Gnomelets Have Taken Over

Mama gnome apologizes for her long absence in her garden.

Young gnomelets have taken over the mother gnome's life.

They take up almost all of Mama gnome's waking and sleeping hour.

Mama gnome would like to share this wonderful video.

Please watch this magical show of starlings in flight.

Murmuration from Sophie Windsor Clive on Vimeo.

The year is coming to an end.

Mama gnome hopes to tend to her garden a lot more often next year.

In the meantime, please tend to our garden planet Earth and go green.

(c)Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome vs. Plastic Bag Monster 2011

The ancient clock chimed and Mama gnome sat bolt upright in bed.

Her pointy hat fell off and landed in a bucket on the floor.

Mama gnome reached down to pick up her hat ignoring the pains in her joints.

She solemnly placed her pointy hat on her bedhead hair and thought,

"There will be a time for aches and pains later. Today, something else will get its come uppance."

For that fateful morning was not any other ordinary morning.

It was the dawn of Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster, Battle 2011!

Every year in the month of September, the gnome family participates in the momentous Coastal Cleanup Day.

Mama gnome has battled against her nemesis, Plastic Bag Monster for years. And this time Mama gnome's army included not only young gnomelets (Mama gnome's secret weapons), Daddy gnome .... but also Auntie gnome!!!

(c) Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

At the behest of Mama gnome, Auntie gnome finally came out of her own burrow and joined in the battle against Plastic Bag Monster.

Mama gnome was delighted to find there were a few other humans participating on that brisk September morning.

In less than two hours, the gnome family had picked up over 200 cigarette butts in less than a mile of beach sand.

Over two hundred cigarettes picked up in less than two hours. It is mind boggling.

According to Ocean Conservancy, cigarettes/cigarette filters was the number one trash item picked up in 25 years of Coastal Cleanup Day.

Almost 53 million cigarettes/cigarette filters were picked up in 25 years.

Can you imagine?

53 million cigarettes dropped in the very sand where humans, gnomes, human babies, children played and walked.

And this is not even counting the countless cigarettes that have been washed into oceans, ingested by marine animals and birds.

Look at this photograph and see how toxic cigarettes can be mistaken for food by marine animals and seabirds.

(c) Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

Plastic minions (small pieces of plastic) are also killing the animals. See how plastic can look like dried up seaweed.

(c) Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

You can see the rest of the top ten items of trash picked up over 25 years of Ocean Conservancy's International Cleanup Day here.

Here are photos of some of the trash picked up by young gnomelets and the gnome family.











Mama gnome's spirit was lifted when she saw youngest gnomelet sitting and staring at the ocean.





Mama gnome will continue her fight against Plastic Bag Monster for the sake of young gnomelets and humans.

Please sit and stare at the ocean and imagine it free of plastic...and go green.

All photos copyright owned by Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

(c)Jenaelha, friendlygnome.blogspot.com

Computer Plays Mind Games

Mama gnome apologizes for her long absence in her garden.

She has battled against Plastic Bag Monster and prevailed.

She was in the midst of writing a most splendid account of this momentous event when an unforeseen force reared its ugly head.

Computer...

Mama gnome is computer savant. She has spoken of her woes from computer mind games.

Alas, computer plays mind games on Mama gnome's head once more and Mama gnome's secret weapon (Daddy gnome who is most computer savvy) is away visiting his mother.

What is Mama gnome to do?

Computer won't let Mama gnome post pictures of her battle against Plastic Bag Monster last month.

Computer defeats Mama gnome's every desperate technique...clear cache, clear cookies.

Mama gnome even cleared the pantry and ate the cookies.

But why doesn't it work? Why? Why? WHHHHHYYYYY?

Please, bear with Mama gnome while Mama gnome tries to unravel the mystery of Computer mind games.

Meanwhile, please play a game Mama gnome most love and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mama gnome's Date for Coastal Cleanup Day 2011

Mama gnome tucked in the stray and somewhat grayish looking hair under her pointy hat.

She pinched her cheeks to give them color and batted her eyelashes.

