No, for this Fourth of July, I tapped into the American spirit of freedom by going wild and getting out into the wild: I went out foraging for wild berries.

Luckily for me this was pretty easy, given the fact that I live in the country and have been walking by a seemingly endless stretch of wineberry bushes (and a few blackberry bushes) growing conveniently along the gravel drive. Oh, the tension of temptation has been building for so, so long now as I have watched the bushes form their little fuzzy pods, the pods pop open with the unripe berries peeping out, the berries growing redder and redder like little organic rubies building up their brilliance….

So on this day, at long last, I declared my independence from self-restraint and heroic patience by diving into the (thorny!) berry patches and going wild…and pickin’ pickin’ pickin’ away.

Sticky fingers, bloody limbs, tics and other crawlies: nothing could prevent me from reaching out and picking one shiny little globule after another. And once the container started to get pretty full, there was no sense of guilt in popping more in my mouth than saving for later.

And oh, the sweet fireworks! All the woes of labor, all the blood and sweat and tears (from the thorn pricks), melted away as the berries exploded on my tongue. My taste buds saluted and sparkled, then they swam in the sugary flood just before it flowed down my throat.

My blood seemed to tingle, too, but not only from the sugar saturating and making redder the red cells. I felt as if I were taking a trip down the genetic staircase and tapping into the gathering instinct of my ancient forebears that have carried through the generations. It felt primal, primordial, and absolutely natural to be out foraging for my food.

Indeed, I felt somehow closer to nature and to the Earth, for I realized just how bountiful nature is and how life finds so many ways to endure…sometimes in ways that are delicious and beneficial! Yes, it became clear how life carries on and, in doing so, nourishes more than just the particular organism doing the living. In the life of one, these berries seemed to sing out, is the promise of life for all.

These sensations and sentiments from foraging in the wild are much deeper, stronger than those we get from gardening. Although a garden can also give us direct experience with nature and insights into the processes of nature, it still seems far too “domesticated” in comparison to foraging. Moreover, it requires a lot more work on our part!

When we go out foraging for wild foodstuffs, be they berries and other fruits or greens (such as dandelion) or herbs or fungi, we simply reap the generosity and copiousness of nature. We find ourselves free from expenditure and free to enjoy the yummier products of natural processes. Foraging is so essential, so lively, so natural, and so sweet. And unlike hunting, that other ancient human “art,” gathering wild food does not bring with it the cost of taking another sentient being’s life; in many cases, such as with the berries, you can gather your food without killing even plant life.

As I picked one berry after another, then, I said a silent “Thank you” in my heart to the bush and to the Earth for the sweet gifts they were giving me. Even as I reaped the bounty of nature, I carried and gave back my reverence for what I had been given.

As I rambled back from the bramble patch, then, I virtually floated along, high on the joy (not the sugar; I did not glut myself…this time!) of having communed with nature, of having gotten back to my genetic roots, by going berry-pickin’.

Oh, what a way to celebrate a holiday! Give me sweet berries or give me death!

Image credit: Corvus moneduloides at Wikimedia Commons.

Lately, I’ve been writing about lessons learned during my three-month sustainable living experiment.  Most of them are not concrete facts, but rather emotional insights which came to the forefront when the stresses of my new lifestyle began taking their toll.

Welcome to my most significant understanding: that developing an environmentally sustainable lifestyle MUST be personal, too.  It must reflect the individual.  It is not a one-size-fits-all game plan for green living.  There’s an unfortunate popular “Wonder Diet” mindset pervading American media, which says:

1. There IS one solution.
2. It’s painless and requires no real effort or commitment.
3. It’s quick and tidy–no mess!

I realize I made a mistake in planning for my Sust Enable project by embodying some of these cultural concepts of media in MY media.  For the sake of being easily recognizable and gimmicky, I assigned a strict deadline to my sustainable living project, thus making it sound more like a game show than the life-changing experience it has been.

Three months exactly.  From Day One to Day 92.  A riveting progression from novice to expert, from struggle to smooth sailing.  

Don’t do what I did.

If you are to be successful in your sustainable living venture, your actions need to come organically out of your motivations.  Your goals will shift over time.  You will realize what is feasible for you and what is not; what you need help with and what you can push yourself to do.  

