tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81312026707259808442012-01-13T10:59:48.809-05:00Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.comBlogger941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-36285628792086601732011-03-30T06:48:00.025-04:002011-04-02T18:48:44.582-04:00

After weeks of dormancy, a few days of blazing sunshine in March gave us the confidence to give the hoop house a breather and check out what was growing inside.We had pretty much left everything alone for January and February as we hunkered down through bitter cold, dull days. Snow had completely covered the house a few times and I could see ice flaking off the inside was I removed snow (

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-47068763202027296292010-09-08T09:43:00.017-04:002010-11-07T12:57:15.323-05:00

The start of September found us, not relaxing in anticipation of a colourful fall, but racing the clock trying to get the hoop house structure done in time for planting.Some of the slower growing plants, such as Kale, were sown indoors and had already begun sprouting in their little pods, ready to be transplanted to the ground. The carrots would need to be sown a.s.a.p. and the beets soon

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-5357179382096372162010-08-15T16:09:00.026-04:002010-11-07T11:46:29.539-05:00

And so, our brave little 12 foot wide, 20 feet long PVC tubing structure had served us well for two winters, but was not strong or adaptable enough to handle both hot and cold months.We needed something Bionic; bigger, stronger and able to allow generous air flow.Prompted by a heads-up from Lisa M about an ad in our local Buy and Sell, we contacted the owners of a nursery in our region who were

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-23395350571388346942010-07-15T14:39:00.003-04:002010-08-15T16:09:15.061-04:00

When we built our hoop house in 2008, our plan was to see if we could extend the growing season of some basic greens into the fall and early winter. For us, it would be judged a success if we could pick some spinach for Christmas dinner from our own garden.Our first year surpassed all expectation, yielding food well into March, and our second winter was no different (except we learned the hard

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-83253452394721451822010-01-01T15:08:00.018-05:002010-01-03T17:17:50.993-05:00

The model on which our major food retail is based in Canada is neither historic nor cutting edge. Rather, our food chain stores are like an old machine clunking along, it's business plan rooted in a brief moment in consumerism, somewhere between Leave it to Beaver and the Beach Boys. The stores are bigger every year, boasting more selection and more services. Ironically, these shops

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-13259525405815985862009-11-11T16:02:00.048-05:002009-11-15T12:44:40.808-05:00

I feel I don't know enough about politics or world history to easily form an opinion on "war". On one hand, I wouldn't choose to fight as a first course of action, unless I was being attacked at which time I expect I'd defend myself. Yet, if I was being attacked in response to my own act of invasion, then my attacker would also just be defending themselves. At the back of my mind (where I

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-32449769495447154702009-08-09T09:43:00.010-04:002009-08-09T13:38:34.598-04:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-45541198964248094102009-06-17T07:09:00.003-04:002009-07-01T09:14:54.530-04:00

Who ever thought too much blogging would result in no blogging, but that's what's happened to me.Apart from working on a new blog for the Horton Farmer's Market here in St. Thomas, and planning the design of one for our friends at McSmith's Organic Farm, I've given myself a blog challenge;I wont throw out a piece of plastic until I know I can't recycle it.And then post a list so I'll never have

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-63918361210399226432009-06-07T09:55:00.026-04:002009-06-07T18:27:02.596-04:00

What is it about apple trees?Is it some deep DNA-linked force, that their mere presence reassures me?Knowing birds have a home and bees have a meal certainly works for me on a tree-hugger level, but I wont be sitting under them for shade or climbing them to hide from seekers.I guess they kind of seem wise to me, once they get old and wizened.Robin loves the knarriness of a fruit tree that's seen

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-32299647564703891212009-05-10T08:31:00.011-04:002009-05-25T19:36:40.911-04:00

When we bought our house in spring of 2007 we had only ever rented, or owned the "inside" of a house. I know that sounds odd, but the closest we'd been to ownership was our condominium of which we owned only the space up to and including the inside of the outer walls, doors and windows. So armed with only our interior knowledge we started a journey to make a greener home and, hopefully, qualify

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-48511234215385304842009-03-01T10:09:00.020-05:002009-03-01T12:49:29.222-05:00

