike friendly route to me is one that is low in car traffic, frequented by other cyclists, pavement is relatively clear of potholes and debris, traffic signals are set to be tripped by bikes, and is under 40 mph.  Bike paths are great for quick chutes through a city.  I personally use Indianola, Summit, and 4th frequently here in Columbus.
• Communicate.  Signal turns with your arms.  Maintain eye contact with cars, particularly when you are turning in front of them or waiting for them to stop at an intersection.  Don't hesitate to talk (or yell) at drivers when they are confused or unaware.  Be prepared for pedestrians and drivers to talk to you, too, particularly at intersections when they are looking for directions.
• Get rid of the ear buds.  I think riding while listening to music should be illegal.  Your sense of hearing tells you whether and how fast cars are approaching from behind.  When you listen you are more able to avoid collisions.  In ipod-land you may be so engrossed that you miss turns and ignore traffic signals.  While we're on the subject, expect pedestrians to be wearing earbuds and not be able to hear you coming.  It's annoying.  Maybe earbuds should be illegal for everyone. ;)
• Enjoy the wind, the hills, and the neighborhoods. Never more than when riding do I notice wind direction, speed, and elevation.  I meet people and see houses.  I feel like because I bicycle, I experience an intimacy with the city I would not have otherwise.

Sometimes the biggest bicycling challenge is to just start.  If you are local and want a riding buddy to help guide you for the first few rides, contact us and we would be happy to help you hit the road.

Also, I'm hosting an informal family friendly bike ride next Monday morning, the 17th.  Meet us at Clinton/Como park at 10:30 am.  We'll ride to Whetstone for picnic and playtime at the lower playground and then ride back to Clinton.  There is parking at the end of Lakeview for those who might come from around the city.  Kids, trailers, individuals are all welcome!

What Do The Hounds Eat? Nutro & Giveaway!

The hound dogs in the house, Devie and Hawise, eat a lot of things: scraps Lil drops, food they lick from the dishes, birthday cakes, chicken poop, grass, peas from the garden, basically anything they can get their paws on.  I only feed them one thing: Nutro dog food. I have fed Nutro's Adult Lamb and Rice formula for years. It keeps the dogs' coats looking lustrous, they eat it well, and their stools are firm.  Did I just write that?  Well, it's true, and a decent measure of food quality.

Recently the fine folks at Nutro offered me a sample of their Ultra Holistic Food.

When the bags arrived, Devie approached cautiously, sniffing the bags all over.

When Hawise entered the picture, Devie claimed the bags and growled for her to go away. Neither of them could tear into the bag alone so we helped them out with a little dog food day reenactment.

The dogs love the Ultra formula as much as any food, which is to say they gobble it up as if it were their last meal.  Like the lamb and rice formula, Ultra Holistic keeps them looking fine and their digestive system continues to seem great so far as I can tell from what's coming out the other end.  The Ultra formula differs most from the Lamb and Rice with the addition of nutrient rich superfoods like avocado, salmon, blueberries, pomegranates and more to support immunity, heart health, and sharp vision.

In an ideal world, I would make my own food for the dogs from all natural local humanely raised meats, whole grains and vegetables.  Right now, there isn't room in our food budget nor my busy schedule for doing so.  Nutro suits our needs and my dog's health very well.

Now for the fun part: Nutro wants to feed your pup you too! Leave a comment with your favorite dog's name. I'll pick five random comments at 8 pm next Monday May 10 to receive a sample bag of Nutro Ultra! Be sure to leave a valid email address so I can contact you if you win.

The contest is over!  Congratulations to winners Tracie, Tara, Lisa, Jen, and Betsy!

Disclosure: I received the Nutro samples for free. I am not being compensated  for this review and giveaway.

Easy Earth Day Challenge

I have mixed feelings about Earth Day, the 40th anniversary of which is celebrated today.  People celebrating and being educated once a year is great, no doubt.  In some ways (littering comes to mind), Earth Day education has inspired big changes. But the idea that people spend one day 'going green' to 'save the planet' is not enough.  Little updates in mindset and practices must happen day in and day out to make a difference.

So that's my challenge to you.  Over a meal together today with your family, or in a short conversation soon, choose one easy habit to adopt this year that will help take care of the earth's resources.  Here are some ideas:

• Switch to cloth napkins
• Plant a window box with lettuces
• Turn off lights more often
• Replace bulbs with compact flourescents (CFL)
• Replace a weekly drive with a walk or bike ride
• Buy more local real food
• Wash clothes in cold water
• Dry clothes on a clothes line
• Mow your lawn less frequently to retain moisture and require less watering
• Water your garden or lawn in early morning or late evening to lose less to evaporation
• Install or use your rain barrel
• Shop secondhand
• Use low energy cooking methods, like toaster oven when you're only cooking a small dish, raw foods, hand blender/chopper, etc.
• Inflate tires, drive 55, brake gently to increase gas mileage
• Switch out a toxic cleaning product for a non-toxic or homemade one
• Set the thermostat one degree higher in summer and one degree lower in winter
• Buy non perishables in bulk to save packaging
• Take cloth bags to the farmers market and grocery
• Wash clothes only when they are dirty
• Eat less meat
• Choose restaurants that recycle, compost waste, and/or use reusable dishes

Our family is committing to be better about turning off lights and fans when we leave a room.  It's a hard thing to remember and often we waste electricity this way.

