adventures of a frugivore

hey, check it out

2010-09-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

my new photography blog:

http://payleyjean.blogspot.com/

imagine

2010-08-30T23:49:00.000-07:00

pickin' blueberries

2010-08-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

My beloved's cherry tree

2010-08-21T00:18:00.001-07:00

messing around...

2010-08-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

...taking photos and editing old ones. a warning: this thing may morph into some sort of a photography blog.

i always had fun shooting in nature, editing photos and coming up with concepts, locations and wardrobes (used vintage clothes) for shoots. now i want to be behind the camera. anyone want to be my muse?

did this shoot with digital sophia
a few years ago, in my favorite setting: the CA desert
edited by me

the dog days of summer

2010-08-16T14:32:00.000-07:00

distracting myself

2010-08-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

PJ

2010-07-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

"Some [dogs] come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same."
-- Flavia Weedn

farewell my best friend, my companion, my shadow. i am so thankful to have known and felt such unconditional love. you will always be in my heart.

summer

2010-07-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

The Beautiful and Vibrant Lillian Muller

2010-06-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

our little shangri la

2010-05-29T17:21:00.000-07:00

under the flower moon

2010-05-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

walked a little around the lake last night and watched the moon's sparkling reflection dance on the water. the fireflies were out, the toads were croaking, the mocking birds were singing and the forest insects were harmonizing. it's my favorite kind of symphony.

no more ms. nice girl

2010-05-23T13:58:00.000-07:00

i've been coming to the realization that i'm an extreme people pleaser and it's been at the expense of my integrity and sanity.

i always want everyone to like me, even if i don't care much for them. i always want everything to go smooth, i don't ever want any kind of friction. so i'll nod my head along when they say something inherently wrong or mean and then i'll regret not speaking up later. i'll let people walk all over me and i'll be extremely nice about it the whole way through but then i'll complain about it later.

i'm trying to please everyone around me and in the process of doing so i am really losing and displeasing myself.

i'm going to make an effort to speak up for myself from now on. i'm going to make an effort to find my true self and be that way instead of being a chameleon and changing and adapting to different situations. worrying about what people think of me and putting on a different front in every situation is beginning to get exhausting.

animals can be who they are. they don't have to worry about the way they come off to other animals, they don't have to worry about being politically correct. they come as they are and they get to just be. i'm going to take a cue from them and learn to just be me in every situation.

i need to accept that not everyone is going to like me. i need to learn that i only want to keep company with people that like me for my true self anyway. that can never happen if i don't show people my true self. i've been keeping it tucked away because it's feels safe this way. it's easier when people don't like you for your false self, because it's not really you they don't like.

keeping up this barrier between my true self and the people around me is preventing me from getting close to everyone around me and i'm beginning to feel the isolation.

i know i'll be much happier just finding and being my authentic self. i'm not sure who that is right now but i'm going to explore it...

Dance Monkeys Dance

2010-05-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

http://dotsub.com/view/da616f91-3b7b-4eb3-9241-8cabf4c1e03f

logan martin lake

2010-05-09T10:08:00.001-07:00

california visit

2010-04-17T23:49:00.000-07:00

rubio canyon hike

Spring Awakening

2010-04-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

Spring is finally here! Everything around here is blossoming, budding, and bustling. The farm is coming together. We've added 5 nectarines, 5 peaches, 6 blueberries, a plum and a pear tree to our orchards. I've gotten a ton of tomato, melon, and veggie seeds started in my makeshift nursery in my room and we're currently waiting on some soil for our huge veggie beds (2 beds-each 16'x 55').

My amazing family made an awesome spread of raw fruit cakes for my birthday and we got to share the night with some amazing new friends :)

I've been enjoying the sunshine, sunbathing, riding my bike a little bit, walking around barefoot, playing with the animals, hanging out in the woods and working outside a ton. So thankful for spring!

the view above the veggie beds. figs, figs, persimmons, and figs

the veggie beds...minus the soil

red delicious apple tree

my mothers flock of chickens (they are apart of the family. they just hang out and we feed their abandoned eggs to our veggie dogs).

the farm. the open space will soon be home to lots and lots of grapes
this will all be sweet corn and legumes
the stone fruit orchard-peaches, apricots, cherries, nectarines and a plum
we'll be growing melons in between the trees
peach blossoms

my family made me some birthday treats. all from fruit!

my sister designed and made me an eco organizer for gardening info, thoughts, notes, etc.
...

Hawaii part II

2010-03-08T17:29:00.001-08:00

My month in Hawaii

2010-03-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Josh and I took a holiday from the cold weather in Alabama and headed to the big island for about a month. We we're lucky enough to stay on Coconut Chris' farm with Chris, Zack, Richard, and Terra. Spent some time foraging in the gorgeous Waipio Valley, visiting the farmers market in Hilo, hitchhiking back and forth to Honokaa and made it to the Volcano on our last day. We learned more about growing food, got some sunshine, met some amazing people and got to try heaps of new fruits and greens. It was an amazing trip! Here are our photos:

Ringling Bros. Circus Protest

2010-01-31T17:46:00.000-08:00

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus came to Birmingham this week and we handed out about 1,000 leaflets and protested at 8 out of the 10 shows. I've had the privilege of spending the last 5 days with an incredible group of compassionate people and have made some wonderful new friends.

