a little good news in Minnesota

[mellowtigger]

I mentioned a year ago that I lost some weight after ending my job. I regained much of that weight during winter in Minnesota, which is part of the typical cycle, but I'm now back down again. I weighed 88kg/195lb this morning. Extreme stress is normally not supposed to be part of a weight loss regimen, but I'll take it as an improvement for my long term health. It's been many years since I weighed this little.

Somebody here on Dreamwidth runs a Little Library program. I'm sorry, I'm not remembering who. Dreamwidth isn't helping me search for them. (Maybe these were private posts instead of public?) For nearly a month, I've been wanting to share this photo I took about 2 blocks from my house. While the Little Library is nice (although somebody ripped off the front door already *sigh*), but look in the background. They've converted their entire yard to clover! I'm so glad that the Minneapolis #Lawns2Legumes program is spreading. There's no need for "grass lawns" in cities. I hope people xeriscape with more plants that don't require frequent watering and mowing.

It's old news making the rounds again, but bison have been reintroduced to the Native Wise farm with ties to the Lake Superior Chippewa. The farm is in northern Minnesota. The farmer's great grandfather was Chief Buffalo (which I think was a name, not a title). The bison were a donation from The Nature Conservancy (my former employer).

Minneapolis was ranked #1 city for "Best Places to Bike" in the USA. Minnesota entered the 5 "Top States For Business" ranking, pushing out Texas for the first time. As I keep saying, people really should consider moving to Minnesota. While still being part of the USA (and the downsides that involves), life here is pretty good.

Comments

[mallorys_camera]

There's no need for "grass lawns" in cities

Amen, brother mellowtigger

In fact, there's no need for grass lawns anywhere.

[mellowtigger]

I keep harping on it, but I'm really proud of our statewide Lawns To Legumes program here in Minnesota. They link to this lawn replacement strategy, which is specific to Minnesota, but perhaps other states can be encouraged to produce similar lists appropriate for their climate and local pollinator species.

[scrottie]

Possibly threemeninaboat on her Goldrush Little Free Libraries tho I don't know what your social graph looks like.

Very glad to hear that MN is still kicking butt on biking. MN shaped me in a lot of ways and I miss it.

[mellowtigger]

Ah, yes! I followed their library account on Twitter a while ago too, but I couldn't backtrace from there to Dreamwidth again. (And today, Twitter is timing out rather than responding to my login attempts. Thanks, Elon.) Paging threemeninaboat for a Little Library photo you might enjoy. :)

[threemeninaboat]

It is me! We have 8 little free libraries at transit stations: Gold Strike, Westy, Pecos Junction, Clear Creek, Taj Mahal, Frisco, Littleton, and Along the Way.

And we are replacing the yard with clover/ native grass.

Poor thing, it needs a new door. They fall apart rapidly with all the open shut.

[mellowtigger]

I've only ever seen hinged doors on them. Do you know if anyone's tried a "flap" system instead? I'm thinking of shower curtain cut to size, maybe a line of caulk to attach the top side, then maybe small strips of refrigerator magnet at each bottom corner to add weight and "snap" to hold against the wind. It wouldn't be a close seal on the sides, but maybe enough to keep rain from the books.

[armiphlage]

I converted our lawn to clover, but I didn't know others were doing it too!

[mellowtigger]

Lawns To Legumes is a statewide program here in Minnesota. They link to this lawn replacement strategy, which is specific to Minnesota, but it does mention white clover first on the list. :)

[house_wren]

Evidently there is a Little Free Library of rocks somewhere in Madison, WI. Leave a rock, take a rock.... Very cool for those of us that can't help picking up stones.

[mellowtigger]

That's an interesting option. I've heard that there might be a geocache at a little library in my part of town. No idea which little library.