Mama gnome would like to er...ask you...yes YOU...for a...date. Yes, a date!

She'd already picked out the place. She's already picked out the time. Yes!

A feisty old mother gnome knows her mind.

All you have to do is show up and BYOB.

No...no...no...not B of the alcoholic persuasion but B as in bucket.

Bring your own bucket because for this special date, you and Mama gnome will be picking up not seashells or driftwood but little minions of Mama gnome's nemesis, Plastic Bag Monster.

Please, do not leave the old mother gnome dateless on such a special day.

September 17, 2011 is the International Coastal Cleanup Day.

photo by: Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

According to Ocean Conservancy:

"Nearly nine million volunteers from 152 countries and locations have cleaned 145 million pounds of trash from the shores of lakes, streams, rivers, and the ocean on just one day each year."

International Coastal Cleanup Day started 25 years ago.

A Marine Debris Report was just published studying 25 years of debris collected.

According to the report, the number one culprit collected in 25 years is smoking related debris with almost 53 million collected!

These include filters, cigarette tips and wrappers.

You are probably wondering why plastic is still Mama gnome's nemesis?

True there are tons of cigarettes on our beaches and oceans.

But the numbers are misleading because the report has divided plastic minions into different categories.

But if you total them all up,

Plastic Bag Monster still stands out with its total coming to over 96 million!

These include plastic bags, plastic caps, lids, six pack rings, food containers, cups, plates, forks, knives, spoons, pulltabs, straws, stirrers!




video by: oceanconservancy

Please help stop Plastic Bag Monster from continuing to spawn.

Please be Mama gnome's date this Saturday, September 17, 2011.

Take a long walk on the beach with her, bring your own reusable gloves and buckets, and help clean up a patch of sandy beach, river, waterway, lake, pond, and even the sandy desert.

Please read up about this very romantic day which makes Mama gnome all hot and bothered at any of these sites:
Ocean Conservancy, Heal the Bay, lessismore.org, California Coastal Commission.

This is an international event and you can sign up anywhere in the world.

If there is no event conveniently close to you, you can start your own hot date with the bucket and register it online.

Please be Mama gnome's and the oceans' lifelong date. Make the commitment and go green.

(c) 2011 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Plastic Bag Monster Reckoning 2011

photo by: NOAA Marine Debris Program/Ocean Conservancy


If you have visited Mama gnome's garden before, you might have read about the old mother gnome's nemesis.

Yes...even the name itself fills Mama gnome's heart with dread and a good case of the heebie jeebies.

Mama gnome's nemesis is none other than...Plastic Bag Monster.

Here is one frightful portrait picture of a small fraction of its countless minions:
photo by: NOAA Marine Debris Program/Ocean Conservancy

Mama gnome has fought against the Plastic Bag Monster several times...on the beach(Mama gnome versus Plastic Bag Monster) and in the desert during the famous battle of Operation Desert Cleanup.

But alas...time and time again, Plastic Bag Monster regenerates and grows and meets with its allies: plastic bags, plastic cups, styrofoam cups, styrofoam plates, plastic forks, plastic spoons, plastic straws...and don't forget those soda lids, and fill in the blank plastic_______.

Together they multiply and multiply...disintegrating into tiny pieces... and swimming in their own pools of giant garbage patches...their own evil lairs.

One of the more famous ones is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

According to Ocean Conservancy:

"In 2009, 60 percent of the debris collected and cataloged consisted of single-use, disposable items. Volunteers picked up 1.1 million plastic bags. And enough cups, plates, knives, forks, and spoons for a picnic for 100,000 people."

It's not a picnic for our oceans to be choked up by our throw away plastic bags, spoons, forks, knives.

People have become so reliant on disposable, one time use plastic utensils, plastic bags, styrofoam take out containers...Mama gnome wonders how did humans ever survive without them. But the important question is: How can we survive with them?

Please save the date, September 17, 2011, Saturday, for the annual Coastal Cleanup Day.

Please visit these websites to read up about Plastic Bag Monster's heinous crimes and what gnomes and humans can do to fight back.