Overall the week went great. We've opened some people's eyes to the abuse and exploitation and have changed people's minds about the use of animals in the circus. We had a lot of negative responses and ignorant comments, but the good outweighed the bad.

Thank you to everyone that participated! We couldn't have done it without you!

AlabamaVeg

2010-01-02T10:56:00.001-08:00

My new site for vegan and vegetarian Alabamians and also for those interested in transitioning to a compassionate lifestyle.

AlabamaVeg.ning.com

Peta's Animal Liberation Project

2009-12-30T09:33:00.000-08:00

This project is amazing and horribly saddening. It really puts it into perspective though. It also gives me hope that one day people will see the abuse, exploitation and misuse of animals to be equal to human suffering.

Here's the link to the project:
http://www.peta2.com/alp/

Photos from the project (warning they are graphic):

Homemade Christmas Presents

2009-12-28T19:38:00.000-08:00

My family and I were busy making Christmas presents for the rest of our family. Here's what we came up with. We made 5 sets of everything below.

We used recycled jars and filled them with dehydrated organic herbs, fruit and vegetables from our garden, the market and a local farm

Made these cutting boards out of a cedar that fell by our house

Homemade vegan purple sweet potato butter, pickled beets, and sauerkraut

Low-fat, whole food, vegan recipe book

Reusable grocery bag and produce bag made out of recycled fabric

mystic fog

2009-12-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

woke up to this today

fall photos

2009-12-08T12:09:00.000-08:00

Fruitarian Birthday Cakes

2009-11-29T14:43:00.001-08:00

Yummm. My birthday cake

and Joshs

"That's Why We Don't Eat Animals" children's book by Ruby Roth

2009-11-19T15:14:00.000-08:00

My little nephews often ask me why I'm a vegan and I don't know how to tell them without horrifying them. I saw this book yesterday and thought it was a great idea for a book. I bought it and plan to show it to my nephews next time they ask me about veganism. Wish I had this book when I was a kid!

A little writeup about the book:

"That's Why We Don't Eat Animals takes a candid, compassionate look at the emotional lives of animals and their plight on factory farms. A colorful cast of pigs, turkeys, cows and many other animals introduce vegetarianism and veganism to early readers.

These Endearing animals are shown both in their natural state--bonding, nuzzling, cuddling, and charming each other with their family instincts and rituals--and in the sad conditions of factory farms. The book shows the effect that eating animals has on our environment, rainforests, and endangered species, but also suggests steps children can take to learn more about the vegetarian and vegan lifestyles.

This heartfelt work is a key resource for parents who want to talk to their children about this timely and important issue."

Alabama Food Matters

2009-11-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

So my family and I went to the Food Summit for the first time this year and were amazed by the quality of people we met and the quantity of people that want to contribute to their communities. We are so inspired by the speakers, organizations, and participants. Thank you to everyone who put this amazing event together and thank you for bringing such a wonderful group of people together!

I learned so much about organic farming and permaculture and want to put it to use to contribute locally. So I've decided to officially become an Alabama farmer. Look out for organic watermelons, honeydews and cantaloupes this next summer.

We talked with members of the Greater Birmingham Community Food Partners and came up with a forum for farmers, restaurateurs, organizations, local food advocates, community gardens, community members, etc. so that we can communicate better when it comes to local issues. If you're in the Birmingham area please take a look at the site and feel free to sign up. The site is ALfoodmatters.ning.com

Thanks to my sister Kristen for the design and layout.

Alabama Food Summit

2009-11-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

My family and I registered for the Alabama Food Summit last minute yesterday. Anyone else going?

Here's the info from:
http://www.sare.org/calendar/show_events.asp?event=2485

Description: Leaders from across Alabama will meet in Birmingham this November to talk about innovative approaches to improving food security in the state. The 2009 Alabama Food Summit will highlight success stories of community development intiatives featuring local foods and agriculture. On Thursday and Friday, farmers, businesspeople, and leaders from Alabama, the southeast and beyond will share their stories on improving access to local farm products, preserving traditional foods, and addressing environmental and health issues through youth education and alternative farming techniques. Over dinner Thursday, keynote speaker Tom Stearns will talk about Hardwick, Vermont’s success in food and agriculture as the basis of economic development. Friday night will be movie night, Saturday morning hop on your bike or bus for a tour of Birmingham’s community gardens, and stay Saturday afternoon for Jones Valley Urban Farm’s Growing Together community garden workshop.

More information, including registration, programs, and speaker bios, is available online at www.gbcfp.org or www.asanonline.org/forum.htm, or call 205.591.3663.