We took a small leap of faith when we dreamt of home-grown leafy greens, hand-picked from our own garden in the middle of an Ontario winter.Actually, faith tempered with research, good advise, and hope.One thing for me to quickly realize was I'd have to largely abandon control and embrace weather in ways I wasn't expecting. I found myself loving the absolutely bone-chilling days when it was

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-73244334682025044622009-01-31T11:36:00.035-05:002009-02-01T17:01:48.239-05:00

Tread Lightly, and Leave No Trace.Tread LightlyTread LightlyandLeave No Trace.I repeat this mantra every once in a while, especially when I've judged myself harshly for being wasteful, or for taking more than my share. I have to remember that living respectfully is not about punishment or doing without; for me it's about taking control and doing my best to responsibly enjoy one fair share, one

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-30317664973038478142009-01-04T10:45:00.012-05:002009-01-04T11:14:22.357-05:00

Bea's big revealBuster's bushed after opening giftsBen gets toastyechos of Ella

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-43911959029260728632008-10-26T08:34:00.035-04:002008-11-10T18:43:46.715-05:00

Helping our friend Michelle at Fairmeadow Farm as she assembled her really big 20 by 100 foot hoop-house, was a good trial-run for our own hoop-house construction, though we could put 10 of covered gardens under her roof, with plenty of room to navigate!).Not long after erecting the cover, inside and out her crops looked sumptuous, as if carved out of marzipan, obediently lined into their rows,

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-253148239242538992008-10-19T09:36:00.061-04:002008-10-26T08:32:41.635-04:00

When we bought our little house in May 2007, we had many plans, the way you do when everything seems "doable". We imagined we would keep the projects small-scale, have endless resources and energy, and accomplish anything we set our minds to.One thing that was obvious to both of us, was our need to find a way to better utilize our south-facing back yard, which was 20% garden and trees, 30%

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-33115852505329517812008-09-14T09:52:00.011-04:002008-09-14T10:08:08.380-04:00

Although I am a believer in the theory of "work where you live or live where you work", I have to admit in practice it isn't always possible.Growing up in St Thomas, I walked or cycled everywhere. I could always get to school on my own steam and even come home for lunch. To the library, movie theatre and band practice, to swimming and tennis lessons, I was independent and active.In Toronto,

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-12654883527716763152008-07-26T16:47:00.047-04:002008-08-12T11:49:09.664-04:00

... to redo our bathroom, apparentlyI guess folks were smaller in 1950 because our bathroom is literally one yard wide, from wall to tub edge. Factor in an average sink at 24-28 inches and you're inhaling just to step in. Actually, it's more of a shuffle (beware the door knob).I've never agreed with the concept of making streets wider because cars are getting bigger and I guess I feel that way

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-53016637021129216262008-07-21T20:23:00.018-04:002008-08-04T09:21:04.729-04:00

When we moved to St. Thomas last year, we were moving towards something, not away from something. Yet we did leave behind some pretty special bits of our lives.Such as my pal Lisa.Now here's a gal who likes things the way she like things and if you dare to ask "why?", you'd be wise to take a seat.She's got a knack for making me split-a-gut.I've never laughed so hard, and for such a long time as

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-36643715436623676302008-07-17T19:22:00.086-04:002008-08-04T09:18:08.109-04:00

One of the things that prompted me to quit smoking years ago was my realization that the day would come when I would have to quit. I stepped out of my denial and stopped doing something I knew wasn’t good for me. That's pretty much how I feel about the state of our environment; I figure why should I wait for the nasty to happen when I could be proactive and make some changes today that

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-4950895652832184572008-06-27T21:33:00.027-04:002008-07-04T14:03:09.436-04:00

Further to my rant about how we respond to, react to, and respect each other, I've had my share of applications that were sent off with my best intentions, to which I never received a response. Off they went, on a one-way journey accompanied by a succinct cover letter, leaving me to wonder if my email or fax went to the right place. Ironically, many of these were to apply for positions in the

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-84765319547382616442008-06-27T20:57:00.014-04:002008-06-27T21:32:54.503-04:00

