I don't know if traditional fireplaces are carbon-efficient (note to self: research), but they're cost-efficient if the fuel is free.



After last month's big storm, two large pine trees were down in the complex's common area, and to my surprise (I'm from New England) the cleanup crews just threw the cut logs into the underbrush. So I've been carrying them up, one at a time, and in the fall I'll cut and split them.

It's not sustainable -- all the trees in that narrow strip of woods would only provide heat for a few houses for a single winter -- but it does feel self-sufficient.
 

We love to garden -- for the freshness, the smell, the sweat, the taste, the self-sufficiency -- and we're starting, again, small. The land here, and sub-development regulations, don't lend themselves to much more -- and the available space is either steep, shaded, poor soil, or heavily treed. We can build up to bigger things -- raised beds, perhaps, or a solarium; for now, it's pots on the deck, and we're VERY happy.

• Two kinds of tomato (one plant each)
  
• Oregano
  
• Basil
  
• Parsley (from seed)
  
• Thyme

We also got two roses for out front.