I read a great article the other day, Free-Range Landscaping, in the Wall Street Journal. Eco-entrepreneurs are using goat herds to maintain lawns without chemical weed killers or noisy, air-polluting mowers. The friendly critters really take to the job, devouring all manner of grass, weeds and even thorny brush.

Summer is a great time to be active outside for people and pets too. While most people are good about using sunscreen on themselves and their kids, some might not think about the effects of the sun on their four-legged family members.  

After spending a day in the hot summer sun with Zoe, Jackson's newly-adopted and decidedly sun-averse doggie (see what I mean in photo), I got to thinking about puppy sun screen...

We adopted a dog this week! Its a cute little thing called a Chinese Crested Powder Puff Terrier. The name's a mouthful, but the dog is bite-size. The photo shows Betsy and me with Zoe on our dock on Dudley Pond in Wayland (MA). I started Pearl's Premium to get the chemicals out of the lake, but when I learned what lawn chemicals did to dogs, it took on a whole other meaning.

The short story is dogs walk on treated lawns, chemicals get on their paws, chemicals sting, dogs lick paws and ingest chemicals, dogs get sick in alarming rates! And the word is getting out.

Check out what vet Margo Roman and other have told us about lawn chemicals and animal health risk.

We went to a really great Farmers' Market this past weekend in Roslindale Village (MA). It was an urban setting (Roslindale, for those who don't know, is part of Boston), but it had a real country market feel. You know, friendly people, waggy tail dogs, good smells, homemade pie (more on that later).

I'm on the road traveling with my ultra lightweight Pearl's Premium trailer and staying in lots of beautiful parks. Last night, it was a symphony of owl’s and birds calling back and forth in the pitch black night at the Pohick Bay Regional Park in Lorton, VA. Its just south of Washington, DC and a great place to stay. Call and book your stay: 703-339-6104.

I'm back on the road attending the 2010 Buckminster Fuller Challenge in DC. The event showcased amazing sustainability ideas and was attended by an eclectic and inspiring group of free thinkers, from a WWII fighter pilot who traded in his citizenship to become a citizen of the world to astro-physisists who are mapping the galaxy.

Did anyone catch the Presidential Report on Cancer that came out this week? Surprise, surprise the chemicals in our environment are putting us at significant risk of cancer. There are over 80,000 known chemicals in our homes - a number that has exploded over the past 30 years.

I did and, not surprising for those of you who know me, I had something to say!

Listen to my comments on NPR's On Point.

The past week has been a blur!  We’ve met so many unique and helpful people in Kentucky and Ohio.  Along with lovely green spaces and a friendly atmosphere, we have found likeminded folks with an earth-friendly attitude. We even passed a store with something for everyone (see the picture for more insight).

We woke up after one of the best sleeps ever had in a pop-up camper (more on our sustainable camper later) to the sound of a Doberman Pinscher relieving himself on our wheel.  We didn’t mind because we’re pet-friendly!  After a stretch and some coffee we headed out on the first leg of our trip to Kentucky.  The beautiful hills and colors of the earth were a sight to behold and reminded us of the fabric of America.