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Alone on the Farm
I am alone on the farm. It happens more often than I realize. Although a small, almost ‘hobby’ farm of 5 acres with neighbors on all sides, I also feel alone. The property has high fences (to keep out deer) and the front gate is shut, with a ‘closed’ sign for our U-Pick. This isn’t […]
A Valuable Lesson from Hurricane Florence
One of the first of numerous natural disasters to which I responded throughout the world was a hurricane along the coast of my home state, South Carolina. I never realized the journey that one small response would take me. I don’t even recall the name of that storm! Hurricane Florence hitting the Carolinas last September […]
The Power is Off!
The electricity is off today at the farm. Only for the day and due to a couple of power pole replacements on our rural road. This is not an emergency, but only an inconvenience. But it is a reminder of the incredible dependency we have for this energy source. There are all the lights, cooking, […]
Household Emergency Kit Maintenance
A while back, my shoulder began aching. Although it seemed to come out of nowhere, maybe it was a pulled muscle or ligament from tackling all the chores on a fruit and berry farm. I discounted this as soreness, but the pain kept worsening. Maybe it’s yet another invasion of the ‘A-word’ (i.e. arthritis), that […]
Wildfire Recovery
2018 has been another historic year in British Columbia for wildfires. I say another, because 2017 was an historic year, as mentioned in a blog last year. The number of wildfires this year has surpassed 2017, as well as the number of hectares burned. Admittedly, the fires have been generally smaller this year, as well […]
Eating Local – Very Local (Part 2)
Having just come off seven days, of ‘eating only what is grown on our farm’, my appreciation of a true pioneer family is immense. My last blog set the stage, and these are a few nuggets I learned. A vegetable garden is essential for self-sufficiency. It’s probably the most important piece of ground on the […]
Eating Local – Very Local (Part 1)
I recently embarked on a food security exercise. Most of you know that I live on a small (5 acre) farm, with assorted berries, fruit, and a vegetable garden. Last week, I committed to eating foods that were only grown on our farm. With my interest in food and emergency preparedness, I wanted to glimpse […]
Heat Wave
It’s stealthy and quiet. It’s relentless. And can be deadly. It gets little recognition and deserves more. And we are having one here on Vancouver Island. A heat wave. Yes, it’s summer in North America, so expected to be warm or hot. But even by Canada standards, the heat for the last three weeks has […]
A Far-Away Summit That Will Impact Your Neighborhood
If you’re reading this blog, you probably stay somewhat knowledgeable of current events. And you’ve surely heard of the face-to-face meeting between the leaders of the US and North Korea now underway in mid-June 2018. It is of great importance, and why am I writing about it. So much of the media is scoffing about […]
A Petty Agricultural Argument between Neighbors
Usually Canadian politics is a bit on the boring side, but not when it involves the US. I actually think the 2nd most popular sport in Canada…after hockey….is bashing America, or more specifically Donald Trump. May 2018 is no exception, especially when Trump is threatening to dismantle or at least re-negotiate NAFTA, the North America […]
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