Sponsored by the Greater Birmingham Community Food Partners, Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network, Auburn University, High Mowing Organic Seeds, Heifer International and the USDA 2501 Program

Website:

http://www.asanonline.org/forum.htm

Contact:

Greater Birmingham Community Food Partners
Phone: 205.591.3663
email: info@asanonline.org

Pitbull massacre needs to be stopped (warning: saddening photos)

2009-11-01T22:54:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone. I'm sorry to post the following photos as they are deeply disturbing and saddening, but this issue really needs attention. Please take a few minutes to let the city of Denver know that this massacre against pit bulls will not be tolerated.

Euthanized pit bulls.

Here's a sample letter you can send to the mayor of Denver. It's a good idea to write your own personal letter as long as it's respectful (no need to give animal rights activists a bad name), but it still makes an impact if you'd like to just send the sample letter.

Send to: MileHighMayor@ci.denver.co.us
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Mayor John W. Hickenlooper,

Picking up a newspaper each day, can be heartbreaking enough, but when I read about all the
events happening in Denver, Cincinnati, and Miami, I knew something had to be done. Innocent
dogs are being torn from their owners and either put on death-row, senselessly killed, or being
shipped far away with the promise from owners they won't return to the area. Not only are Pit Bulls
themselves being shipped away and killed, but dogs that LOOK like Pit Bulls. Please stop this ban
now, before it is too late.

Too many broken hearts have already occurred over this, owners crying over the death of their
beloved companions, and dogs never seeing the owners they have come to adore again; all over
their breed. Not all Pit Bulls are "trained to be angry and mean", as you will have read in the news
article. It's all a matter of how they were trained. Please open your hearts, and sign this petition.
After all, if your dogs' breed was suddenly banned, or in danger of being killed off, wouldn't you
want to do something to stop it??

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

_______________________________________________________________________________________

For more information go to http://animalrights.change.org/blog/view/the_killing_of_the_misunderstood_3500_denvers_pit_bull_ban

Plant your pineapple crowns

2009-10-26T14:41:00.000-07:00

I learned this in Costa Rica. Don't throw away your pineapple crowns. Twist them off and plant them. After a few days roots will start to emerge and anchor the plant. After a few years, when the plant is large it will flower and fruit. It's a tropical plant so If you live in a temperate climate grow them indoors. Ours have already grown quite a bit after just a few months.

here's a website with more information:
http://www.rickswoodshopcreations.com/Pineapple/pineapple.htm

october photos

2009-10-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

whats left of the first lettuce harvest

cranberry hibiscus warming up inside

local persimmons

kitty warming up

beautiful organic dragon fruit

native persimmons

abundance

foraging

crazy cats

i love waking up to this

the beginning of the fruit orchard

sugar snap peas

a step forward

2009-10-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

hey everyone! please take a minute to sign this petition to give support to the healthy school lunch program. their goal is to get more plant based items, low-fat dishes and more vegan and vegetarian options on the lunch menu.

http://healthyschoollunches.org/wyntergrace/index.cfm

Petals From The Past

2009-10-12T19:54:00.001-07:00

Jones Valley Urban Farm (Organic)

2009-10-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

my mom and i were driving through downtown birmingham and drove by jones valley urban farm. we stopped and walked around, took photos and got some inspiration. they have an amazing vision and are doing great things to spread consciousness when it comes to sustainable agriculture.

here's their site:

www.jvuf.org/index.php

fruit orchard and veggie garden update

2009-10-05T22:06:00.000-07:00

so far we have:

15 fig trees; 3 brown turkey, 3 black mission, 2 lemon, 1 italian honey, 2 kadota, 1 lsu gold, 1 lsu purple, 1 texas everbearing, 1 celeste
3 persimmon; 1 chocolate, 1 hachiya, 1 fuyu
3 navaho blackberry
6 blueberry; 1 climax, 1 elliott, 2 misty, 2 brightwell
2 raspberry; 1 caroline, 1 latham
3 kiwi
3 apple; 1 red delicious, 1 gala, 1 granny smith
7 grape; 1 neptune, 4 concord, 1 catawba, 1 niagara
2 pomegranate; 1 grenada, 1 rafi
1 meyer lemon
1 key lime
2 russian mulberry
2 paw paw
3 peach; 1 elberta, 1 red haven, 1 hale haven
1 tangerine
6 musa banana
2 manchurian apricot
2 cherry; 1 sugar sweet, 1 black tartarian
6 pineapples
bell pepper
cucumber
tomato
carrots
sugar snap peas
cauliflower
rainbow chard
bok choy
lettuces
cranberry hibiscus
microgreens
cilantro
eggplant (not for me)
hot peppers (to make an organic pest repellent)
mint

working on expanding the garden right now and getting my hands on some more fruit trees. also collecting old windows for the greenhouse. got 30 so far. thanks craigslist!

figs!

carnival carrots

mixed lettuce

cranberry hibiscus

cucumber

sugar snap peas

pineapple and carrots

cucumber

tomato

not sure what this is

definitely don't know what these are

wild persimmons!

blurry photo of the bamboo down the street. using it to make stands for the vines. planting some more in the yard.