Am I expected to stop living as close to 100% environmentally sustainable as possible once August 1st clocks over?  And when did I really begin?  In wanting to live 100% sustainably, in preparation and research, or on the first day I may have successfully attained “sustainable living?”  Placing constraints on the necessary, urgent, but constantly shape-shifting goal of “living sustainably” is counterproductive.  

I have been plagued the last few days with concerns over how to deal with my current home: the tent. It’s leaking.  It’s damp.  It’s moldy.  It’s small and dirty.  Two days ago, laundry detergent spilled all over the inside.  My bedding is shoddy at best.  In short, it is personally unsustainable for me to really consider “living” there.  

So what are my options?  Couchsurf for four weeks?  Sleep on the boyfriend’s couch or my friend’s couch?  Sleep in the woods?  All of these options turn me off for the same reasons the tent does: they are not stable solutions, nor are they long-term sustainable.  

It makes me think that if I were really to get this experiment right, I would have spent some months prior to 5/1/08 constructing a cob cottage.  A small one, no bigger than my tent space, wouldn’t be too hard nor too expensive to construct.  On the other hand, had I done that, when would my “sustainable living experiment” have begun?  On my move-in date?  Or when I began construction?

I have been compiling a list of possessions and practices that I would never be comfortable giving up, plus a list of what I found easy and satisfying to trade in for a new lifestyle.  Guess which list is longer?  The latter, by 2-3 times more.  

I will be glad to share this list with viewers and readers at the end of the experiment.  It remains my goal to provide insight and direct experience to help guide choices for people who don’t have the opportunity to live “off the grid” or out-of-work for a long period of time.  While I think this is still true, I now see the importance of how my personal priorities, preferences, attitudes and needs crafted this story.

You will never be me, and I will never be you.  However, WE can be the change we wish to see in the world.  Communicating about our desires and experiences is the only bridge we have to paradise.

Read More About:

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Sustainable Living Rule #1: Be Gentle To Yourself
Sustainable Living Rule #2: Have FUN 

photo credit: public domain image from WikiCommons, “Relax”

The problem, until now, has been that recycling CFLs was inconvenient for post people. That’s about to change, thanks to Home Depot. The New York Times reported this week that Home Depot will offer CFL recycling at all of its nearly 2000 U.S. stores. That puts 75 percent of Americans within 10 miles of a CFL recycling location.

If you’re not part of that 75 percent, you still have options. Ikea stores provide CFL recycling bins, as well. Or visit Earth 911 or Lamp Recycle to look for a recycling location near you.

Need help choosing the right CFL? Visit our online guide, “How to Pick a Better Bulb“.

As a passionate enemy of suburban sprawl, I listened intently to an interview this morning on NPR with Brookings Institution demographer William Frey in which he notes that housing prices are falling faster in the areas outside cities. Is this a permanent correction that is making “exurbs” less desirable overall? And how are gas prices influencing this loss of home value? Mr. Frey was cautious in his answer, saying “the jury is still out” and that Americans have a history of moving outward from cities in order to buy more housing for less, seeing long commutes as an acceptable trade off.

However, it doesn’t take a genius to see that, when a commute costs more than one is saving on housing, while sucking up hours of one’s valuable time, (and as the saying goes, “They aren’t making more of that”) why would one buy a home in the far suburbs? Why, indeed?

Sperling’s Best Places did a survey two years ago when gas prices were at $2.90 a gallon. The following were the most expensive cities in which to commute and listed the average annual commuting cost:

City Annual Commuting Cost (2006)

1. Atlanta $5,772
2. Birmingham, Ala. $5,464
3. Orlando, Fla. $5,404
4. Jacksonville, Fla. $5,360
5. Pensacola, Fla. $5,173

So, if gas prices reach $6.00, Atlanta’s commuting cost would be over $10,000 per year. Yikes.

A posting on Wall Street Journal’s online edition reports that even the conservative International Energy Agency is moving toward the Peak Oil Pessimists’ camp. The conclusion is that it’s not speculators making oil go higher but simple capitalist principles like the law of supply and demand – developing countries are going to be driving up demand for many years to come.

So will this result in an end to sprawl? Will avoidance of driving cause the demise of the ugly, cookie-cutter mini-mall blight that has mushroomed around our cities like an invasive species? Let’s hope so.

