Thursday, May 23, 2019

So Where Have You Been, Dr Sock?

I haven't posted for so long that you might have thought I'd disappeared somewhere. I've hardly been keeping up on reading my favourite blogs, either.

Good Life, Good Food
Well actually, I've been right here. I made one quick trip to northern BC, but mostly I've just been here at home, living my life.

We've had some friends and family visiting over the past month.

My brother was down here for a visit in late April.We had a great time.

Trail at the Point
We showed him some of our favourite hiking places.

Also the beach, of course!



With My Bro












We also biked the Parksville to Coombs Rail Trail there and back, with a nice stop for lunch in Coombs at the famous Goats on the Roof. It was great to get out on the mountain bikes for the first time this spring. Since then, we've cycled the Rail Trail once more, and also the trails around Enos Lake.

Intrepid Cyclists
We had a visit from my son, who has just returned from a holiday in Barbados. We're looking forward to a visit from my daughter next week.

Our friend Cliff has been visiting too. Last week, we spent an afternoon out on Cliff's ranger tug cruising along beaches and around islands.

Ahoy Captain!
At the Marina
Livin' The Dream
Easter was a big hit with the grandkids. I can explain it in one word: chocolate!

Face Paint and... Chocolate!
My Booth at the Spring Showcase











The last weekend of April, my art group hosted a Spring Showcase. It was well attended and we had a number of guest artists join us this year. You can read more about it here.

The weekend after the art show, I attended a writers' conference. Several members of my writers' group went as well.

I've also been busy with volunteering activities. I volunteer a couple of times a month at my grandson's preschool. Our service group hosted a community Easter Egg Hunt. We also joined the Broombusters' initiative, and spent an afternoon cutting scotch broom around the community centre. Broom is an invasive plant in our area that suppresses native species, is toxic to other plants and animals, and creates a fire hazard. Invasive species are the second greatest cause of loss of species diversity around the world.

Rob Cutting Broom

During April, I spent three weeks participating in the Drawdown Eco-challenge. Participants' focus during the eco-challenge was to commit to making personal changes to reduce their individual impact on global warming. I chose two daily challenges: to eat two meatless meals a day, and to walk daily in nature. As well I completed several one-time challenges, including: creating a compost bin in my yard, mulching trees and shrubs, learning about electric vehicles, learning about heat pumps, and donating to purchase clean cook-stoves in developing countries. There were many options to choose from, including challenges that involved collaborating with community groups or communicating with local leaders to influence environmental policies.

The Drawdown organization eco-challenge that I participated in is not the only chance to get involved. There is a July challenge to go plastic-free. There are also a number of other groups doing great work to reduce global warming and to mitigate the effects of climate change, such as 350.org and Blue Dot. I plan to continue to educate myself and to make changes to reduce my carbon footprint. I have come to understand that the human race has reached a critical juncture and that we need to make sweeping changes now if we want to leave a liveable planet for our children and grandchildren.

I haven't been giving the garden the attention it deserves, but somehow it still manages to look beautiful. My potato, strawberry, and tomato plants are thriving, as are the pots of herbs. However, I can't seem to get the spinach to grow. Bunnies, perhaps?

26 comments:

  1. Hi Deb! Nice to hear from you and see you enjoying the warming weather. Loved the photos and it looks like spring has definitely "sprung." And good for you for staying so active and engaged with your community and with environmental issues. We've followed 350.org for years now but I hadn't heard of Blue Dot. I will check them out. Education about climate change and what we can each do to help is so very important. ~Kathy

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    1. Hi Kathy. The temptation with global warming is to just stick my head in the sand because it seems too big and the consequences are so terrifying. But I do believe that the way change happens is through one person at a time educating themselves and taking action, until it adds up to a movement. Starting with little things, like refusing plastic bags, carpooling, and eating less meat all help a little, especially if lots of people do these things, and ultimately helps build a mindset where we can move on to bigger things, like choosing an electric vehicle, divesting portfolios of fossil fuel stocks, reducing material consumption, and voting for parties with strong environmental policies (and then holding them to it).

      Jude

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  2. Okay...that's what I get for commenting before coffee in the morning. Your name is Jude...not Deb :-) Please forgive me....now for more coffee :-)

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    1. Haha, yeah, coffee is an absolute necessity in the morning around my place too.

      Jude

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  3. Wow! Not surprised you are too busy for blogging.