Ocean Conservancy

Heal the Bay

California Coastal Commission

Ocean Conservancy is an international organization that had 152 countries participating in last year's coastal cleanup day. So you can participate wherever you are.

You can even start your own cleanup project and register it on their website.

Please watch this video by Ocean Conservancy:


video by: oceanconservancy

Besides participating in the cleanup, let us defeat the Plastic Bag Monster by several easy strategies:

• Bring reusable bags to stores. If you forget your reusable bag, if you can, just handcarry your merchandise and make sure you have your receipt ready.
• Say no to disposable, one time use plastic frou frou: plastic utensils. Treat yourself and your family and use the real thing. How awesome is that?
• Say no to takeout boxes for leftovers at restaurants and bring your own. Impress your server by your ingenuity and scare the heck out of styrofoam little monster containers.
• Instead of using those tiny throwaway zipthingey bags, use reusable little containers.
• Instead of purchasing a small minion, i.e. a case of plastic water bottles, use that money to purchase reusable Bph free water bottles.
  
• Invest a few minutes to think about what you will need before you go out for a picnic or go to the store or to the restaurant, and see what reusable items you can bring (reusable bags, your own water bottles, your own reusable containers for leftovers, etc.), so you can avoid using throw away plastic frou frou. Just a few minutes of planning, will save our oceans and planet years of plastic minion trash.
  

Please become an ecowarrior. Help fight the Plastic Bag Monster.

Please be a supporter for planet earth and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Gnome Garden Summer 2011

Mama gnome is cursed with a green-challenged thumb. She cannot grow plants.

But fate smiles thus on the mother gnome for daddy gnome's and gnomelets' thumbs are verdant green.

Mama gnome presents with pride, the gnome family's garden.
















Mama gnome hopes your garden in life thrives and go green.

(c) all pictures and text by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome

Gnomes and Humans Plant Trees for Earth Day 2011

The gnome car faithfully hugged the road on the side of the mountain.

Daddy gnome asked, "Are we going the right way?"

Mama gnome said, "Hmmmm..." She stared out at the window, mesmerized by the rolling dips and gorges.


Daddy gnome said, "Ehemm... Mama gnome? Are we going the right way?"

"What? Oh...let me see..."Mama gnome's stubby finger followed the wriggly lines. "Looks like it." Mama gnome sat up straight. She felt quite at ease with the map.

The wrinkly paper was an old friend.

The computer on the other hand...always played mind games on the old gnome. She didn't trust that whiny gps voice either.

Give me a map any day, Mama gnome always thought.

It was important the gnome family didn't get lost on this special day, Earth Day 2011.

They had a special date with humans, tree loving humans, as it were.

"Trees!" Gnomelets who were quietly sitting in the back of the gnome car burst into sudden movements of waving and pointing at these:


Elder gnomelet said, "They look strange, Mama. They're black and they don't have leaves."

Younger gnomelet said, "No leaves."

Mama gnome said, "I'm afraid so, little ones. There was a fire here last year. That's why we're here. Somebody's got to do something about it."

Soon, this came into view:


By the by, the gnome family, made it to the campsite.

Mama gnome kept her fingers crossed. Time and time again, she'd been disappointed by the smallish number of humans she'd seen at events like: Coastal Cleanup Day and 350.org's International Day of Climate Action.

The gnome family were greeted by this wondrous being.


Of course Mama gnome and young gnomelets proceeded to hug it tremendously.

Mama gnome's trepidation disappeared.

There were more humans here than Mama gnome had seen at previous ecoevents.

She beamed at the tall human lady with the sign up sheet.

The gnome family were given strict instructions to wear a hard hat at all times even during breaks.

Daddy gnome deftly adjusted the hard hats for the young ones and soon the gnome's pointy hats were squashed underneath the yellow roundish hats.

Mama gnome kept a firm grip on younger gnomelet's hand and Daddy gnome took older gnomelet's hand.

The trek was quite daunting...slippery slopes covered with ash, rocky dips, and over streams.

Mama gnome's small heart pounded, fearful for the quite short young gnomelets' legs.