Sprawl Kills

Addressing Peak Oil at the Local Level

Things will change here in the USA. These changes will sometimes more difficult for some than others. More of us are already using public transportation, riding bikes — even moving closer to where we work or pressuring employers to offer flextime (to avoid rush hours) or telecommuting from home. In part thanks to the mushrooming energy costs, how much of business was done in the period of relatively inexpensive oil and other fossil fuels will morph into a new model of business model where energy costs are front and center.

Another trend: the explosion of people starting their own green business as an ecopreneur, operating their business without destroying the planet or exploiting people. Energy conservation and efficiency are often the very DNA of these enterprises. Eventually, the politicians in Washington DC might realize that opening up ANWR merely delays the reality that we need to cut our addiction to oil, for climate’s sake. We need to get back to 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide to maintain some degree of climate stability. Burning more oil, coal or natural gas is not the way.

There are many financial benefits of becoming a business, depending on how you structure it. Not only are businesses taxed after their expenses have been deducted, but many legitimate deductions are available to a small business that reduce its reported earnings — like the use of your personal car for business-related and documented use.

Owners of vehicles that are used for business purposes can deduct those miles associated with business use and be reimbursed for mileage by the business. For example, when we drive to speak at a Green Festival, MREA Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair, or to visit a client, we reimburse ourselves at the IRS specified rate. Make sure to maintain a vehicle travel mileage log for each vehicle used for business purposes.

Making Money from your FUEL EFFICIENT Vehicle

One of our discoveries we write about in ECOpreneuring is the tax benefit of using our fuel-efficient vehicle for business purposes. Every year, the IRS sets the reimbursable rate for the business use of your vehicle, based on national fleet repair and maintenance averages and fuel costs, both of which are rising. We get the same rate whether we drive a super-fuel-efficient Toyota Prius or Volkswagen Jetta TDI (diesel) versus a low-mileage Hummer. It turns out we’ve managed to make money off each business mile we put on our Volkswagen Jetta TDI because the cost of operating and fueling it is less than for other new and less fuel-efficient vehicles.

How? First, we only buy used vehicles because as soon as most new vehicles are driven off the dealer’s lot, they lose about 25 percent of their value. Second, by the time we might sell our used vehicle with years of reimbursed business miles paid to us as owners, the cost of the vehicle would have broken even. For example, one year we might have 7,193 business related miles put on our VW Jetta, multiplied by the IRS designated rate (2007) of $.445/mile, resulting in the business reimbursing us for the business use of the car to the tune of $3,200. Keep in mind that this expense item reduces the reported earnings of the business by $3,200 as well.

So if you have to drive, why not create a green business where you can at least deduct your miles related to business use of your vehicle? By the way, when we can, we put B100 (100 percent biodiesel) or B10 (locally secured from a Smart Station) in our Jetta. Our other vehicle exclusively used for business is an all-electric CitiCar. We also work from our home office, completely powered by the wind and sun.

Photo Credit: scotech at Flickr (under a Creative Commons license)

As I waited in line on opening night on Friday to see Wall-E, I thought it would be something of a robotic version of Nemo.  Having loved Nemo, I was excited to detach from my work-week stress load and calmly watch the movie.

Little did I know I was in for one of the most moving, gorgeous, and dare I say “important” movie experiences I have had for a long, long while.  This movie is a blatant and powerful indictment of our environmental destruction, and it is also a completely entertaining and warm love story. I humbly encourage everyone to see it.

**While this will be a glowing review, please scroll down to read my two complaints about the film as well.

Wall-E is the last remaining trash-collecting robot left on an abandoned planet Earth. He roams the smoggy, trash-covered landscape of our destroyed planet, crushing refuse and hanging out with his only friend, a plucky cockroach.  But Wall-E has a video of Hello Dolly that he watches on endless loop, and he longs for something more:  singing, dancing, and inter-personal (or inter-machine) contact.  In short, he is love-sick.

Where have all the humans gone? We learn that they were forced to flee their dying planet over 700 years ago in a huge space-craft called The Axiom.  On the ship they have become obese, immobile blob-beings who can only sit in their spaceship deck chairs and consume what is shown to them on their personal video monitors.  The scenes on the Axiom are scarily reminiscent of present-day Las Vegas: the over-fed humans are detached from their daily cares and are free to sit on their backsides, consume, and be constantly entertained.

