What is old is made anew.

 

Bartering; a word that is almost never used anymore. Our forefathers used this system as a means to get the necessities they needed. Money wasn't needed until someone realized that they couldn't get taxes out of bartering so the bartering system started leaving our society a little at a time till now it's almost never used.

There is a group of people that want to bring back the barter system or as it's now called barter based.

Yummy baking that was up for trade.

I was perusing through Facebook a few months ago when someone was asking if there were any people interested in giving classes, whether it was knitting, soap making etc... through the barter based system. Several people, OK really, a lot of people were interested. I was still skeptical, but I kept following the group and seeing how things were going. Honestly, I didn't think it they were going to make a go at it. But I was still intrigued...so I signed up for Tri-County Folk School first Maker's Swap. I snagged tickets for my mom and I (they were of course free) and off we went. The maker's swap is a way of meeting other people and swapping goods that you make yourself. So you bring with you 1-3 items to put on the table. To make a long story short, you each pick a number out of a bowl and when your number is called you go and take something from the table. This goes on until everything is gone.

After the event I sat down with the brainchild that had been inquiring several months ago if anyone was interested in barter based learning, Dyrfinna Inn Irski.

Dyrfinna and her partner are not from the area, they are originally from Ontario and have been living in the area for the last 3 years. She was always interested in the barter system and there is a barter based learning group in Annapolis. Her and her partner traveled there many times to take the classes even though it was a long way, but that's how passionate she is about the system.

Then while she was recovering from Covid, that's when she decided to see how many people from this area would be interested in trying it. She was blown away by the response! That's when she started the Tri-County Folk School bartering for life skills group.

Some of the items up for grabs

There are 3 classes a month that are usually held at the Kaye Nickerson Adult Learning Centre in Yarmouth. So far there have been classes in processing chickens, making soap, meditation and the list goes on and on. The plan is simple, she announces the class, time and location. If you're interested, you go on Eventbright to reserve your ticket (this is done so she can keep track of the amount of people). There is a description of what you can expect and what the teacher would like to barter their knowledge for. Usually it's items like, homemade soaps, baked goods, eggs etc... and also to bring something for the food bank. It's that simple. No need to complicate things, no money is ever exchanged, it's simply just bartered.

I asked Dyrfinna if there were any issues in the system and the only one was trying to find a space to do the classes but other than that, everyone so far has loved the way it's done. You don't need to be an expert to teach a class, you just need to be willing to share your knowledge with others. She wants to make bartering normal again. I think she's going to succeed because I'm now a convert and I'm going to be teaching my first class in a few weeks! She's also trying to find a space in Clare to expand the group.

The goodies I came home with.

You can follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

Big Garbage Day

 

I'm becoming crafty.

That is a sentence I never thought I'd write.

This fall Dave and I went on our first garbage pick.

About an hour and a bit from here is another 

Acadian community is what  everyone calls Par-En-Bas.  

A dear friend of mine Alice lives there.

She told me last year that they have what they call

Big garbage day.  One in the fall and one in the spring.

They can put anything at the end of the road for the garbage people to 

bring to the dump.  But even though it's just one day (usually Saturday)

people start putting their stuff at the road on the Wednesday.

This way people can go and check out the garbage  treasures at

the end of the driveways. 

 So being ever so adventurous, 

I told Dave we're going this year!

And we went. 

 I actually took a day off work for this since

Friday is the best pick day.

But I felt so weird picking through people's garbage.

After a few places you get over it.

I think it's a great way to stop stuff from going in the landfills.

I mean what they say is true, 

"One man's garbage is another man's treasure"

Except insert woman instead of man.

Dave wondered if we should bring the truck or SUV.  

We figured it would be better to bring the SUV, less chance of bringing home too much stuff!  And we were correct.  

Holy cow! We came back with so much stuff from a new 

vinyl window for the chicken coop Dave is building to 

flower pots, vintage suitcases (that I will use to plant flowers in)

Old, old frames that yes, I do have a plan for.  

A rocking horse that will be used as garden décor. 

And many, many other things.

I have already begun repurposing a few things.

And it's so much fun!

Here's a few of the things we picked up. 

