Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Campaigning For A Cause

I have been absent in the blogging world for awhile.
For a good reason I believe.

I have gotten myself wrapped up in our community over the proposal to build a sand transfer facility in my small town.

We had all heard rumors that the guys with suits and ties were looking at our area for a project to do with hauling silica sand.

If you are unaware of the new use for silica sand,
it is used in the oil and gas industry for fracking.

I am not going to go into the whole process of sand fracking for oil.
But I think everyone should take the time to learn what this process is doing to our land.

In my neck of the woods its not the oil they are after,
its the sand.


That pink shaded area in northern Illinois?
I am smack dab in the middle of it!

The big mines are all over Wisconsin.
Those poor people are just over run with all kinds of activities related to the mining business.

Now they are headed to our area looking for more places to mine.

One company is looking at my hometown to build a truck/rail transport facility.
This facility would haul mined and dried silica sand from a processing plant to be loaded onto rail cars on the BNSF rail line that runs through our town.


This proposed site is only a half a mile away from our local schools.

Our school children would be exposed to dangerous silica sand dust
(fugitive dust) every day they attend school.

Silicosis is a chronic lung disease caused by breathing in tiny bits of silica dust.
Chronic silicosis, the most common type of silicosis, usually occurs after 10 or more years of exposure to crystalline silica at low levels.


My sons farm house will sit 250 feet across the road from this sand plant.

This started as a hush, hush thing that the City Council thought they would hurry through.

Thankfully word got out and many of the area residents came to the meeting an voiced there concerns.

The Council members decided to hold off on a vote until November 12th.

I have been busy trying to read, learn, and contact others trying to get the word out that this facility is not good for our community.


This facility will sit on the edge of our little town. 
The Council will actually have to vote to annex the land into city limits.
But the farmers living next door have no vote.
Nor does my son.
They don't live inside of the city limits.

I have stood up for a cause I think worth while.
Done things I never thought I could do.
 Talk in front of the City Zoning of Appeals Board.
Questioning the representatives of this multi billion dollar company.
Speaking my mind at the last public meeting in front of the City Council members.
Starting a FB page against this facility.


I still have lots of things to work on before the vote.
Many more people to talk to.

We as a community need to unite and stand up for our next generation.

They will be left to clean up this mess.



Liz


Friday, October 10, 2014

My to do next year list!

I took a little break from things 
and went along with the pipeliner on a job.


I think a sight like this brings a big grin to every pipeline guy!



The place where we were staying  had very poor internet reception.

I was so glad that I had packed lots of magazines and a few books
on my reading list.

In one of the magazines I brought along,
they said now is the time to start thinking about what you would like to do in the garden next year.

(I was still thinking about the terrible chore of cleaning out the garden when I got home)

Well I had nothing but time.
Plus a lot of pictures downloaded onto my computer.

These are a few of the ideas I have put in a future file for 
next year!


How cute are these?




I think little man would be thrilled to see these scattered through out the yard.
Need to mow?
Just roll them out of the way!




What a great way to add more color in the garden.




I come across these insulators at auctions all of the time!
(Now to find someone to weld the rebar together)




My kitchen drawer is full of these!




I can already envision my new walk-way in between the vegetable garden and the cut flower garden.




This I am adding to the top of my to-do- next- year -list!

We never had any fires this summer.
Little man is still to curious.
What a great barrier around the fire pit.

These are some of the things that I really want to do!

Then I  thought,
what was one of the best ideas from this summer? 



Watering my ferns in a pot of water mixed with epsom salt.
Mix a 1/2 cup of salt to 3 gallons of water.
Soak your ferns for an hour.
My ferns have never looked better!


One of the fails this summer?


My poke and plant sunflower plan.

Um yeah, most never came up and
what did were quickly devoured by something.

I am sure when winter weather hits
and all we can do is dream about spring things,
this to next year list will continue to grow!

Do you have a to do next year list?

Liz