Got beets and icy streets?

Saw this little blurbette in the paper the other day how the city of Akron, Ohio plans to mix some beet juice into its road de-icer this year. Turns out the beet juice, when mixed with rock salt brine and calcium chloride, can keep ice from forming on streets at very low temps. And the beet mix sticks to streets better than traditional treatments, and lessens the corrosive effect on cars. Only downside is it's costly -- about $2.60/gallon (vs. $.90/gallon for calcium chloride).

Might have to try a little experiment. I think I may just have a few CSA beets left in my root cellar.... I'll bet it looks awfully "pretty in pink" too!!

Do you know of any other neat tricks Mother Nature has up her sleeve? Oh and while I'm thinking about Mother Nature... My 3-year-old told me the other day: "We send music up to the sky so that mama nature can be happy..." Awwwww!