Guardian of the Spring

This majestic Ponderosa Pine stands guardian over the spring I posted about below. The picture on the left was taken at sunrise, the right was taken before sunset. This is the view we have from our bedroom window and is one of the reasons we chose to buy land 5 miles up a bumpy dirt road.
This beautiful tree is over 200 ft. tall and the bark smells just like vanilla.


A few years ago the dogs and I came face to face with a cougar walking up the road around 10am. He or she turned to face us and I just about had a heart attack, the dogs started barking like crazy and it bound over a fence and was gone in a flash. I have always wanted to see a cougar and finally got my chance, I just wish we had been safe and sound in the car. We routinely see coyotes, bobcats, red fox, great gray owls, blue herons and the occasional rattle snake and black bear. Living in the mountains can be hard and sometimes lonely, but thanks to our wonderful neighbors, both human and not, there is no other place I'd rather be.

This is why they call it the Green Springs

This beautiful spring a mere 100 yards from my house is why they call the area in which I live the Green Springs. There are many such springs in the area. We drink from this spring and the water tastes like water should taste, pure and fresh. Whenever I need to get away from it all this is where you will find me.
In the next post I will show you our majestic old growth Ponderosa Pine, guardian of the spring. The area around the spring teams with herbs and flowers that I gather to use in my products. If I am lucky I can find violets hidden among the nutrient rich soil. Oregon grape, plantain and wild strawberries are plentiful.

Well I better get over to the spring, today I am making bamboo soap. As I draw water from our spring to use in the soap, I will give thanks to her and bless the herbs that I have gathered.
I also say a blessing every time I make one of my organic potions, lotions or creams. I feel it brings me and the person receiving it luck.

If you are ever in Oregon, head up Hwy. 66 to the Green Springs, the area is so special, President Clinton protected it and it is called the Cascade Siskiyou National Monument. Our land is within the boundaries and will be protected for future generations. The hub of the community is the Green Springs Inn, check it out, great food and good prices. Happy Spring!!

GREEN SPRINGS AT THE ROGUE VALLEY GROWERS MARKET - SAVING THE PLANET ONE FACE AT A TIME

This is my booth at the Growers Market. I sell in Ashland on Tue. and in Medford on Wed. In a few weeks I will also be selling Saturdays in Ashland. One of my favorite things about the markets is meeting expectant parents then getting to see the new babies and watching them grow. The local community is really supportive and come rain or shine.

Our biggest seller is our fabulous organic Face Food. Many of our customers are tourists and purchase it at the markets and can't live without it, so I also sell it online. Also pictured is my hand-spun hand painted fiber art, yarn, and baby clothing made from recycled sweaters. In the future I hope to open a shop on Etsy and Artfire listing those items. Please stop by and say hi, if you are ever in Ashland or Medford Oregon on those days. The market runs from March until late November.

GREEN SPRINGS - LIVING UP TO OUR NAME

Twenty five years ago we moved our family from Cleveland, Ohio to the mountains of Southern Oregon to a small community called the Green Springs. Back then it consisted of loggers, hippies, and back to the landers. For the most part everyone got along because we were all somewhat isolated and depended on our neighbors. We purchased 10 acres and began living our dream. We built a small cabin with logs killed by beetle infestation, grew our own fruits and vegetables and tried to walk gently on the land. I learned how to garden, spin, weave and make soaps, lotions and potions, and was commitment to eating organic and out of necessity we reduced, reused and recycled.

Fast forward to the present. My goal is help others go organic and eco-friendly , and make every attempt to save the world for my five grandchildren, and future generations. I now market my fabulous skin care products and call my business Green Springs Bodyworks. My products and packaging are eco-friendly and most of the ingredients are organic. What I do not grow or wild-craft, I try to purchase locally. I trade a local vendor face cream for his wonderful organic olive oil. Our butters are purchased from a sustainable women's co-operatives. We offer a $1.00 refund for recycled containers and I usually go home from the markets I sell at with a big bag of returned bottles and jars. Last April I decided to spread the word further on the Web. My products can be purchased on Etsy, Artfire, and here on the blog.

Unfortunately the bigger Siberian Husky pictured died right after Christmas. Here is a recent picture of Suka our newest member of the sled dog team. Tenaya, his big sister is three and loves her newly adopted companion.

Happy Earth Day

These items from the Ecoetsy Team were a big hit at my Growers Market Booth. To celebrate Earth Day I downloaded these awesome Green Share seed packets from http://lolaness.com and filled them with my organic seeds. I used calendula and amaranth. Also pictured is a kootsac from www.kootsac.etsy.com. It is a re-usable bulk food bag for produce. I purchased two bags and used them to put all my vegis in. The bags are very well made and hold a lot. The customers and vendors were very interested in these items and I enjoyed sharing. Happy Earth Day everyone!

Silk Tie Dyed Easter Eggs

I've Been Featured

Happy Easter! I have been featured on Ecogeneration's blog: http://ecogeneration.blogspot.com
There are many wonderful eco-friendly items featured including my Moonlight on the Adriatic Soap.
The whole family is coming for Easter Brunch along with our extended family. It is snowing right now so I hope it clears up by Sunday for our annual Easter Egg Treasure Hunt. My daughter will be bring her duck eggs, which we will dye with pieces of old silk ties. It is super easy and so eco-friendly. I use old silk ties that my husband no longer wears and cut a piece of the tie big enough to wrap around the egg. Then cover the egg with a piece of cotton material, I use old sheets. Secure with a twist tie and place all the eggs in a pan full of cold water with a tablespoon of vinegar and boil as usual. When you remove the fabric you will be left with a beautiful unique colored and patterned egg. Try it the kids love it!
I make it a treasure hunt with lots of clues and my husband hides the eggs in our woods (we rope off an area). The golden egg will be well hidden as usual so the adults can have fun helping the little ones search. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!