I won’t spoil the plot for you, but let’s just say that a beguiling robot named Eve comes from the Axiom down to Earth in search of life forms.  She and Wall-E meet and indeed find a little sprout of a plant growing in an old boot.  Life blooms on Earth, love blooms for Wall-E and Eve, and great changes befall the humans quietly sipping their smoothies on the Axiom.

But I do have two beefs with Wall-E:

• Why did Pixar pass up the opportunity to help people learn what they can do to become better stewards of the planet?? The movie is an inspirational environmental call to action, and yet there is no mention of HOW or WHERE people can learn to cut carbon emissions, save water, reduce their trash production, etc.  Why didn’t Pixar put up a simple screen with “ten recommendations for loving planet Earth” at the end of the film– or a link to a site with educational information? It pains me that MILLIONS of people will see this movie and learn nothing about what they can do to save the planet!
• I also find the message at the end of the film a bit troubling. The humans return to Earth and it seems as if everything will just be hunky-dory. Yes they have some clean up to do, but it won’t be that bad.  I was sad to see that Pixar took this easy out; we don’t need to be telling Americans that our environmental practices can be swept away with some kind of simple big broom.

Please share your comments on what you thought of the movie!

Governor Jon Huntsman, a first-term Republican, has introduced the change, which will affect the majority of state employees, in an attempt to reduce the state’s carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency, improve customer service and provide workers more flexibility. “The reaction (from the public) has been very much a willingness to give this a go,” he says.

The four day work week is not as uncommon as I first thought, with forms of it popping up all across the US. The USA Today article notes that “The four-day work week is fairly common among city and county governments…” and it continues:

Jacqueline Byers, director of research at the National Association of Counties, says the four-day work week is gaining in popularity among county governments. Marion County, Fla., has a mandatory four-day work week for employees; Oconee County, S.C., and Walworth County, Wis., have it for road work crews, while Will County, Ill., has it for the auditor’s office. Oakland County, Mich., is seeking volunteers for a four-day work week, and Miami-Dade County, Fla., and Suffolk County, N.Y., are moving toward it, she says

It is a rather drastic measure, cutting an entire day out of a work week, but one that is sure to make a big impact. While in the months to come – the new system is set to go into effect on August 4 – I’m sure we’ll see statistics explaining what the cutback has done specifically for the environment, but there is more. Such a measure, already seen to be working throughout smaller counties and cities, is another example of how local and individual changes are having large impacts.

There will obviously be some immediate negative impacts. “One thing that has to be changed is the level of expectation from taxpayers, because they’ve always wanted five-day access,” Byers says. “They have to adjust to offices that are open longer on weekdays, but closed on Fridays.”

In addition, longer work days will create problems for those dealing with public transport and childcare, but the Utah government is looking to have these issues ironed out before the August 4^th start date.

In fact, Rex Facer, an assistant professor at Brigham Young University whose research team is studying the four-day work week concept, believes that such a change will have impacts on the work-life balance as well. “More and more young workers are entering the work force,” Facer says. “They’re looking for ways to enhance their work-life balance. Alternative work schedules offer more of this work-life balance than do traditional work schedules.”

So all in all, I can hardly see where this can go wrong!

credit: Bree D. at Flickr under a Creative Commons license

With this certain demand, our faithful suppliers are getting geared up and stocked up as well. So as you head down the aisle of your local grocery store or supercenter or what have you, you are sure to encounter lots of possible choices for what to spend your money on. And I can guarantee that most of them will be disposable. Plastic or paper plates, plastic cups, plastic utensils (including the beloved spork), paper napkins and tissues, plastic garbage and grocery bags, styrofoam or plastic coolers, etc., etc., etc. The list is endless…and this is only for party favors!

I do as much as I can to conserve resources and live sustainably. I remember at one family holiday smorgasbord, I believe it was Thanksgiving, I cunningly hid all of the plastic plates, cups, and utensils in a trunk in the closet in order to force my family to use the real, washable ones instead. No one was very happy with me, though I did convince one aunt to play along and stand up in my defense, but by using the normal stuff we reduced the amount of trash that day significantly compared to usual holidays. (And yes, for you cynics out there, I did indeed help out doing the dishes!)