Liles Lake Organic Food Cooperative for the greater Birmingham, AL area

2009-09-29T12:48:00.001-07:00

My family and I go through huge amounts of produce every week and we like to buy as much organic as possible. We've found a way to skip the grocery store and pay wholesale prices for organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

We will be ordering from a great company called Global Organics that specializes in group buy programs and co-ops. We thought we'd start a local organic group buy program so that everyone who wants organic produce can save loads of money. You'll be paying less than you would for conventional (pesticide laden) produce and you'll be getting wholesome, organic, earth friendly produce, plus a larger selection of organics than your local market.

We will be getting deliveries once a week. The current order sheet/price list will be updated every Thursday night and orders will need to be placed by Saturday night.

We started a facebook group so that all members can communicate and share/split certain items/cases if wanted. We will post the current price sheet on facebook as we receive it or we can e-mail it.

Here is the facebook link:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=144178258105&ref=nf

We will have an organized pickup day on Monday or Tuesday when the produce is delivered in Trussville and we will also be offering home delivery for a small fee just to cover transportation expenses.

We would like to start ordering as soon as possible but need more people to sign up so please let us know if you are interested.

Below is a sample price sheet from the week of September 23rd, 2009 so you can get an idea of prices and produce availability.

Thanks!
Kelly

alabama life...photos from yesterday

2009-09-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

our swimming hole, the leeds rock quarry

fresh spring water

lola hiding under the willow

i'm known as the honeydew lady at the local market

relaxing on the dock

cranberry hibiscus sprouting up

we're going to build the cottage in a clearing around here

sir ken robinson on how schools kill creativity

2009-09-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

great video, especially if you have children or want to have children in the future.

Whale Bloodbath In Danish Faeroe Islands

2009-09-20T21:02:00.000-07:00

"Whales are sensitive, social animals with highly developed nervous systems. They have a profound capacity to suffer distress, terror and pain. Each year, the Faroese kill pilot whales and other small cetaceans.

Islanders in motorboats first drive the whales into a bay. The chase may be lengthy. The exhausted, terrified and confused whales are eventually driven into the shallows. Here the bloodbath begins. The islanders repeatedly hammer 2.2 kg metal gaffs into the living flesh of each whale until the hooks hold. A 15 cm knife is then used to slash through the blubber and flesh to the spinal column. Next the main blood vessels are severed. The blood-stained bay is soon filled with horribly mutilated and dying whales.

The Faroese celebrate the butchery of their victims in an carnival atmosphere of entertainment. Indoctrinated from an early age, children are often given a day off school to watch the fun. They run down to the bay and clamber over the carcasses of slaughtered whales.

Every year around 2,000 whales are driven ashore and cruelly slaughtered in the Faroe Islands, mid-way between the Shetland Islands and Iceland. For centuries the Faroe Islanders have hunted pilot whales, driving entire schools into killing bays, where they are speared or gaffed from boats, dragged ashore and butchered with knives. Although the Islands are a protectorate of Denmark, they have their own Government and regulations governing the pilot whale hunt or "grind" as it is known.

Aside from the fact that the number of North Atlantic long-finned pilot whales is unknown and they are listed as 'strictly protected' by the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats, this is an act of barbarism and pointlessness. By slaughtering 100 whales at a time, the Faroese are wiping out entire pods and family groups. They are removing building blocks from the gene pool of the species and damaging the web of life in the North Atlantic and the North Sea.

The drive hunt is a practice abandoned elsewhere many decades ago, and now outlawed by other European states. The inhabitants of the Faroe Islands have no subsistence need for whale meat, and much of the flesh is left to rot and be dumped; it cannot be exported, as it is polluted with heavy metals and other toxins and therefore cannot meet EU heath standards for human food.

According to Faroese legislation it is also permitted to hunt certain species of small cetaceans other than pilot whales. These include: Bottlenose dolphin; Atlantic white-beaked dolphin; Atlantic white-sided dolphin; and Harbour porpoise (There are also specific regulations for the hunting of harbour porpoise. Harbour porpoises are killed with shotguns)."
-www.thepetitionsite.com/1/end-whale-dolphin-slaughter-in-the-faroe-islands?page=134

if you'd like to take action, please visit this site:
www.flickr.com/photos/smiteme/3001353138/in/pool-vegansoapbox

current projects

2009-09-14T20:19:00.000-07:00

working hard on something i love.

i've started saving and collecting organic seeds and small fruit trees (shhhh...don't tell monsanto). working on building a huge greenhouse so i can grow different varieties of bananas and other tropical fruits. already have growing: a few varieties of figs, sugar snap peas, heirloom carrots, cauliflower, rainbow chard, greens, pineapple (will be moving it to the greenhouse once it's finished) and we have a few wild persimmon trees. i have a collection of organic peach, nectarine, sapote, honeydew, cantaloupe, christmas melon, watermelon, valencia orange, red bell pepper, cranberry hibiscus and 2 types of kiwi seeds waiting to be planted when the season is right and the greenhouse is done.