We're also going to do better about hanging laundry on the line.  We are in the lazy habit of using the dryer right now, even though the weather is beautiful.  Let's make it measurable: at least one half of loads will go out on the line, weather permitting.

What easy habit will you form this year?  Leave a comment for support to make the change permanent!

Eagle's View Bayfront Home

If you ask Lillian about her favorite part of our recent Chincoteague Island vacation, she'll tell you it was staying at the house.  Specifically, she loved the Bayfront House dock. Alex and I loved it too.  Overlooking the piney marsh between Chincoteague and Assateague Islands, we viewed wild ponies, shore birds, and the lighthouse from the lighted dock, the abundant windows, and spacious raised deck.  During low tide, Alex hunted for mussels and oysters from the dock.  He unsuccessfully tossed out a crab pot and would have tried fishing if we had poles.  A screened in porch at land level includes a useful outdoor shower to clean off the marsh romping muck.

Inside, the Eagle's View Bayfront House boasts four bedrooms, three and a half baths.  The kitchen, dining area, and family room are all connected in an open floor plan.  A widow's walk to a small third story balcony overhangs the family and dining area.  All the amenities a family would need, including air conditioning, washer and dryer, flat screen TV, board games, and outside shower, are included.

Beds were comfy.  Extra blankets and pillows ensure that every guest can be comfortable.  As is custom for all island rentals, we provided our own linens.

A mere one mile bike or car ride to the Assateague bridge, Eagle's View Bayfront House is ideally located for vacationers.  The town of Chincoteague, including a one screen theater, shops, and restaurants, is less than a mile in the other direction.  Longer drives can get you to NASA's Wallop Flight Facility and Assateague National Seashore.  The owners of the Bayfront House, available by phone (540-687-6923) or email, are a wealth of information about the best things to do in and around the Eastern Shore of Virginia/Maryland.

As popularized by Marguerite Henry's Misty of Chincoteague, the summertime Pony Penning season is busiest for the Bayfront Home. The owner reported to me that they only have a few weeks available for the 2010 summer season.

Many weeks are still open in the off season between Labor Day and Memorial Day. We can attest that the house is delightful and secluded in early spring, as I imagine it must be in autumn.  Pictures around the home show the beauty of Chincoteague that can be found in all seasons.

The only downside of this house was that the kitchen was a little tight. A simple rearrangement of moving the fridge and replacing it with a butcher block would go a long way towards expanding the usefulness of the cooking space. During warmer times, the large grill would allow for spacious outdoor cooking.

During our three day stay we barely scraped the surface of fun things to do around the island.   The house rents for $2300/week during the summer and $1762/week between Labor Day and Memorial Day.  Shorter stays (minimum three nights) are accepted in the off season. Reservations can be made by calling the owners at 540-687-6923.

Disclosure: We received a negotiated lower rate in exchange for writing this review and establishing their Facebook page.

Watch me on 10 TV!

10TV is filming a live segment with me at 7:50 am this Sunday.  Set your DVRs for my first extended television appearance, one that will hopefully not involve too many 'umm's, 'err's, or stumbles. I'll be talking meal planning, cooking as a family, and doing a cooking demonstration.

If you just can't wait for Hound video, check out this example of what Lil learns from listening to Alex:

Easter Weekend Workout

We weren't in a gym, but Alex, Lil and I exercised our bodies this weekend!  We were outside almost all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.  We're exhausted and exhilarated.  Here's what happened:

The deck was torn down.  Lucky for us, the builders were poor at concrete setting and posts came out fairly easily.  They also used subpar techniques for covering the crawl space and we got to replace wood on the sides of the house; not so lucky.

Alex built new stairs.

I built a raised bed from some reclaimed deck wood.  And I took a crummy picture. The sun was setting and I was TIRED.

Our hens gave us three eggs yesterday. It's fascinating to me that each breed has a different egg shape and color. From top to bottom, these eggs are from the Sussex, Australorp, and Orpington breeds.

Lil played in a post hole.  Why not?

Lil and the dogs hunted for Easter eggs this morning.

We planted one potato tower, two potato buckets, and one straw bale potato bed.  We have even more seed potatoes to plant in our rented plot.

I dug furrows and planted three asparagus crowns in the new raised bed.  I also tucked three crowns into the strawberry bed.  I'll write more about asparagus later because it's a fascinating plant.

We hiked, slowly and with many stops, around Highbanks Park today, studying wildflowers, birds, and the sound rocks make when thrown in streams.

We shared dinner with my parents and sisters, Alex's parents and brother, and two of my grandparents.  Lil was showered with more gifts including the bunny above, hand sewn by my grandmother.

Our faces are sun kissed and the floor inside is muddy.  Dirt and seeds have new homes as we have new stairs to walk upon.  It was a great weekend.  How was yours?

Goodbye Old Deck!

So long, deck.  We're tearing you apart today. Good riddance, splintering rotting wood.

Bon voyage, nail heads who poke my bare feet.

Catch ya later, incomplete broken lattice.

Your sunny location will soon be occupied by garden beds and a potato tower.  Farewell!

We would be more than happy for assistance this weekend.  Locals who wield pry bars alongside us can be repaid in cooking/gardening advice, farm fresh eggs, beer, and grub.  Stop on by!