Window that Dave has used for the new coop
And a nice flower pot and windchimes

Plant stand

Old suitcase to be used as a planter

Nice pot and frames underneath

Rocking horse

Medicine cabinet BEFORE

Medicine cabinet AFTER!

The medicine cabinet is in le Poulailler holding my

teas and tea accessories!

See I can be crafty when I put my mind to it. 

So needless to say, we shall

be at the spring big garbage day...I mean

the day before! 

Have a Blessed Day.

Lisa

Le Poulailler

What little girl didn't want a playhouse when I was a kid.

To pretend they were all grown up and playing house.

Well it's taken 54 years but I finally have my own playhouse to 

play grown up in! Only now they're known as she sheds.

And mine is known as 

le Poulailler! French for hen house. 

This is the place for women (and men but mostly women)

to drink wine  tea, play bingo, chat, paint etc...

It's also the place where my new talk show on Eastlink Community TV

will take place if Covid can ever go away! We have the

first two episodes filmed but then we were

closed down because of Covid.

Hubby built le Poulailler with lumber we got sawn off our piece 

of property further inland.  

I've been collecting stuff for years for le Poulailler because

I love vintage 50's - 70's style stuff.  

I know I was born in the wrong era.

Little did I realize I was collecting all the same colour..orange.

It's just about finished.  I just need a few shelves put up.  

But so far we've had some bingo gatherings, I've done some crafts

and when the power went out last week we had breakfast there also!

I can see many wonderful memories are going to be made

in the little Poulailler.  

So you will all have to wait and see what else

happens in le Poulailler...

because what happens in le Poulailler...stays in le Poulailler.

Have a Blessed Day

Lisa

 

He's such a fungi!

 I have officially become a plant nerd.

Yup.  There it is.

I've gone to the other side.

Now not only flowers intrigue me but 

my weird obsession has grown to FUNGI! and all things weird and creepy.

Just to prove it to you I went for a walk in the woods and

look at everything I found!

Corral fungus

Ghost pipe

False chanterelle

Ghost pipe

This one was actually pushing the ground up.

I love the gills on this one.

Dog vomit mold

I don't know the names of them all

(I'm not that nerdy yet)

But it's just fascinating.

So here's to my new hobby.

He's such a fungi...or gal!

Have a Blessed Day

Lisa

Wordless Wednesday

 

Worms....

Worms...

Worms live underground

Worms tickle me

I laughed so hard I thought I'd die

I did die

They buried me

Worms....

Just a little poem from a friend when we were kids.

Strange how you can remember these kind of things from 35 years ago

yet  I can't remember I put the chicken in the oven!

Anyway, all this as an intro to what I've been doing the last 6 months.

Vermicomposting.

The benefits of working for a radio station is all the cool and interesting people 

you get to meet! One of these people is Anne Leblanc that works

at Wastecheck. Wastecheck is Nova Scotia's program for composting.

It's a cool thing to be involved in.  Well I think so anyway...but

I'm also excited when I get a load of compost as a birthday gift.

So really, what do I know.

Anyway, coming back to Anne. 

Since she's French speaking she has done

alot of shows on our radio station  educating the public 

about composting and  recycling.

One day I asked her about vermicomposting.

She said they actually had some at their office

and would gladly share. 

Anne with a handful of worm poop!

So one day I go pick up a bin with half a pound of worms.

With instructions in my brain, I am now the parent

to many, many worms.  Tiny things called

red wigglers.

Before we started digging in the bin.

The radio station  is in a building owned by our 

municipality.  We are on the top floor with EMO and 

the main floor has other community organizations.

It's a really nice building having just been redone

a few years ago.  The best thing about it is that

it has a large communal kitchen.  Coffee makers,

microwave, stove, full size fridge...you get the point.

So I decided we would put the worms in there.

They're like our mascots.  

So we have a little container in the fridge that is 

for worm scraps.  Because 1/2 pound of worms

don't eat very much.  So we feed them once a

week.  They're also kinda fussy.

No dairy, meat, grease and NO CITRUS! They hate

citrus.  Yup fussy little things. But they

work hard to give us their lovely poop...uh I mean castings.

Half of the worms we ended up with.

So after 6 months I brought the bin home because it was

time to divvy up the worms and get our own new bin. 

Anne and I had a date to separate our worms.