my current wish list for seeds and/or trees is huge and it's full of hard to find items. if you know of a nursery in the south that has any of the following plants, or if you have seeds/plants/trees/cuttings to sell, to trade or donate please don't hesitate to contact me :) were going to southern florida (homestead area) sometime in the next month with a trailer to stock up on banana trees and several other fruit trees.

so here's the list, i keep adding more everyday:

apple
avocado (bacon)
banana (any variety)
blackberry
blueberry
cherimoya
cherry
chocolate sapote
dragon fruit (natural mystic, yellow)
dwarf date palm
figs (all varieties, especially giant ones!)
figs
and did i mention figs?
granadilla
grapes
honeyberry
katook/katuk/sweet leaf
longan
lychee
mango (any variety)
mulberry
paw paw
peanut butter fruit
pear
persimmon (any variety)
plantain (any variety)
plum
raspberry
strawberry
tangerine (any variety)

trying to find mostly dwarf sized trees for the tropical plants.

also, once we have established enough fruit bearing trees, we want to work on building a small hut and a tree house from materials around the woods here (lot's of dead wood around here) and recycled materials to have a place for conscious people to come and retreat, work on or enjoy the gardens, vacation, etc. it's a vision we're working on and we hope we can make it a reality real soon.

we have some beautiful wooded hills around here so we'd like to build a little cottage like this but on a smaller scale:

these photos were taken from:
www.simondale.net/house/

we'll have walls insulated with bales of straw, recycled rainwater collection barrels, off the grid electricity, wood burning stoves for heat...pretty much the works when it comes to sustainability.

what do you think?

PETA's "Sexiest Vegetarian Over 50" is 70 and Vegan

2009-09-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

back in the u.s.

2009-09-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

got back to the u.s. a little more than a week ago. josh and i are currently in the birmingham area in alabama. had an amazing month in costa rica! i learned a little about permaculture, self sustainability and the importance of growing your own food from some great people in costa rica and now i want to put my new gained knowledge to use. so i'm settling down in the woods next to a lake and working on growing an organic vegetable/greens garden and an organic fruit tree orchard. i will post some pics soon!

also found 5 wild persimmon trees around the woods here. counting down the days till they're ripe.

check out these websites about growing your own food:

www.verdant.net/food.htm
eatdrinkbetter.com/2009/03/21/growing-your-own-food-green-cheap-and-delicious/

photos of my new home:
adventuresofafrugivore.blogspot.com/2009/07/alabama.html

compassion please

2009-09-01T21:40:00.000-07:00

please watch these videos to see what the consumption of dairy contributes to.

if that doesn't deter you, maybe the health risks will

all about eggs

2009-09-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

uvita/san isidro

2009-08-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

at the beach, right before josh got stung by a sting ray

5 kilos of fresh organic mangosteens. my new favorite fruit.

the view from cascada verde

we stayed up in the loft for a few weeks

spent a lot of time on the hammocks here

the amazing market in san isidro

organic pineapple, mamones (rambutan), and some fruit i've never had before

went to the beautiful waterfall in uvita with my new friend jose

swimming in clean, cool, fresh water is indescribable

jose

the permaculture garden at cascada verde

my second favorite edible leaf, cranberry hibiscus

joshs favorite greens

they had an amazing vision for cascada verde

best continental breakfast (just talking about the bananas)

last morning in costa rica. stayed in a hostel in alajuela.

quepos/manuel antonio

2009-08-28T14:49:00.000-07:00

the manuel antonio park. really touristy, but it had a beautiful beach.

these little guys tried to steal our grapes haha.

eating some mangoes

beautiful sunset

they stole a bite of our papaya

hanging out with some local puppies

precious

our new friend isabel. had a great time with her in quepos!

curu wildlife refuge

2009-08-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

my favorite place in costa rica. we stopped and stayed the night in the curu wildlife refuge on the way back from montezuma. we would have stayed there the whole time but the fees were a little pricey for us. so worth it though! we stayed in a little cabina next to the beach. we made friends with a local monkey and a cute dog. they were both so friendly and affectionate. one of the most amazing experiences!

sharing some fruit with a local

she loved to hold my hand

the most beautiful beach

our doggy friend joined us

woke up early the next day and walked around with the dog

solitude. didn't see a single person on the beach the entire time

played in the water with the dog

precious baby

went walking around that morning and she ran up out of nowhere and hugged me

she wanted to hold my hand while we were walking but she needed her hands so she wrapped her tail around me

a car drove by and she dropped down and played dead haha

so affectionate

she was protective. a guy walked by and she got in front of me and hissed at him

broke out the papaya

shared some papaya. she loved it

she stole joshs half. she ended up eating more papaya than any of us.

she loved the ripe plantain too

as you can see, i love animals!

she wanted to take a nap after she ate

went swimming after that

our cabina for the night

frugivore hands. long fingers, perfect for opening up ripe fruit.