I’d like to know who decided “only qualified applicants will be contacted”, because I have a question for them -Why?Why can’t all applicants be contacted?Is it because it takes a minute or two; about the time it takes to cover your mouth when you sneeze, or say excuse me when you bump someone.Is it because we don’t need to; like when we accidentally litter and don’t return to pick it up, or only

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-81551062730792172642008-06-02T18:40:00.053-04:002008-06-09T17:17:28.928-04:00

We lost two great ladies this week; One passed quietly, surrounded by loved-ones; One went in a blaze, having been abandoned, neglected.Margaret Jean Kerr (Dobie)Margaret Kerr, Mrs. Kerr to me and thousands of others, was my kindergarten teacher who died this week at 91.Many of us have fond memories of our first teacher, and my connection to Marg extends beyond teacher/student, as I remember her

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-86580906513499980242008-05-13T06:31:00.036-04:002008-05-19T17:26:27.130-04:00

Growing up, I logged some pretty significant time watching “jiggle” television; Charlie’s Angels, Three’s Company, the Solid Gold dancers etc. Though the obvious point(s) of this kind of programming was completely wasted on me, the lives of the folks in these shows did help plant the seeds of unrealistic expectations for my future life as an adult; glamorous, always fun, exciting.Oddly, now that

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-29763856369408216352008-04-28T18:21:00.028-04:002008-04-29T17:31:18.198-04:00

Spring at our house started early with some forsythia twigs Laura had clipped for us, which soon sprung to vibrant life, golden with blossoms.Soon after, we had blue bells and miniature daffodils, then large daffodils and narcissus, fragrant and sunny;pale, brilliant, and butter yellows, yellow tinged with scarlet, and white

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-74825147272702260272008-04-15T09:26:00.041-04:002008-07-04T21:57:54.380-04:00

Here's the quandary ...In spite of it's red-white-and-blue-ness, Shoppers Drug Mart is a Canadian company, one of our largest chains at 1,055 shops. And as such, it's likely that their products end up in most Canadian homes. Personally, I've tried to resist the call of this lumbering siren by shopping at our own very successful, local, small town pharmacy, Yurek's, which has been around since

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-18908762729079255662008-04-13T10:32:00.020-04:002008-04-15T09:22:45.397-04:00

Early in Thom Hartman’s fascinating Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight, Thom hypothesizes that if on Monday we humans discovered how to preserve food (drying, salting etc.), then on Tuesday we discovered conquering. Thom’s theory is that once we learned how to store food to consume at a later date, rather than immediately eating what we harvested or killed, we then felt the need to accumulate as

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-74392224370839062912008-02-29T16:13:00.082-05:002008-04-13T10:31:02.574-04:00

Like Teflon, Polycarbonate plastic pops up in the news fairly often. The typical pattern consists of a warning, often alarming, posted by an environmental group (Greenpeace, Environmental Working Group etc.) followed quickly by a denial from The Society of the Plastics Industry (S.P.I.), usually drawing on historical data from previous case studies.Back and forth, the unending war between those

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-1981219854925783822008-02-28T18:00:00.008-05:002008-02-28T18:29:48.931-05:00

A few things I'm working on ...Toothpaste- why can't I swallow it (there's actually a warning on the tube) and should my sensitivity toothpaste have additional whitening agents? They all seem to, but don't they cancel each other out?- the C.D.A. crest - it's the dental industry's badge of honour, but is it reliable (or is this another "Heart Check" program)Recycling- why the residents of a

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-51547278388561322962008-02-25T16:58:00.022-05:002008-02-25T12:21:28.609-05:00

House paint can be pretty nasty, and the toxicity is largely due to the presence of V.O.C.s (volatile organic compounds) releasing chemicals into our air, impacting our health and increasing smog.This is why, simply put, paint is stinky.Most surface coating manufacturers now have low V.O.C. “green” collections, while some, such as Safecoat in the U.S., make nothing but low or no V.O.C.

