Helichrysum bracteatum ‘used in traditional medicine to treat cough, back pain, diabetes, asthma, digestive problems, menstrual pain, chest pain, kidney disorders, skin disorders, wounds, open sores, among other conditions’ “some Helichrysum plant parts are either consumed as teas or prepared as “burnt offering” smoke to disinfect the abodes of sick patients and to appeal for blessings from…
Shortly after I came to Kamloops many years ago I got a cat from the SPCA. My daughter picked her out because she came to her seeking affection. Her name was Princess and from the day she came into our lives she was pure love and bad ass-ery.She was an alley cat recued from the…
Scientific name: Pinus ponderosa French name: Pin ponderosa Secwepemc name: s7etqwllppronounced sss et-kw-eech-p Other names: Yellow pine Folklore:How Beaver Stole Fire from the Pine Tree Fun fact: “On a hot day, the bark of the ponderosa pine smells like vanilla and when you break a young twig it smells somewhat like oranges.” BC Gov …
There are several species of birch in our region with all being part of the Betulacae family which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. The largest and most easily recognized are the paper birch which can reach heights of 30-40m tall. They routinely hybridize with other species of birch, most commonly with water birch which…
This tree figures largely in our local landscape it is widespread and extremely common; you already know this plant even if you don’t know its name because of its impact in our everyday lives. If you’ve walked along a riverside trail in the springtime you’ve likely gone home with sticky little shells all over the…
I absolutely love hedgerows. It is one of the best land use practices of the UK and yet didn’t seem to make it over here. Everything else did so I’m not sure why this one didn’t. Probably because it harkens back to pre-industrial agriculture. In case you don’t know a hedgerow is a roughly 10-30m…
Here in Canada Trucks are regulated both federally but also on a Provincial basis. Which means as you travel across our large country the rules change slightly. I live in BC and many of us speculate that in recent years there are more accidents involving semi-trucks and large vehicles. On a small stretch of highway…
Those 3 things and these 3 bags and I’m good to go anywhere really. Things I like to bring for travel/hotel rooms… In my Suitcase/Overnight Bag I often (almost always) toss a backpacking air mattress (Exped) and a sleeping bag into my car when I am going somewhere. When it’s cold I include a wool…
Recently our Provincial government instituted a tax on used vehicles. The tax is automatic so that when you insure a vehicle with ICBC the tax is automatically applied according to their book value for the car you just purchased. Regardless of what you paid for said car the tax is applied. Now I would love…
I’ve been blessed with a relatively well-behaved body that treats me well. In return I try to reat it well. However throughout my 30s I’ve struggled with emotional instability during the last phase of my cycle. I have so much more empathy for men who don’t get to enjoy the beautiful balancing effects of female…
This Christmas you may have noticed that charcuterie boards, grazing boards and snacking plates were all the rage. I jumped on this band wagon because it meant that I didn’t have to cook meals that may or may not be eaten. Also it let us be more flexible with when people ate. Being the cheap,…