josh sharing some mango

leaving curu

montezuma

2009-08-08T17:08:00.000-07:00

the internet is slow so i had to upload the pics small. click the photos to enlarge them

the bus ride to puntarenas

most beautiful sunset i have ever seen

the beach in montezuma

our first foraged bananas

our tent setup

josh learning some spanish

la fortuna

2009-08-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

ran into our tour guide a few days later in the park. tried to share some watermelon with him but he´s picky.

josh and whats left of the melons

view of arenal volcano from la fortuna

gringo petes hostel. loved that place.

beginning of cerro chato trail. tough hike. especially when you get caught in the rain and the dark. it felt like i did lunges for 4 straight hours.

the mist

wish i could have taken more pictures of the hike but it started pouring after an hour. got completely soaked. the map made it look like the end of the trail looped around the lake back into town. we got to the end of the trail and it went straight into the lake. whoops. 2 hours back up the trail deep into the jungle. in the pouring rain and in the dark. it was definitely an adventure.

off to the nicoya peninsula now!

san jose y la fortuna

2009-07-31T16:33:00.000-07:00

it's been an amazing trip so far.

SAN JOSE

the backpackers hostel in san jose. amazing place.

mercado de frutas y verduras en san jose

BUS RIDE FROM SAN JOSE TO LA FORTUNA

poor babies. livestock getting hauled up the windy mountains.

arenal

LA FORTUNA

costa rican pj

these dogs have it made. they go from restaurant to restaurant getting fed, they get attention from hundreds of tourists, and they get to go wherever they want whenever they please.

we go here about 10 times a day

our 1st night in la fortuna. only hostel that had a room available.

our new machete sucked. this friendly guy got his machete and helped us out.

busy ants

our tour guide. this little doggy led us a few miles from la fortuna to the swimming hole, not kidding.

our guide taking a break and cooling off

swimming hole in la fortuna

papayas everywhere

costa rica

2009-07-27T20:49:00.000-07:00

leaving for costa rica early in the morning. we'll be there for about a month or so. i'll post pics whenever we stop at internet cafes. look for updates :)

alabama

2009-07-27T10:58:00.000-07:00

had an amazing time in alabama with my mom, sister, josh, and all the animals.

made dinner for my mom

lola's so happy

pj loves swimming

wild baby persimmons

persimmon tree

bubba

alabama farmers market

melons everywhere

sharing our watermelon rinds

earthlings

2009-07-26T23:14:00.000-07:00

colorado to alabama

2009-07-23T22:46:00.000-07:00

stopped in flagler, co late that night. we had no idea we were at a lake until we woke up the next morning.

our camp spot

beautiful

pj and lola exploring

grain silos storing the feed for the animal industry.

our solar powered battery charger

watermelon break. not the smartest thing to do on a roadtrip. we had to stop every 30 min to go pee.

pj put himself in my backpack

clean energy in kansas

broke my heart. 2 decks of frightened cows likely on the way to slaughter. i saw more than 10 of these trucks along the road trip, some with cows, some with pigs, some empty on their way to pickup. it kills me to see what we do to other beings.

meet lola

2009-07-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

the newest addition to our family. she's a sweet, playful, rescued greyhound with so much life left in her. she's been neglected for some time. starving for love and attention. she was going to be put down. i couldn't leave colorado without her so i asked the owner if i could take her to alabama and they were happy to turn her over to me. now she's running around in the woods in alabama and swimming in the lake, surrounded by love and happy as can be.

colorado photos

2009-07-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

good times and beautiful weather in colorado.

josh and bianca at the park

made fruit and veggie sushi for the family. they loved it!

bianca and pj at farmers market

bianca loves oranges

fruit and veggie sushi for lunch

cherry creek farmers market

Just one day a week...

2009-07-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

attention meat eaters:

take part in meat free/meatless mondays. unlike taco tuesdays, it actually makes a difference for animals and the environment.

"It's a food campaign to encourage the nation to help slow climate change by reducing their meat consumption by having at least one meat free day a week.

Having a MEAT FREE day every week is a simple way to start making a real difference in the world. The more people who join in, the more difference we can make."

http://www.supportmfm.org/
http://www.meatfreemondays.co.uk/
http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

photos

2009-07-14T00:04:00.000-07:00

packing all of our belongings in one suitcase

roadtrip from arizona to colorado

it was only 100 degrees out

stopped in vegas for some...lettuce

snacks. we found organic produce in the middle of nowhere. it's catching on.

the name is misleading...i didn't see any fruit in the city of fruita

disgusting! ruined my view!

palisades, colorado. i have never seen so many fruit trees in my life.

orchard...

after orchard...

after orchard.

frugivore's paradise

even the bank had an orchard

one of our boxes of organic palisades peaches. super cheap, fresh and yummy.

pj's spot

take your family to see it

2009-07-12T23:33:00.000-07:00

i went and saw food inc. last night. amazing movie. it has everything about the animal industry, slaughterhouses, genetically modified crops, monsanto, the fda, organics, social and environmental impacts of the food industry and more. i used to show family members and friends a little movie about each subject but now i will just tell them to watch food inc. because it has everything! take your family and friends to see it! best $10 you will ever spend! demand real, organic food! vote with your dollar and make a difference!

