Podcast 59

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Not retiring at 60. 3rd attempt - very tired. Matt has had his siesta. AJ has bottled beer.

AJ work placement week. Saltscapes expo. What is the difference between an exposition and exhibition?

Tracey Smith in the Toronto Star.

Electric poultry netting - mentioned on Geek.Farm.Life.

Bagels and Baggels. Gooda and Gouda.

Andrew and Misty built their own greenhouse – looking at ways to retain heat.

Humidity question - good for some plants but not others. Humidity can cause problems with pests, mold or spores.

We are looking for a heated winter greenhouse with dual skin.

Sprouting update – what's hot and what's not

Water sampling has started again

Earthquake – damage in Folkestone – 475 houses damaged. 4.3 magnitude on the Richter scale.

We had one in the valley of 3.2 magnitude – was 11th August 2006 so we were living here then (and didn’t notice).

Google Map

Records 1985 to 1997 – nothing over a 4

First tick - yuk. Don't listen while you eat!

Bad Things
AJ – first mosquito bite
Matt – still a little chilly

Good things
AJ – bulbs
Matt – youtube - numa numa

Podcast 58

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Happy National Downshifting Week and Earth Day (happy St. George’s Day for tomorrow)

Truck update










Downshifting week - goals

Work starting

End of year at college

Warm weather – noises – peepers, birds

Sad news – made us feel a long way away from home

Bad Things
AJ – sad news, truck, college ending
Matt – truck or nothing

Good things
AJ – work starting, weather, truck
Matt – weather, summer

This podcast is dedicated to the memory of AJ's Gran.

Free the BBC's Alan Johnston

Its not related to downshifting or Nova Scotia but the BBC's Gaza reporter Alan Johnston has been kidnapped and no-one heard from him for 6 weeks.

The last few weeks I have read and listened to reports about Alan and by Alan (archive audio), especially on From Our Own Correspondent on Radio4. I sincerely hope he is OK and gets released soon. Visit the site above and sign the petition which currently stands at 35,000 signatures.

Podcast 57

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Brought to you by AJ's Banana Bread and Celestial Seasons herbal tea

Winter storm – LOTS of snow – didn’t last long – single biggest snowfall of the winter.

Tracey Smith – Odeo Message – National Downshifting Week and Sustainable Sausage Saturday

House prices in the UK - density doubled over past 10 years

"Housing people like tinned sardines does not come without costs however. Complaints about noisy neighbours have risen fivefold in the last decade with loud music cited as the chief culprit." Reuters

Google maps and Google Earth - 4,416 miles from our old house to our new

Kate Adie sounds posher now on From our own Correspondent- said power as "pa"

Huggles - What's that all about?

Torch Song Trilogy - very well written and acted

Taxes - lots of work!

Bad Things
AJ – hunt for a truck is frustrating
Matt – too much oil - ordered $200 of oil - ended up with $450 worth

Good things
AJ – banana bread
Matt – fresh air

Podcast 56

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Happy Easter

Weather has changed for the weekend

More plants – house is becoming a nursery. Willow propagating - growing "fedges".

Greenhouse - bad news - shipping $600 US from Maine. Still cheaper than other alternatives.

Wine and Trees garden – seen in flesh. Looks even better in the flesh than in the photos.

Woodpecker

AJ has a commission to design a garden

Robins are back - 14 robins in the front garden

Provincial Nominee Program – NS graduate route immigration forms now available.

Wide salary differences in Nova Scotia.

www.acountrylife.com – Canadian Immigration discussion board

Google ads – experiment. Hopefully not too intrusive. Its free money for us if it works. If you are interested in anything – click it – if not don’t :)

Header image has changed. AJ wants to change the bumble bee and the sunflower.

May get the bee hives back.

Bad Things
AJ – snow in spring
Matt – muddy water

Good things
AJ – good things on the horizon
Matt – recognition at work that doing a good job

Podcast 55

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Chainsaw
- cut up lots of the oak but still quite a lot to go
- sat outside on a bit of the oak tree

Spring
– seedlings sprouting
- greenhouse research

Wine and Trees
- AJ’s Japanese Garden











Immigration rant - there will soon be changes to the Provincial Nominee Program (see last Sunday's post on downshiftme.com)

Different woodpecker - will play next week

National Downshifting Week

New York Times – A Year Without Toilet Paper - need to register now to read or check out No Impact Man blog

Bad Things
AJ – people drinking when you can’t
Matt – work yesterday

Good things
AJ – chainsaws, praise, sunshine
Matt – crocus

Plastic bags – to be continued…

We play out with the wonderful Sandie Shaw