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Lovely “Loving Yourself” Workshop

Monday evening was a good time to be outside – the temperature was warm but not humid. We gathered in the shade of the gazebo, the freshly cut lawn underfoot, sitting by the cherry and the apple trees, overlooking the horses’ pasture and the perennial gardens. The bees drowsed in the asters and Shanti my calico cat dropped by as well.

We started our workshop with a brief meditation on our breath, feeling the earth beneath our feet and realizing that our breath is always with us.

We then discussed the facets of ourselves that we need to pay attention to – our physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual aspects. We talked about how we could care for these aspects of ourselves, how to make the time, save the energy for ourselves and accept ourselves just as we are now.

The harvest moon rose and outdid the sunset, I haven’t been able to command the sunset to perform – and tonight the harvest moon was warm and full and luminous. Thank you.

 

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Birdsong and Haying

I am savouring the morning concert of the birds with a solo performance by the ruby-throated hummingbird at his feeder. The solo is more acrobatic than acoustic; accompanied by the whirr of his wings. The solo stands out nicely from the other birdsong which is melodic and liquid. I try to pick out the different calls of the robin, the crow, the phoebe, and the mourning doves,  This concert is in honour of the morning and I am celebrating our getting in the hay for the year.

This spring was cool and very wet delaying the growth of new grass in our pasture, so we fed hay longer than usual and used up all our reserves of hay. We’ve had so much rain this summer that the farmers could not harvest the hay.

This past weekend was one of the few where there were enough dry days in a row to cut, dry and bale the hay. So Bill and I along with our neighbors put in more than 300 bales; 100 for them, 200 for us. We owe them some labour. I am so thankful for their assistance, without it we would still be working on getting in the hay. I find the work itself so satisfying, since it proves that we are again strong and fit enough  to pick up, carry and stack all this hay. It shows that the body can still stretch and throw and sweat and replenish itself, a wonderful tool.

Waterbreak during haying

 It is a way of marking the season, we can relax now that our horses’ feed for the winter is in. I think I need to start planning a summer BBQ for all our neighbours to keep those ties deep and strong.

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A Murder of Crows

I noticed crows congregating in some fields near me, causing me to wonder if crows migrated in the winter. Some do, but a lot of them stick around our area in Ottawa all winter long. They seem to prefer gathering in large flocks or “roosts” at dusk.

Crows are fascinating – they usually mate for life, and have evolved quite a sophisticated family structure with some siblings remaining with the family to raise the following year’s brood.  They use tools and they can recognize  individual humans.

When I see them gathering in large numbers in fall and winter I try not to read a sinister omen in these “roosts” or “murders”; but rather one more sign of winter’s approach.

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More City Dwellers – Less Nature

According to the World Bank, almost 82 per cent of Canadians now live in urban communities — jumping from less than 70 per cent in 1960. This makes us one the world’s 50 most urban nations — ahead of many western European countries like United Kingdom, Italy and Germany.

~from the David Suzuki Foundation Notes from the Panther Lounge.

So, fewer than 1 in 5 Canadians now lives a rural existence. That is indeed a pity – because there are few things more impressive than a crisp clear starry night or a misty meadow coming awake in the sun.Horses enjoying a fall pasture

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How Clean is Too Clean

Coming clean on the risks of using antibacterial productsPosted: 26 Jul 2011 09:00 AM PDT

When was the last time you cleaned your hands, washed some dishes or used a wipe with the term “antibacterial” in its name? With the public’s growing fear of germs and increased desire for fierce sanitation, the number of new antibacterial products has exploded to the point where most people use these kinds of products, and the chemical triclosan, on a daily basis.

Interestingly enough, you might not realize how often you are exposed to triclosan. Products containing the chemical can be found in many consumer products, from cosmetics such as soap and deodorant to dish soap, facial tissues, bed linens and toys. This hit home personally a few months ago when I discovered I had been using toothpaste containing triclosan.

Rachel Brown and Katie van der Sloot are two high school students in Medicine Hat, Alberta, who noticed a flood of these products in their community after the H1N1 pandemic in 2009. They wondered whether our massive defense against germs is actually riskier than the germs themselves. So they launched an ambitious science fair project to find out.

First, they found triclosan-resistant bacteria in their local water. And they’re not alone; Environment Canada has also found triclosan in the Saint Lawrence River. What does the presence of triclosan in our ecosystems mean? I was surprised to learn that it can poison aquatic life, persist in the surrounding environment, and bioaccumulate in animals. As a result, the David Suzuki Foundation placed triclosan on its Dirty Dozen list of chemicals to avoid in cosmetics.

In addition to the environmental effects of triclosan, the chemical can also promote antibiotic resistance. Rachel and Katie found evidence of this when the environmental and human bacterial samples they collected for their experiments showed signs of cross-resistance with triclosan. The antibacterial is also a suspected endocrine disruptor and may form carcinogenic substances, such as chloroform, when mixed with chlorine (this could happen when any product containing triclosan gets used with chlorinated tap water, such as when brushing teeth or washing dishes). As we increase the number of antibacterial products we use, our exposure and the risks to our health grow — triclosan has been found in human blood, urine, and breast milk.

While you can look for triclosan in the fine print of personal care product ingredient lists, manufacturers are not required to disclose ingredients in other types of products. Until this changes, the best thing you can do to avoid triclosan products (PDF) is avoid products that make antibacterial claims. Check out and sign the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Pledge to go Triclosan-Free.

Since conducting their research, Rachel and Katie have become advocates against the use of triclosan by posting a video on YouTube. In an e-mail to the David Suzuki Foundation they state: “We believe these findings should be broadcast internationally for the health and protection of our society.” The pair is well on its way to doing just that. They earned a place at the National Science Fair and took home a bronze medal. They also won the UNESCO Peace and Development award and are on team Canada in an international competition in Slovakia this week. “We highly encourage all members of society to stop their use of antibacterial products altogether and turn back to good old soap and water for cleanliness.”

The Canadian Medical Association agrees; it passed a resolution (Resolution 74) to call on a federal ban on the sale of antimicrobials in consumer products, citing the effectiveness and adequacy of using plain soap in households to prevent infection. The chemical is on the Government of Canada’s radar as a part of the Chemicals Management Plan. The David Suzuki Foundation will be supporting a ban on this chemical.

From the David Suzuki Foundation
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Back to my Beautiful Life

Well, you may have noticed that I haven’t been blogging and trying to share my opinions with you for quite a while. I was taking part in that great exercise of democracy – the Federal election campaign. I was supporting my local candidate by canvassing door  to door, erecting and replacing and replacing signs that were blown down by the wind. Mother Nature wanted to be sure she wasn’t ignored during this campaign, but alas, most did not recognize her interventions.

By canvassing door to door, I’ve learned a great deal about how large and diverse and yet similar my electoral riding is. More on this later. Today I’m just glad – yes even elated to be back to a more reasonably paced life.

Yesterday, I saw only one of the pair of geese that have been visiting my horse pasture every day. They usually return to join their flock at night to be safe. Maybe they are honeymooners, wanting a little together time. Last evening, just the male was there calling constantly. There was also a fox in the pasture – the first one I’ve seen here in more than 10 years. Eventually the male goose ran toward the fox, then turned, and flew away. Perhaps he was trying to lure it away from something. I fear for the female, I hope she isn’t hurt.

This morning, I saw three wild turkeys regally stalking across my pasture, walking under the electrical fence and off into the brush. The warm spring weather is enticing many animals to show themselves. I am happy to witness them.