Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Breton Point, Newport

Living in Rhode Island affords us the opportunity to get to the ocean in 30 minutes - give or take 10 minutes, depending on where you live. Unlike living in a landlocked state like those of the Mid West, Rhode Island has over 400 miles of coastline when you include the numerous bays, coves, and offshore islands. And in my opinion, one of the jewels of this vast coastline is Breton Point in Newport.

This past Saturday was the perfect day to enjoy all that Breton Point has to offer. And by offer I mean nothing but a cool ocean breeze and plenty of sun and waves. What more could you ask for? To me, nothing tops the smell of the ocean on a gorgeous summer day. Melissa and I try to get there every chance we get.

Most weekends, the serious kite flyers are out. All you have to do is look up at the sky to be entertained for many lazy summer afternoon hours by dozens of colorful kites.

We usually put together a nice lunch and drop a couple of blankets down right in front of the break wall. It’s a spot that we have to ourselves more often than not. We’ll be there this summer every chance we get. Only, of course, when I’m not holding an open house or out with clients. See you there.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

How Many Plastic Bottles Do You Use Per Week?

This blog isn't about Rhode Island specifically, but it's on my mind since it's Earth Week.


It's one of the simplest things we can do to protect our environment. And like many other methods of saving the planet, it also saves some pennies.


I used to buy a case of bottled water every single week.

That’s 24 bottles per week.
1249 bottles per year.
Approximately $500/year



According to treehugger.com, “Nearly 90 percent of water bottles are not recycled and wind up in landfills where it takes thousands of years for the plastic to decompose.”


In addition, “approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil—enough to run 100,000 cars for a whole year—are used to make plastic water bottles, while transporting these bottles burns even more oil”.


So I’ve convinced you to stop using plastic bottles – but you don’t like the taste of your tap water. What’s an earth conscious person to do? Go get yourself a water dispenser. We bought a PUR water dispenser and it’s worked out great. It fits nicely in the fridge, and it gives us great tasting water. There are plenty of products like this out there, and many different brands. You could also get a filter that fits directly onto your faucet.


Great, you’re saying… this helps at home, but I need something portable. I take water with me all the time. Not to worry… I have a solution for that, too! We purchased some SIGG water bottles last year and just love them. There are so many styles to choose from. They’re durable, lightweight and made out of aluminum, which means your water tastes like water, not plastic. You can also order ice cube trays with cubes that fit into your bottle.

This one of the biggest changes I've made, along with discontinuing the use of plastic bags and using reusable bags at the market. It's easy, saves money and protects the environment. If Earth Day inspires you make just one change, this would be a great place to start.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Providence Ronald McDonald House 5k

On May 4, 2008 The Providence Ronald McDonald House is having a 5k walk. The Ronald McDonald House provides housing for families of patients at local hospitals while their family member is receiving treatment. The PRMH is a private, non-profit public charity and funded by donations.

On the 4th, Melissa and I will be walking with my company, along with at least 25 others. It's a day long event, with activities and live music following the walk. I'm proud to be part of this event, and I hope to see you there.

Sunday, April 6, 2008

Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge

Hike Number Two took place at Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge in Exeter, RI. We chose the Blue Trail and the Orange Trail. It turned out to be about a three mile endeavor that took us just over two hours.

The weather was on our side for the majority of the day but it started out with a little chill in the air. Of the two trails, the Blue Trail was more interesting. We saw plenty of different birds and small woodland creatures.
As the trail wound along the pond we came upon an historic cemetary that turned out to be a family plot for one the founding families of Exeter, the Gardener family. We basically stepped back in time for a while and it was great. Further down the trail we crossed over the Fisherville Brook Waterfall. This is a great chance for photos of the entire pond and surrounding hillside.


I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by all that Fisherville Brook had to offer. When we go back we'll be doing the Outer Loop and maybe another adventure back to the cemetary for some pictures. If hitting the trails is your thing, don't miss Fisherville Brook Wildlife Refuge.