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    1. Yep. And I forgot to mention that I took my first Elder College course throughout March and April too. It was a weekly literature class on Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf. I loved it.

      Jude

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  4. Hi, Jude - I loved this catch-up. Your photos are gorgeous! I am looking forward to our IRL catch-up this July. See you then!

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    1. Hi Donna. Yes, when we meet, I’ll get to hear all about your Camino walk. I hope you’re having a wonderful time.

      Jude

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  5. You have been busy... good for you! Your pictures make your area look so lovely - I'm looking forward to seeing it myself later this summer!

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    1. Janis, I do really love this area. I look forward to meeting you in person this summer.

      Jude

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  6. Hi Jude - I love reading your catch-up. Looks like you had a perfect month with family and friends, beautiful scenery, the great outdoors, good food and chocolate! Your art booth at the Spring showcase looks fabulous. I'm planning a trip to BC in September, still have a few details to finalize. I hope to meet up with you and Donna if my plan works out.

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    1. Natalie, you’re coming here??? It will be great to meet you. Keep me posted on your plans.

      Jude

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    2. Yes, Jude, tentative September 19-24 in Victoria. I hope you're available to meet me on one of these dates. I don't have your email. Is there another way to contact you other than on your blog?

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    3. Hi Natalie. I’ve looked for your email on your blog so I could send you a message but couldn’t find one. If you send me your email address here, I’ll respond by email.

      Jude

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    4. Hi Jude - I just subscribed to your blog with my email address. It has the word 'toronto' in it :)

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    5. Hi Natalie, Unfortunate that my timing won't work to meet up with you, re our camping/retreat Long Beach. Reading the thread of comments here. I don't know whether you eat ice cream, guilty pleasure for me. We always stop in Coombs for ice cream. You will likely hear about the Goats on the Roof when you are in Parksville. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to email me:)

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    6. Natalie, I have sent you an email. Looking forward to your visit.

      Jude

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  7. Hi Jude! Wow, you have been crazy busy - with fun and educational and artsy things. Congrats on making a conscious difference for our environment. I noticed that I’ve only eaten meat (chicken) three times this month and I’d like to keep it up! The place where we are volunteering for two weeks with dogs (Best Friends Animal Sanctuary) in Utah offers a daily vegan buffet for $5 a person, so we’ve spoiled with that twice. :-) Enjoy your time with your friends and grandkids!

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    1. Liesbet, how great that you are volunteering with Best Friends. Utah is one state that I have not yet visited. It must be quite warm there already at this time of year?

      I am finding it hard to drop the meat habit. Not that I am trying to go totally vegetarian, but rather I’m just aiming to reduce my meat consumption. In particular, beef and lamb are the greatest contributors to global warming, so those are the meats that I now rarely eat, and when I do, I try to buy locally raised and grass fed. Chicken is a great protein alternative that has a low impact on global warming. When I choose fish, I buy “oceanwise” rated fish and shellfish.

      Jude

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    2. I wish it was hot here! That’s what we were counting on. Instead, we’ve had weeks of hail, snow, freezing rain, rain, and frost. A maximum of about 5C at night and 20C during the day!! Anomalies, for sure. And, not fun... :-(

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    3. Wow! It’s colder there than here. It’s been so warm and dry here that we’re already worrying about another drought this summer.

      Jude

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  8. Whew, good to see you back. I almost removed your blog from my blogroll since it seemed as though you had stopped posting! But, after reading this, it is obvious you have not been withdrawing from anything! You are going full throttle.

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    1. Hi Bob. Yes, that’s me - Ms. Full Throttle. Thanks so much for listing my blog on your blog roll, and for reading my posts.

      Jude

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  9. Hi Jude, We used to live in Northern BC and the Yukon. Where did you visit in Northern BC? Reading your post reminds me how lucky I am to live on the Island. We plan a yearly camping trip/retreat to Long Beach and we always stop in Coombs for their amazing ice cream. All photos great, especially the Easter one with the Children. (I am finding Blogger plus Firefox is allowing me to make comments:)

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    1. Erica/Erika: it’s great to hear from you. I’ve read many of your posts, although I think I’ve only commented once or twice. Yes, we like to go for ice cream at Coombs too. Lucky you, going to Long Beach in September!

      I spent quite a few years living and working in northern B.C., including Prince George, Smithers, Terrace, and Prince Rupert. We still have lots of friends and family there.

      Jude

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