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-43096371745103415972008-02-15T15:47:00.050-05:002008-02-25T12:22:54.039-05:00

Astrologically speaking, 2 Cancers living together equals some serious pressure on the crab shell to satisfy a wide range of nesting needs.Add to that the fact my wish list is quite different from Robins; he wants to stay ahead of structural weaknesses and has some clear ideas about landscaping, whereas I want the building to be extremely energy efficient with the ability to function off-grid if

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-66300898303913165002008-02-06T17:35:00.000-05:002008-02-06T19:26:39.689-05:00

Our first christmas tree in our first house brought some sparkle to our living room and is now providing shelter and perching- possibilities on our deck.We had expected, as with our past trees, we'd be dragging a dry, needle-dropping stick outside to toss somewhere into the garden for the birds. We were nicely surprised to find our tree not only hadn't lost a needle, it was still absorbing water

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-26213010997905356032008-01-30T07:31:00.000-05:002008-02-06T13:07:27.081-05:00

There is nothing democratic about publishing, and the editor’s blurb in a magazine can often sound like a political party line .... "as a reader of this magazine, you're concerned about this or that, you live this kind of life, doing these sorts of things, blah blah blah ... ".By purchasing a mag you are, in effect, buying into the party. That’s why I don’t buy Field and Stream, and it’s

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-72162036826934206102008-01-23T17:09:00.000-05:002008-01-23T20:57:30.400-05:00

This membership magazine wins my award for Best Realization of a Purpose; the Purpose to promote an organization which I wish we had here in Canada ...As a general rule, I feel that we should put our money into our own economy whenever possible and holiday travel is a perfect, economically powerful opportunity. It is during a holiday that we’re more likely to dine at restaurants, purchase

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-74318210062355376222008-01-17T10:48:00.000-05:002008-01-17T10:28:33.696-05:00

Most people seem to have an agenda, and even an honest person selects what truths they want revealed. And so, it’s very difficult to know which source of information is trustworthy; certainly a source relying on the sales of advertising or airtime has pressures other than telling all sides of the story.I find this particularly the case with medical information. The entire medical industry (

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-49489570358887872962008-01-14T18:48:00.000-05:002008-01-14T12:06:32.035-05:00

While visiting our pal Janet at her home in Austin Texas a couple of years ago, we fell in love. Not with Janet (that happened years before), but with her house.Besides being ultra-cute, it:was of a certain age (50ish);was a manageable size;had windows to open on all sides;was surrounded by a bit of property and (best of all for me);was house shaped!Though we knew we were loving her home

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-29751442290006366472008-01-10T12:00:00.000-05:002008-01-10T21:19:11.880-05:00

I guess, by definition, I’m a Nationalist … a person devoted to the interests or culture of one’s nation. That's not to say I think Canada is necessarily the best place in the world to live, or that being Canadian is somehow better than being Swiss or Maori or whatever. But it is where I choose to live and where my roots are.It's because of this perspective that I was initially attracted

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-66067773621573592972008-01-05T13:40:00.000-05:002008-01-05T12:48:13.940-05:00

Launched in Winter of 2003 – 2004, Spacing Magazine is both periodical and protest, with equal parts of victory-tale and call-to-arms, and I was hooked from my first read.Spacing focuses primarily on the real-estate owned collectively by us all, our Public Spaces; the urban landscape, from green (ravines, parks, trees, water and air) to grey (sidewalks, billboards, garbage cans, government

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-26917212208946615482007-12-29T10:38:00.000-05:002007-12-29T15:27:42.159-05:00

I read my first issue of Plenty Magazine (#15 – The Way We Eat) when, after having moved from Toronto to St Thomas in the spring of this year, my bro and sis-in-law gifted us with a subscription as a house-warming.Fittingly the cover image was an update of the familiar 1930 painting of the farmer with pitchfork and wife, American Gothic by Grant Wood. In the 2007 Plenty version the couple,

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-61050006115361832442007-12-27T16:49:00.000-05:002008-01-23T20:59:37.086-05:00

I’ve always loved magazines.When I was in college studying design and photography, I fully expected to continue-on into editorial design and eventually create my own magazine. I was going to call it “Talisman” and it was going to change the world, one loyal reader at a time.Unfortunately, college (and some very real-world freelancing) undermined what little confidence I had and I abandoned that

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-30031250032012549142007-12-24T15:41:00.000-05:002007-12-24T15:59:21.836-05:00

I can't imagine a better way to spend December 24th than to watch the birds at our feeders, then to take a nice long walk in the fresh snow.Lucky for me, this happens to be my journey to work if I decide to walk, which I did today. I left behind this wonderful view of our back yard and found plenty more on my way to work.It doesn't get much better than this.