I guess we were good worm parents because we ended up

with 4 pounds of worms!!

It took awhile to separate them from their castings but it was fun. 

So Anne brought back her bin and her part of the worms and I now have 

our own proper bin with worms for the office.

I was just going to bring them home and leave them 

there.  But I guess everyone in the building considers them

their pets!  So I guess that's going to be their home.

I mean how many workers can brag that they

have their own personal composting machine in their office building.

This is our new worm bin.  Ready to start all over again.

Oh and in case you're wondering, they don't smell or bring in 

any other insects if it's done properly.  The only

smell we had was when we opened the lid.  It would

smell like dirt.  And we never had fruit flies or anything like that.

So I hope that maybe one day you can start your own little worm farm.

My Lenten Roses still blooming like crazy in February.  
It's been a crazy winter.

Have a blessed Day!
Lisa

Experience of a lifetime!

 If any of you haven't figured it out yet,

I love the great outdoors and everything that

goes along with it.

Except wood ticks, not sure why God put them on earth. Yuck!

And in all the things I am involved with I meet a lot of 

interesting people.

I think we first met Amelie at one of our garden club meetings and the

next year I met her partner Shawn at a gardening symposium.

He was giving a talk about birds! 

And I guess he would know a thing or two about them since

he is a professor at University Ste. Anne.

He's an ornithologist. (bird specialist to us ordinary folk)

They are always present at our Seedy Saturdays to represent 

the students from the University Ste. Anne with 

all the plants they have grown in the university

greenhouse.

Last year before Covid hit, I asked Shawn if he would

come and talk to the garden club about birds.

Unfortunately he couldn't make it, but he did offer

for the club to come with him on his Saw-whet owl 

research nights.  

Well of course!  Even if nobody from the garden club

would be interested, I know we would be!

Before we could set a date to go, Covid hit.

He could only take 4 people at a time and they had to be 

students.  But if ever a student couldn't make it he would 

let me know.

Last night I got a text from him asking if Dave and I were interested.

I was so excited I could barely contain myself.

I mean, who wouldn't be excited about going out in the cold,

forest at night! Well I was anyway...but I'm a bit

strange...or so I've been told.

So we all met at the lighthouse on the university grounds.

We marched to the woods behind the university while it was still

a bit light out to set up the nets.  

The nets are very lightweight and are specially designed for

this purpose. It's not something you can 

go and buy anywhere.  Only a few specific companies

make them and you have to prove that

you have a permit from the government to study birds.

They also have a speaker that emits

the call of other Saw-whet owls.

Then we went back to the lighthouse and waited...and waited...

after 30 minutes we set back out to the woods.

By this time it's rather dark out and you have to watch

your footing.

Our first foray out was unproductive. Nothing.

So we went back to the lighthouse for another

30 minutes.

While we waited Shawn explained a bit of what

they would do if we caught one. And also about this tiny owl.

-the female is larger than the male

-they only weigh between 54-151grams

-they're approx 6-8 inches high

-they have a certain pigment under their wings that

is detected under UV light and determines their age

-their main diet in this area are voles and mice

-they are cute as buttons and so, so soft! (ok, I added that)

So we went back to the net.  Once again no luck.

But the third time was the charm! We had one!

It took a few minutes to take it out of the netting, but Professor Shawn

was very, very gently taking it out.  The less stress that is 

put on these animals the better. 

We brought it back to the lighthouse to begin taking 

data about this cutie patootie 

(ya, ya, I know not very scientific language but you'd be calling it that also if you'd been there)

It was weighed, measured and it's age determined and then banded.

Showing a proper grip on the owl called the "backpack grip"

The UV light showing the pink pigment that tells
us it's a juvenile

Getting ready to have a band put on

Teeny tiny bands all numbered.

They even record from what direction it came from, the wind speed,

temperature and moon cycle. 

Then after we fawned over it for a few minutes, it was let go. 

It was determined that is was a female from this year.

Another hold they use to make sure it doesn't get hurt.

Honestly, how cute it this!!

After everything was done, they went and took the net down.

We just want to thank Professor Shawn for letting us tag along

with his research last night.  We would do it again in a heartbeat!

We hope after Covid is done that we will be able to bring the garden club

to experience this.

Have a  Blessed evening

Lisa