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 near my house there is an accident involving a tractor-trailer at least once a month. In February of 2023 there…
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 blanket. Honestly it has come in handy so many times. I can usually squish them both in my suitcase if…
A pumpjack draws out oil and gas from a well head near Calgary in October 2022. There are thousands of inactive oil and gas wells in the province that have not been properly decommissioned. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh At the end of the third quarter reporting season in October, the Big Four oilsands producers continued to report record profit levels. Collectively, Cenovus, CNRL, Imperial Oil and Suncor earned $5.8 billion in the third quarter and…
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 to hear the economic reasoning behind why taxing the sale of used goods benefits the everyday citizen and is an…
I recently had the pleasure of watching this beautiful documentary in which scientist Diana Beresford-Kroeger explores our profound biological and spiritual connection to trees. Call of The Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees
I believe in Heaven on Earth. Or rather that Earth is our Heaven. If we so choose to create it to be that way. I believe we have the ability to build cities, communities, neighbourhoods and businesses that nourish and enrich our lives. I believe economic and financial wealth are constructs that have enslaved us. That we have literally become the slaves of corporations, organizations and systems that seek only to ensure their survival, not…
I have been using essential oils in my home as a natural way to keep me and my family healthy and balanced since long before it was trendy. Before the days of DoTerra and Young Living there was a gorgeous store in my home town called Sage which sold essential oils, diffusers and a few select blends. That was decades ago. Fast forward to today and the internet is filled with recipes, remedies and recommendations…
If you could live as though money were no object how would you live? In a home, not too big, with a wood stove and a well. Large yards permaculture landscaped.I would stay home with my children and teach them about the world. Do crafts, projects, dioramas, read stories and other activities to facilitate learning.We would cook together and learn about food preparation. In the warm months we would spend our days in the garden…
One of the many problems with living alone is that you don’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of. You can do whatever you want in an instant and the only flack you’ll get is from you. This can be good or it can be bad. Like when you decide to have 15 yards of gravel delivered maybe a second opinion is a good idea. Maybe 10 would be lots. And those life choices that…
My kids are getting older and while they aren’t exactly staying out all hours of the night or anything they can do a lot of things for themselves. One of the things my son in particular likes to do is play music. He frequently pops in a ‘Little People’ CD and cranks it. Which after one too many renditions of ‘Wheels on the Bus’ got me to thinking he needed some new material. Enter the…
Around this time of year many communities now celebrate Seedy Saturday a local exchange of seeds collected by backyard gardeners and small scale farmers. Only a few short years ago I remember Seed Saturday being a tiny gathering that likely meant a long day cooped up in some tiny community hall (the packing house in my hometown) with grandmothers who gardened to save on the grocery bill before it was the ‘in’ thing to do.…
Tonight we all lose an hour of sleep, the groundhog saw his shadow and I got a notice in my mailbox yesterday that said it was time to clean up my yard all of which point to one very exciting fact: spring is in the air. And as I go through my notebook and review the list of goals I sought to accomplish I am pleased to be able to put a great big checkmark…