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-37575052072080334542007-12-23T18:51:00.000-05:002007-12-24T15:13:29.762-05:00

2001A German company called Bayer creates a strain of genetically modified rice called LLRice160, or Liberty Link® rice, at the Agricultural Centre of Louisiana State University in the U.S. This super-tough designer rice is engineered to survive Bayers Liberty® herbicide glufosinate, which will kill everything else living in the same field (animal, vegetable and mineral) virtually stripping it

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-46234339159095819332007-12-16T17:08:00.000-05:002007-12-16T21:03:29.963-05:00

The desire to do good or the act of generosity towards others or towards humanityIt seems to me that there are two ways to be charitable; you can dig-in and get your hands dirty, or you can write a cheque. Since I’m pretty much a clean-hands guy, our benevolence is usually financial. We give $1 a day to each The Caring Cupboard (our local food bank), to The Aids Committee of Toronto and to our

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-45635301191804030502007-12-11T15:53:00.001-05:002007-12-13T18:46:52.023-05:00

We are still determined to live a happy life without traditional conveyance, as Brian would say (a.k.a. without a car) so it was with some faith that we set our hearts on a pick-your-own tree for Christmas, given the fact that most tree farms are not located within walking distance.As luck would have it, our friends at Orchard Hill Farm have, for the past few years, held an annual evergreen tree

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-5404513380263612862007-12-06T11:54:00.000-05:002007-12-06T12:14:44.678-05:00

a.k.a. Frankie gets a Bootie CallI'll let the pictures speak for themselves ... * please note - this poodle is not, and will not, be wearing;baby clothesfather-and-son outfitsanimal printsantlers or bellsIn short, he won't be wearing anything I wouldn't be willing to wear.Now Robin is another story - do the words Wellingtons and Balaclava give you any visuals? Frankie has told me in

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-76081741156102623302007-12-02T18:07:00.001-05:002007-12-02T21:04:37.739-05:00

If you find yourself wondering what questionable ingredients might be lurking in your lip balm or moisturizer, there are websites you can use to get quick answers.The site I use most often is Skin Deep, a sub-site of the Environmental Working Group's information hub.Based in Washington, DC, EWG is a non-profit organization, founded in 1993 by Ken Cook and Richard Wiles whose mission is "to use

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-35785135959837386462007-12-01T19:36:00.000-05:002007-12-02T18:03:55.078-05:00

It’s not much of a secret; I likes my junk food.When it’s mealtime, we eat very well. But those other 12 or so waking hours a day can be a feeding free-for-all. For this reason, we don’t have ice-cream in the house. I’ve always told myself, if I’m willing to walk to and from the Elgin Mall, I can have a peanut-buster parfait. Of course, once I realized I only burn about 150 calories during

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-46697538016178178932007-11-21T11:00:00.002-05:002008-04-25T18:41:35.260-04:00

Our bathroom is, by far, the smallest room in the house. It is also the room we've got the most plans for, and the room we've already done the most work to.First up, though there's a nice window in the room (overlooking a brilliant red Sand Cherry bush), we decided we needed an extractor fan in the ceiling. For us, the key to a successful renovation is to remain calm and not turn into The

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-4998532762330892292007-11-21T09:10:00.000-05:002007-11-21T10:22:14.439-05:00

.... that I'd be climbing the beams of a straw bale structure, tightening the straw and helping place the metal roofing sheets? That little dot near the peak in the left picture is me!I recently wrote about a day we spent at Orchard Hill Farm, helping raise the structure of the apprentice cabin. Yesterday, under moody skies and surrounded by the beautiful, bare forest, Robin and I returned to

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-77861948775454343822007-11-20T09:15:00.000-05:002007-11-20T09:26:15.137-05:00

... flip to page 250 of the November issue of O(prah) magazine (yes, I'm a month behind - I get them from the library) or click the link to read it on-line.Hugh Jackman's "Books that made a difference" story gave me goose bumps, and reinforced my belief that you make your own magic happen.And Banker to the Poor is on my Christmas list - Santa, are you listening?