But they did her proud. The young gnomelets marched on without a single complaint.

At times, the gnome family over took humans who had to stop and rest.

Along the way they saw:

Charred remains of a burnt tree...


A bleak mountaintop that looks like a desert...



Sad muses of trees...


More burnt trees on a rocky slope...



Mama gnome didn't know what they were before but now they looked like giant burnt pineapples.



After over an hour of hiking on rough terrain, a tree loving human gave instructions on how to plant the saplings to give the young trees the best chances of survival.

The kindly human instructor said, the trees had a survival rate of 75%.


The humans and the gnome family went to work.

Here was Mama gnome's secret weapon...

Older gnomelet aka super ecowarrior.

She scoffs at the face of ecoenemies...and deals them a terrible blow with her tiny hands.




After what seemed like hours of work,the gnomes were tired and thirsty.

Other humans had left already. But the gnomes stayed and carried out what they set out to do. They finished planting the young trees on the bleak mountain.

Afterward they faced an even more daunting task, the hike back.

The gnome family climbed up steep inclines, held on to rocky crevices, and found footing on ash covered ground.

With faces covered with soot and ash, and bones and muscles weary, the gnomes encountered a gentle creature who bade them go on.



Finally, they spotted the campsite.


When the gnome family reached the campsite, the Forest Ranger and the leader of tree humans applauded the young gnomelets. The youngest participants for the tree planting event made the biggest impression.

Elder gnomelet said, "Mama, my cheeks are red."

Mama gnome said, "You did good, my love. You did good."

It was close to three in the afternoon and the gnomes were famished having missed lunch.

The young gnomelets cheered when they discovered...a giant cookie in their lunch boxes.

Mama gnome was very impressed with the lunch box made from recycled paper.

NO PLASTIC OR STYROFOAM in sight. And she was grateful for the vegetarian sandwich.



After their meal, the young gnomelets made wishes at the stream, throwing pine cones into the water.

Mama gnome made her own wish...a not so secret wish for more trees.

Mama gnome wishes all humans would help make Earth Day everyday, make her wish come true and go green...

(c) all photos and text by Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Trees for Earth Day 2011

This Saturday, April 23, the gnome family will travel to a forest that was ravaged by fire last year.

The gnome family will meet up with humans to help plant trees in honor of Earth Day 2011.

Please celebrate Earth Day 2011 by doing one single act of green.

Together, humans and gnomes can contribute to a billion acts of green for planet earth.


video from: thechriscarsonshow

Please visit Earth Day Network's A Billion Acts of Green

Make each day earth day and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Elephant Killed by CEO

Mama gnome has spoken about the elephants' plight numerous times.

They are threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting and trade.

Despite the ban on ivory trade, poachers continue to slaughter elephants at terrible rate.

According to this post, Robbie Marsland, director of IFAW UK (International Fund for Animal Welfare), has stated:

"This alarming level of illegal hunting could drive the African elephant to extinction across much of Africa in just 15 years."

So it is quite deplorable to read about GoDAddy CEO Rob Parsons going on an elephant hunt and he proudly showed it off on video.

Mama gnome didn't want to watch the video.

Mama gnome was even more rankled to read that this CEO goes on an elephant killing spree every year!

Mama gnome urges you to close your account with this CEO's company and transfer to another company.

Maybe consider its rival company, which has raised over $20,000 for Save the Elephants.

Please visit Save the Elephants and read statements by Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of Zimbabwe's Conservation Task Force to AOL News.

Here is a photo of an elephant in Namibia.

It is a fortunate animal because it was not the one shot by Bob Parsons.

photo by: Ikiwaner

Please boycott Bob Parsons and his company.

Please help save the elephants and go green.

(c) Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Bird's eye view of Decorah Eagles

Mama gnome and young gnomelets waited with bated breath and finally the third egg hatched on April 6, 2011.

We've watched the proud parent bald eagles feed, nurture, and care for their precious babies.

But please see for yourselves. Here is the live video feed of the beautiful eagle family in Iowa:



Live TV by Ustream