I get a happy thrill seeing the recycle bins that populate our Ranch. Not only are we doing the right thing, but it sure cuts down on our costs at the landfill. Visiting the dump instead of having curbside service is a reality check, so is smelling it. But the recycling stations littered about Eagle County aren't the only places to recycle.

Turn your good junk towards Reuse: Garage sales, consignment shops, and the merchandise section of our papers, even the Internet, can garner you some cash for items you might just throw out. For a tax deduction, donate those items to thrift stores and the Habitat for Humanity Restore & ReCon Construction Salvage. And then there's just giving it away for FREE through the newspapers, craigslist, and Freecycle Network. Our Ranch materials are mostly garnered through these sources.

Reuse can be accomplished without leaving home. The two generations above me often belayed my hand while reaching towards the garbage can. Wrapping paper, jars, tinfoil, coffee cans, coffee grounds, tea bags. I remember as a kid reading Hints from Heloise to see if I could one up a grandparent for a new reuse.

Leaving the house? Paper or plastic? Neither is the best answer. Don't forget your reusable tote or bag when running errands.
These can be purchased for as little as a dollar at most large retailers. And many stores will give you a rebate for every reusable bag you use when shopping. So ask when checking out!

Reduce is the hardest and most important of the 3 Rs. Jimmy Carter told us during the energy crunch to turn down the heat and put on a sweater. He was right, but Mr. Rogers was ahead of Jimmy's time sweater-wise. Compact florescent bulbs, CFCs, are the easiest way to reduce your energy footprint. Fluorescent lighting isn't ugly light
any more, they have friendly bulbs that are nicer than incandescent bulbs, and use a fraction of the energy. Call Holy Cross Energy and get a free energy audit and see how you can tighten up your energy budget.

The Ranch cabin was built in 1985 as a hunting camp, and there is nothing remotely code about it. We don't have a single window or door that match! We'll be sharing our energy saving ideas as we slowly upgrade the cabin. We can say that our log frame, our shell so to speak, is rock solid, it's just every thing else that's not green built.

Reviewing our spending habits, we can honestly say, this is a Ranch that ReUse is building.