FOOD, INC.: Movie Trailer - Click here for more amazing videos

arizona

2009-07-05T00:29:00.000-07:00

been riding bikes in 110+ degrees, swimming in the river, boating, watching beautiful sunsets and eating tons of melons and figs.

photos from the last few days

2009-06-30T23:53:00.000-07:00

foraged goodies

spent a day at the beach.

stopped at a friends on the way back to south pasadena. they live on an orange orchard! i had to stock up on the way out.

foie gras-a cruel delicacy

2009-06-30T00:21:00.000-07:00

boycott foie gras and the companies that sell it! voice your opinion, send e-mails letters, etc. threatening to take your business elsewhere. you may think 1 letter won't make a difference, but if hundreds or more people voice there opinions a difference will be made!

watch

2009-06-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5_MC8tKwlI&feature=related

pt. 1

pt. 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-zC_FTLtfY&feature=related

for your health, the environment, and ethics

2009-06-28T12:11:00.000-07:00

the following is from:
http://www.towardsfreedom.com/veggiechess/goVeg.html

goVeg!

"Going Vegetarian is one of the best things you can do for yourself, your family and your planet. This introductory page will provide you with motivations and resources to do so. Several other pages are in progress, particularly quotations and free food. Also, please feel free to post to the goVeg! forum should you want answers to specific questions or just a friend to help you in this transition.

A vegetarian doesn't consume any animal products such as meat, fish, milk, cheese, butter, eggs, sea foods, or even honey (a vegan is a vegetarian who has adopted a lifestyle avoiding animal products like wool, leather, silk). The 'veg' in vegetarian after all does represent vegetables, fruits and other plant-based foods. People who include dairy to an otherwise vegetarian diet consider themselves to be lacto vegetarians. Those who consume both dairy and eggs call themselves lacto-ovo vegetarians. Of course, by that reasoning those who eat everything other than red meat should fancy themselves to be lacto-ovo-pesco-polla-miele vegetarians.

The information here is given without any specific references though there are some websites are listed at the end of this page. We encourage readers to do their own research and thinking, for it is the only way to be truly convinced.

Health, Environment and Ethics are the three main arguments to goVeg!

goVeg! for Health

A vegetarian diet is recognized as not contributing to heart attack, high blood pressure, cancer, osteoporosis as well as a myriad of other diseases including diabetes, asthma and arthritis. Becoming vegetarian often reverses these conditions (a not-so-surprising fact when you consider that even diehard practioners of 'modern medicine' tell patients to avoid certain foods like red meat, unfortunately after the damage has been already done).

Why this is so, is very simple. Species homo sapiens is not designed to consume animal proteins. Our basic biology forbids it.

We do not have teeth for ripping and tearing as do real carnivores (eg cats) or omnivores (eg dogs), nor do we possess the short digestive tracts through which consumed flesh passes through quickly. Instead, humans have teeth that are suitable for grinding and a long digestive tract in which vegetable material can be processed (in fact, when meat winds up here it putrifies leading to a host of physical problems).

Our digestive system is not capable of properly breaking down large animal proteins which wind up in the blood stream resulting in protein antigeneity (the production of antibodies to attack the large proteins) leading to inflammatory conditions such as eczema, asthma and arthritis. Nor can it handle the high cholestrol fat that animal products contain leading to obesity and clogged arteries resulting in heart problems. When an autopsy is done of a heart attack victim one can pull out the cylinders of fat that constricted blood flow. Never, ever has it been found that the flow of blood was stopped by pieces of apples, brocoli or tofu!

Even our psychology isn't designed for an animal consumptive lifestyle: when you see a rabbit do you think 'how cute!' or do you start salivating?

"But where will I get my protein?" is a concern that often arises. The human body's protein requirements are easily met through a vegetarian diet - there is no need to 'carefully combine' vegetable proteins as is sometimes incorrectly thought. The non-vegetarian's body, on the other hand, is overloaded with many times the proper protein amount and becomes acidic (proteins are chains of amino acids) resulting in conditions such as gout and osteoporosis. The idea that milk will provide required calcium to prevent osteoporosis is udder nonsense since the high protein content of milk also leaches calcium from the bones. North Americans, who consume the most dairy, have the second highest osteoporosis rate in the world (outstripped only by the Eskimos who live on a very high protein fish diet). If you thought from all that advertising that bovine milk is the perfect food (which it is for a calf), take a look at all the chemicals, steroids and hormones that wind up in it causing allergies, acne, premature pubescence (and we haven't even told you about the cow pus!).

Speaking of health, a vegetarian diet is very healthy for your pocketbook too. Vegetarian meals are comparatively inexpensive since production costs raise the price of animal-based foods to ridiculous proportions.