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-6660798829547460132007-11-19T13:53:00.000-05:002007-11-21T11:00:40.120-05:00

Being energy conscious while living in a condo is pretty difficult; you can't turn off a light in the hallway even though there are 30 more burning away, and you can't stop the automatic irrigation system from watering the lawn on a rainy day. Moving into a house, for me, meant I couldn't blame unmotivated neighbours or an uncooperative condo board if my home was using too much of anything.Apart

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-44364320289314940842007-11-17T12:19:00.000-05:002007-11-17T15:42:01.708-05:00

On one of our September visits to Orchard Hill Farm, along with the usual selection of wonderful veggies, fruits, herbs and flowers, we were told we could help ourselves to some brilliantly coloured Indian corn and a pumpkin.Now, I'm not talking about a Charlie Brown's pumpkin patch kind of pumpkin. I'm talking about a full spectrum of shapes and sizes from tall and slender to wide and squat,

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-14034008590887882872007-11-15T18:07:00.001-05:002007-11-15T18:08:35.522-05:00

Yesterday, following a whirlwind of interviews and test “walkies”, we brought home our new son, Frankie, from Barkin Rescue.He’s 8, which is slightly shy of middle-age for a poodle, even tempered, calm and cute as a lamb.

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-32032223032125532362007-11-13T17:16:00.000-05:002007-11-13T18:10:31.077-05:00

Now that our trees have shed most of their leaves and the days are slowly getting colder, we've removed the trellis roof of our deck and our dining room now receives hours of warming sunshine (most days). We've hung a bird feeder (thanks Dad) right outside the window we dine at, affording us full views of our feathered neighbours. So far we regularly have sparrows, chickadees, nuthatches and

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-57377666439739761802007-11-12T07:41:00.000-05:002007-12-01T13:53:03.844-05:00

Our great friend Joanne was one of a small group of Native Elders invited to meet the Dalai Lama in Toronto. There are great pics on Joanne's blog and you can see her grandson Zachaire receiving a blessing. Zach seems as joyful as His Holiness! Joanne's daughter Tammy was lucky to be taking the pictures and therefore was able to enjoy it all, first-hand. You can learn more about Joanne and

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-63104734824416789012007-11-06T18:46:00.000-05:002007-11-06T19:30:18.873-05:00

Here’s my conflict … Fact 1; World fish stocks are depleted, due largely to over-fishing (not exactly news, though it doesn’t appear to be sinking in). Fact 2: Omega 3 fats are the worlds leading supplement, and the cheapest, most popular source is from fish.Hmmm … see any problems?Like the bottled-water industry, we’ve fallen for the whole Omega snow- job, hook, line and sinker (pardon the pun).

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-17851916305184610322007-11-04T06:00:00.000-05:002007-11-04T06:31:15.453-05:00

Our pal Emily (you remember … pretty brunette, studio shop in Toronto’s Distillery District, master embroiderer, mother to super-cute Claire and wife to brainiac Mike), is right in the eye of the storm; the storm called Christmas.Firstly, she’s re-invented her previously pretty-smart website (www.emilyhamill.com) into one which more closely resembles her work; sophisticated, integral, honest.