Despite my ecological consciousness and consumer conscience, and despite my stratagems to thwart the forces of disposability, I cringe at the many disposable items that I still use in my own home. For example, disposable razors. These oh-so-convenient, many-to-a-pack, everything’s-a-dollar mainstays of male grooming seem rather benign at first glance (unless you nick yourself shaving, of course). Yet each one consists mostly of plastic, which is made from petroleum, and after a few shaves that plastic and the metal goes into the trash…and so on then to a landfill where it sits amidst all the other non-biodegradable garbage into perpetuity.

As I stare at my face in the mirror to shave (yes, poor me), my hand starts to tremble dangerously when I really reflect on the fact that I could just as easily use a razor with replaceable heads. Sure, it would cost a bit more money and convenience, but it would cut out the plastic completely and reduce the volume of waste coming out of my home. Or I could even use a straight razor (which would have the added benefit of letting me end it all quickly should the pain of staring at my reflection finally become unbearable!).

And there are lots of other similar disposable items that can easily be replaced by reusable goods. Remember the handkerchief, a.k.a. the “hanky”? I happen to use one, and with every blow I get a head rush knowing that I am not causing another tree to be felled in some place where it is needed much, much more. Remember the cloth diaper? Sure, a pile of these things well soiled and fully odoriferous is not the stuff of sweet dreams, but disposable diapers are terrible in planetary terms.

It is so unfortunate that we live in a “throwaway” economy, where items small and large–from razors to major appliances–are designed in order to be used quickly and then tossed…and replaced with another, newer, better version, of course. Recycling helps to cut back on the resources we use, and reusing products is an even better way to take your stand against disposability. Another fantastic development is “cradle-to-cradle” technology, which takes reusability to amazing new levels with products you never thought could be reused–such as carpet and even car parts.

As you stroll down the aisle to get what you need for this Fourth of July, declare your independence from disposability, fight the tyrannous forces of throwaway, and try to use something you can reuse instead.

You have the inalienable right to a healthy planet free from mounds of trash so large they require their own zip codes. You have the inalienable right to a healthy life free from toxic waste that approaches immortality in lifespan. Although these rights also bring certain duties–washing dishes and hankies and soiled diapers among them–they are your rights and the rights of every other living being on our lovely, non-disposable planet Earth.

Have a happy, healthy, sustainable Independence Day!

Notes
Image credit: Nino Barbieri at Wikimedia Commons.

I often wonder what people imagine when they hear I’m trying to live environmentally sustainably for three months.  Do they picture me living in a tree, hunting rabbits and eating grass?  Do they think “oh, I could never do that for myself,” or do they think I’m lying?

Sure, establishing and maintaining a sustainable lifestyle goes against the grain.  It can be draining, and it may not be possible to implement the chosen lifestyle modifications in your expected timeframe, which can be discouraging.

But to innovate a way of living that is in keeping with your ideals can be the most empowering thing you ever do.  Sustainable living is creative–it will always require imagination and a good dose of gumption.  It gets you “out there,” doing new and radical things that you may have never thought you would do.  That, my friends, is living!

My two months of sustainable living so far have been rocky.  Sometimes I don’t eat as many calories as I should in one day.  I will skip meals–not because I’m trying to lose weight, but because the sustainable food choices aren’t accessible enough to me, either because I don’t feel like biking for an hour to get some produce, or I don’t have the time to cook, etc.  Sometimes it feels like a chore to live environmentally sustainably.

But it always felt like a chore to go to work every morning, too.  It felt like a chore to pay bills, a chore to clean my house.  Overall, I feel significantly freer now than I ever have before.  And slowly but surely, I am replacing old unsustainable routines with new ones, and settling into them.  My life has frequently felt unstable over the past two months, due to many factors.  I dug up my old lifestyle and it’s been hard… until I am now beginning to lay the foundation for a new life.

Here’s something I must stress about living sustainably: if you’re not having any fun, stop doing it!  (Don’t worry, I make this mistake all the time.)  Your health must absolutely come before some vague goal of environmental perfection.  You will never be perfect, but then again… that should never be a goal.  Resolve, instead, to be exactly you.

A truly sustainable lifestyle incorporates what is environmentally sustainable AND what is personally essential for you to be happy.  A sustainable lifestyle means:

You must get out of the house.  It’s easy to get stuck  in one mindset, or on one project, and feel it impossible to see a solution.  Be careful not to hole up with your green project–include the community in designing it.  Trade skills–if you want help building a solar shower, ask your neighbors or friends in exchange for a favor to them.  Mutual aid is more than just empowering–it is essential!  Connect, organize, live!

