Local hardware stores with employees who know their stuff and help you solve problems are wonderful. When I lived in Delaware I bought everything we needed from the Hardware Exchange, and if they didn't have something I could go to Columbus and find it at the Beechwold hardware store, affiliated with ACE, the national co-op that serves traditional hardware stores by purchasing in bulk to help the local stores compete with the chains like Lowes and Home Depot. With this background, I was delighted to discover the Gahanna hardware store when we moved just north of Gahanna.  Sure enough, the staff is super knowledgeable and helps this handicapped handy man find what I need to solve a plumbing problem, select the right paint for a particular job, the correct flourescent lighting tube, and the right screws to mount the flat screen tv.  These classic hardware stores are a prime reason to shop local!

So it is the end of EcoChallenge 2017.  As in past years, it has been a growth experience.  Thank you, Northwest Earth Institute, for the event.  And thank you, Amy, for being the Simply Living Team Captain.

One of my challenges was to volunteer 20 hours in my community.  For the past several years, I have been volunteering at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank and at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, two of my favorite organizations.  I had to pick up the pace to get 20 hours, but today I finished 23 hours since the EcoChallenge started, in 6 sessions at the Food Bank and 3 sessions at the library.

Today I researched cleaning products using the Environmental Working Group's Guide to Healthy Cleaning, which is an excellent and incredibly comprehensive resource.  It allows you to click on type of cleaner and see a long list of products, graded A to F (this allows you to find green products to switch to as well as toxic products to get rid of).  You can also search by product, so you can find out about a specific cleaner you have pulled out of your cupboard.  I've been converting over to green cleaning products for the past couple years, so most of the toxic products I found are ones that I have stopped using but haven't disposed of yet.  I also researched appropriate disposal methods.  I discovered a website called Earth 911.com, which is also a great resource.  It recommends that toxic household cleaners be disposed of like hazardous materials.  On Earth 911.com, I typed in "Household Cleaners" and my zip code, and it routed me to SWACO's Household Hazardous Waste Collection Facility.  I will be making a delivery there this week.  I'm so glad to find all these excellent resources, and to have a place to take the materials!     

Forgot to add an image for Lettuce Work.

I discovered a great source of local greens, which I purchase now from the Bexley Natural Market. The company is called Lettuce Work, and employs adults with autism to produce the greens using aquaponics at a facility in New Albany, OH. The greens are delicious, my favorite over any other local greens or the Earthbound Farm greens.  Do try them! You won't be disappointed. And the price? Right in line with other pre-washed lettuce.

One of my challenges was to explore a new nature trail or hiking area.  I initially looked for one in my vicinity, but couldn't find anything worthy nearby that I had not already experienced.  I was in Dublin this morning running a couple errands, so I looked for something up that way and discovered Emily Traphagen Park, one of Delaware County's Preservation Parks.  It is not large, only 72 acres with only 1.2 miles of trails, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in quality.  It is surrounded by upscale residences, but contains a surprising diversity of habitats: pond, wetland, woodland, meadow, & prairie.  The Whitetail Loop is wooded, with a trail running down to overlook the pond.  The meadow trail is not quite so scenic, but I noticed lots of milkweed & goldenrod (now gone to seed), with many birds and a few butterflies still hanging around.  The park has a really cool playground, too, with a children's climbing rock (yes, I climbed it).  I'm glad that Delaware County has a program to preserve some of the natural features of the county, and thankful that Mr. Traphagen thought to memorialize his wife in such a beneficial way.  Did I mention the weather? Upper 60s, bright & sunny, perfect hiking weather--I enjoyed it so much I hiked both trails twice!     

I shopped today at locally owned Clintonville Natural Foods, a vegan grocery.  It was extra fun after watching a film last night called At The Fork, which was a clear-eyed, non-judgmental look at how we raise food in America. It did not take a stand, per se, but the effect on me was to try to go much closer to 100% vegan 

I have been a bit behind on documentary watching, so checked out three food-related documentaries that I have been wanting to see and watched them over the past several days: Forks Over Knives, Food, Inc. and In Defense of Food.  All are excellent and I highly recommend them.  After discussing them with friends, I find it  interesting that people can watch them and then essentially ignore them.  Old habits die hard, I suppose. 

I discovered an excellent locally owned restaurant and bar in Gahanna - Somedays at 101 Mill St in the Creekside development downtown. Its proud owner is Mike Schaefe.  Lots of craft beer options too - we indulged in a porter from Dayton Ohio.  The food was excellent and I highly recommend it for anyone out east.