Podcast 68

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This week's podcast studio (photo from Feb)

Chicken update
6 boys rehomed. Egg production is up. Celebrating by recording in the greenhouse – the chickens' winter home.

Harry
Sad news is that Harry died. Luckily Chloe recovered after a night in the vets and anti-biotics. We got another cat with undue haste as we were worried about Chloe. Caden has now joined the family. Harry had an amazing character the short time we had him – he was a beautiful loving, affectionate naughty cat. We miss him a lot.


Harry


Caden


AJ's garden masterclass
Weekly tea, cake and gardening

Starting to plan the season
Some seedlings being planted, getting ready for the snow to melt to start work. Also want to tidy some of our woods.

Produce
Quince jelly, mango chutney, curries, naan, yoghurt – making so much from scratch. Some days I have had a 100% homemade lunch – soup, with homemade bread, followed by homemade yogurt with homemade jam in it. Almost as nice as last summer when our meals were often 100% garden produce.

Bad things
Matt – tax returns
AJ – preparing receipts for taxes

Good things
Matt – sunshine
AJ – Spring

Podcast 67

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Visit from Carolyn
Was great to see her
Check out www.frugalandgreenish.com – her well written blog about all things greenish and frugalish.

Chicks
Hatched, grown, flourished – almost as big as their parents now. 5 boys to try to pass on.

Recession
Downshifting is very “in” now – TV programmes have gone from Property Ladder to The Home Show - all talking about making do. Living within your means rather than on credit.
Growing food, knitting, making gifts.

Jeep sold truck bought
Our own little bailout of the auto industry

Energuide survey
Got results – not much hope of any grant money – scored 57 points

Plans for 2009
Work on the house
Build AJ's business
Grow even more vegetables
Optimistic about it

New TV
Flat screen – we have been really consumerist – works with our UK DVD player – great picture and right size – it is our main form of entertainment. Works with our resurrected laptop.

Matt been to PEI
Matt – NS, NB, PE, ON
AJ – NS, NB, AB, ON

Bad things
Matt – TV
AJ – power outages

Good things
Matt – life
AJ – 6 months free Sirius satellite radio

Christmas Tree 2008

With the world in recession and crunched by credit we downsized our Christmas tree for 2008. No fossil fuels were used in this years tree harvesting.



Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, Peace on Earth and Good Will to All.

Matt and AJ

They hatched!

AJ's "good thing" became a great thing yesterday as the eggs one of the chickens had been sat on began to hatch.


We now have 14 little fluffy chicks. The photograph above and the video below were taken yesterday in the middle of hatching.

Podcast 66

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Podcast 66 – get your kicks

Immigration
we landed
permanent residence
long journey – enjoyed the ferry
problems with Canadian immigration
wait times
CIC
study to immigrate
good way to “try before you buy”
bureaucratic system
CIC need to work with people not against them

Broadband, highspeed, ADSL

Spencer - the purr is silenced

Introducing Chloe and Harry – 3 months later



Chickens

Garden update
Greenhouse – up and inflated
Lots more produce
More time
More experience
Produce – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries, rhubarb, potatoes (including lovely blue ones), beans, peas, courgettes/zucchini, carrots, corn, leeks, asparagus



Business update
Park - community involvement

Bad things
Matt – our friends moving to Ottawa
AJ - negative election campaigning

Good things
AJ - potential of us having chicks
Matt – PR and ADSL

The downshift has landed

I am pleased to announce that around 1:30pm yesterday, Saturday 2nd August 2008, we crossed the border into the United States and returned to Canada as permanent residents.

On 2nd August 2010 we will be eligible to become Canadian citizens.

Podcast 65

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Not podcasted since December… quite a winter..

January – snow
February – more snow
March – less snow

Horticultural happenings
- awards
- Skills Canada gold medal
- commissions
- business
- job

Our garden
- greenhouse
- soft fruit
- grapes

Home brewing
- beer
- wine

Immigration update
- medicals
- bureaucracy
- new 5 year graduate work permit

My job
- at the University
- website work

Animal updates
- Spencer
- Dylan
- chickens

Visitors from England next weekend

Bad Things
AJ – ticks
Matt – bugs

Good things
AJ – Twinnings Herbal Teas (wellbeing range)
Matt – living in the country