You must spend time with your friends.  If they want to meet at a bar, go ahead–simply don’t drink (or ask for a local brew), and eat before you go.  A better option would be to stay in–so don’t be shy to suggest it.  Explain why you’d rather know where you food and liquor are coming from, and invite them to spend time at your place.  That way you can provide a smorgasbord of tasty local and organic treats, all while boozing it up with a locally or HOME brewed beer (in Pittsburgh, check out the East End Brewery or the Church Brew Works.)  Once your pals see what totally awesome green projects you are working on, they’ll likely be willing to help!

You must include activities that enrich your life.  This past weekend I spent hours exchanging songs with a new friend, then made a creative dinner with available ingredients.  The next day I went to a fundraiser brunch made from redeemed foods, and after that I biked to an activist organizing meeting.  Have you ever tried growing your own food before?  Why not?  Try it!  Have you ever tried building your own solar cooker before?  Give it a go!  Living is learning.  

You must be willing to be patient.  Maybe your friend is having a difficult emotional time right now, and needs you more than your new water heater does.  Maybe you need to give yourself a day to just sit, and process some of the inner changes associated with reorganizing your life and priorities.  Don’t push yourself like I did to create a sustainable lifestyle within a strict deadline.  Simply commit to growing towards what you truly believe in, and away from participating in what you don’t.  Commit to learning and reading as much as you can.  

Despite the tumult, I’d be lying if I said that these past two months haven’t been profoundly transforming.  My future possibilities are broader than ever before.  There is little left that I think I can’t do, and plenty more that I think I would like to do.  I feel… fulfilled.

Join me!

Nevertheless, intrepid lover of living creatures little and big that I am, I risk perpetual solitary confinement in a padded room or, even worse, the reputation of an idealist and extremist and romantic by offering to my fellow humans the following advice on how to be compassionate even to those things we normally disdain. That is, I offer this tip on how you can save the life of that dreaded interloper and symbol of all that is icky: the fly.

Here is how you do it: Move really, really, really slowly and catch the fly in a jar or cup or even in your hand (if you do it gently).

Yes, I said that right. Forget the Karate Kid and the lightning-quick chopsticks! Use a slow hand instead.

Apparently, flies can only see things moving if they move quickly. By moving like a slug rather than at mock speed, you can “sneak up” on the fly, which is essentially blind to your movement as you approach. I have found it most effective, and safest, to catch them by the wings rather than the body. But however you do it, do it slowly. And once you catch said fly, you can then kindly and happily take it outside–practicing the insect version of “catch and release.”

Some would-be fly savers have offered other methods, all of them involving quick motion; here is one example from WikiHow.com. But the advantage of taking the “slow-hand” approach (besides being a tribute to the great Eric Clapton) is that you pose less danger to the fly from a too-quick motion and an inadvertent (?) squishing.

And the flies seem to recognize your kindness, at least as far as I can tell. They often sort of relax and ride along as you carry them; sometimes they even walk around on your hand if you do not quite catch them.

Now, if you are to utilize this method of catching and saving a fly, you must first overcome your by-now natural/instinctual reaction to sentence any and all of these buzzing “pests” to a de facto death. You must resist grabbing the flyswatter just in case my discussion of them alone is enough to evoke them from the ether, to call them up out of that infernal cesspool they surely mutate out of. You must avoid plugging in the bug zapper so that you can gloat with glee as they fly into the light and get fried to a crisp.

No, my fellow humans, issuing a bounty on the head of every single fly is not the action of a compassionate caretaker, of a modern-day King Ashoka, but of a heavy-handed tyrant. Becoming a bounty hunter, with the only reward being the satisfaction of squashing the beast and silencing the buzz, is not the action of a steward and caretaker of other living beings.

No, my fellow humans, killing flies as fast as we can swing the swatter is not sustainable or humane…even if our efforts seem to do nothing to reduce the numbers of flies buzzing just about anywhere and everywhere we happen to be.

So the next time you see a fly crawling around your window or hear one buzzing around in your kitchen, try to have a big heart…and a slow hand!

Image credit: Alvesgaspar at Wikimedia Commons.