So save your wallet, save yourself and save your family - goVeg!

goVeg! for Environment

Do you have any idea the kind of mess 10,000 cattle make? And we're not just talking excrement here. Okay, the excrement is a significant problem for sure - there is no denying it. A hog farm with 5,000 animals produces as much fecal waste as a city with 50,000 people. Factory farms produce 2.7 trillion pounds of manure each year. This stuff stays. It contributes massively to air and water pollution and is linked to various diseases caused by E. coli, listeria, and cryptosporidium.

Since cattle consume huge quantities of water, factory farming has a serious impact on the water table. Underground aquifers are being depleted. The largest one in the United States, the Ogallala, stretching from the Midwest to the mountain states, is being depleted by 13 trillion gallons a year and will run out. Northwest Texas is already dry: they can't get any water from their wells.

People are often concerned about the cutting down of forests - the destruction of the 'lungs' of the earth. What many don't recognize is that this isn't done so much for the timber industry, but for creating land to grow feed for cattle. Farming methods are designed to produce high quantity through use of potent fertilizers and pesticides destroying the soil's eco-systems.

Consumption of 'wildlife' also leads to severe though not immediately apparent problems. Over-fishing, for instance, creates breakages in the links of the food chain that affect hundreds of species as in the devastation of the Sea of Cortez described in December 1995 in the Sacramento Bee newspaper.

These and many related problems are not just going to go away. While we may not have the power to change things directly and immediately, we certainly do have the power to change our lifestyle to one that doesn't contribute to the destruction of the earth.

So save your planet - goVeg!

goVeg! for Ethics

This is a topic many people don't like to deal with sometimes because they think that talking about ethics is preaching and sometimes because they do have an idea about the horrors in the animal agriculture industry.

Factory farming is intended to produce the most meat, milk, and eggs as quickly and cheaply as possible. Cows, calves, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, rabbits, and other animals are kept in small cages or stalls so that all of their bodies' energy goes toward producing flesh, eggs, or milk. They are fed drugs and are genetically altered to make them grow larger or produce more milk or eggs. Cramped and unclean conditions promote disease and so they are fed large amounts of antibiotics and sprayed with pesticides.

Cattle are castrated, dehorned and branded without anesthetic. Milk cows are forced through artificial insemination and drugs to produce at many times any natural rate leading to mastitis and vastly shortened lifespans while their offspring male calves are chained in stalls only 22 inches wide with slatted floors that cause severe leg and joint pain, deprived of their mother's milk all in preparation for the veal industry. Chickens go mad in their crowded cages and have their beaks seared off with hot blades so they don't 'damage' each other.

These are just a few of the atrocities that billions of our planet's beings endure. Indeed, the only escape is through an even more horrific death. It is irrelevant whether they have as high an intelligence as humans or have a soul as humans apparently are supposed to. What is important is that these beings can and undeniably do suffer and in this capacity, they are our kindred.

We must not forget that 'human' is the start of the word 'humane'. What do we as a species value most? Is it wealth, power, technology? Our literature, philosophies, religions all emphatically stress we strive for other qualities like courage, empathy, humility and kindness. When we stop another being's pain, we free ourselves from fear; when we acknowledge the being's intrinsic value, we gain wisdom; when we embrace the being in compassion, agape touches us. Only in this way will we evolve to what has always been our destiny.

So move your species up a rung on the evolutionary ladder - goVeg!

Conclusion (but perhaps your introduction)

Someone once said to me she found it very difficult to think about going vegetarian. I suggested she contemplate the drugs, the growth hormones, the mercury poisoning, the heart attacks, the cancer, the osteoporosis, mad cow disease, the samonella, the cow pus ... so what's so difficult?

We have given you a brief introduction as to why you should go vegetarian. Here's what it now boils down to: either you believe what you have read (in which case, goVeg for it!) or you don't. If you don't, at least make the effort to find out for yourself by consulting not only the mainstream propaganda, but also the health food nuts, the wacky environmentalists and the in-your-face animal rights activists. Each group has its own version of the same story and it is up to you to figure out what makes sense. For us, it was the most important thing we did!

Here are some websites you might want to start with:

Get the story straight from the world's most influential animal rights organization at goVeg.com

Founded by John Robbins, EarthSave has helped millions to make the change.

Get a lay person's medical perspective from The Physicians for Responsible Medicine.

A good site for a variety of information with an active forum is Vegan Peace.

Lots of resources for vegetarians at Vegsource.

Want to see videos? Go to petatv.com and meetyourmeat.com"

meet your meat

2009-06-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

the video that changed everything for me. please take a few minutes to watch. if you eat meat it's your responsibility to see where it comes from. if you can't stomach it, then you should not be consuming meat and funding this industry. you need to get out of that blissful bubble and remember that your meat came from a living, breathing, feeling creature. buying meat and hoping that the animal died humanely is sheer ignorance.

"We cannot refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies."
-Gretchen Wyler