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-79052070980825438772007-11-03T15:14:00.000-04:002007-11-03T16:03:43.451-04:00

We’ve recently been concerned about the sudden appearance of “bumps” on our cat Buster’s throat. They felt like blisters or hives, seem to slowly come and go, and had begun to increase in size. After a couple of weeks, we asked S-I-L Dana for some advice. She said it appeared to be an allergic reaction – possibly to the new cat food we had begun introducing Buster to, a few weeks prior. We

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-10382435780927218902007-10-29T13:17:00.001-04:002007-11-21T09:14:58.370-05:00

I love the idea of “pitching in”. When asked to help with a project, I usually jump in offering whatever I can. More often than not it’s a “2-for” as I volunteer Robin too. In return, I expect a genuine appreciation for the offer and respect for my offering. We recently participated in a small scale barn-raising at Orchard Hill as farm friends gathered together, raising the structure for a

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-71494296864854299592007-10-25T11:53:00.000-04:002007-10-25T12:33:17.928-04:00

From Ready Made magazine, Oct / Nov 2007 (thanks Janet!)Riddle me this .. When is a shopping bag the same as the contents of a gas pump?When we decide it’s okay to continue overusing it provided it’s made of something else.Paper Vs PlasticThere are more and more communities discussing legislation restricting the use of plastic bags in favour of paper, under the premise of paper being the slightly

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-46502271508954700892007-10-23T19:37:00.000-04:002007-12-12T11:02:09.508-05:00

Following months of discussion, the party to celebrate half a century of wedded bliss was unleashed as my parents celebrated their 50th anniversary. Planned as a garden party and suspiciously coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Leave it to Beaver television premier (curious), everything proceeded without a hitch; even the thundering sky cooperated. We had wonderful food (including

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-27899889548328914442007-10-22T16:49:00.000-04:002007-10-24T08:18:05.353-04:00

Just when I thought I was beginning to cut through all the malarkey, I’ve learned something else.Apparently Biodiesel, which is carbon neutral as it contributes no net carbon greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere (William Kemp - The Renewable Energy Handbook) does not need to be made from feed crops, such as corn or soy. It can also be made from recycled vegetable oils!Think about what

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-19096426134288364562007-10-20T17:38:00.000-04:002007-10-22T19:18:30.133-04:00

Biofuels are confusing. They’re being marketed world-wide as being less environmentally harmful than petroleum products, suggesting that by using a less polluting fuel we can justify a reliance on cars and trucks. from UTNE Reader, August 2007-10-20 -How large-scale soy production is threatening the environment.In Paraguay, “soy production has increased exponentially due to worldwide demand

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-82809701215343622772007-10-16T12:25:00.000-04:002007-10-16T14:36:48.514-04:00

We have now received our Energy Efficiency Evaluation Report from AmeriSpec and our home is in pretty good shape. On the EnerGuide rating (which lists 0-49 being least efficient, 57 being average and 80-100 being most efficient), we sit at 66, with a goal of reaching 76. Our motivation is ultimately to be as energy efficient as possible (for a variety of reasons) and realistically we need to

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-21800153174634222572007-10-13T19:31:00.000-04:002007-10-13T17:29:49.625-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();I live in a small town and cycle through a high school parking lot on my way to work each day. I gotta say, of all places, shouldn’t the parking lot be empty? I mean, what are these kids being taught? I can count on one hand the number of bicycles I see, but can barely navigate my way through the monster trucks and around the idling busses.Almost every

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-76412000961430759062007-10-11T16:51:00.001-04:002007-10-11T18:11:51.551-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Our first year as CSA members has come to a sad, and savoury, end as Orchard Hill hosted the annual end-of-season pot luck dinner. Mother Nature, whom we had celebrated each week as we collected our food from the farm, rewarded us all with a clear, sunny sky and warm breezes. As they buzzed around my Gredig Orchard's cider, I reminded myself that wasps are

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-87289936126350021572007-10-05T19:56:00.000-04:002007-10-08T14:51:30.525-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Our friend Lin (with the beautiful garden) emailed us a quote she’d recently read.“Live Simply so that others can Simply Live”It is a quote from Mahatma Gandhi, and it’s an uncomplicated sentiment summing-up how so many people feel. It also defines the direction in which some of us are aiming our lives, attempting to break free from the trajectory of our

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-2527035367111464342007-10-02T07:27:00.000-04:002007-10-02T08:46:28.892-04:00

As I sit here watching the small birds eating at our feeders and the Blue Jays competing with the squirrels as they feed on the ground, I’m reminded that my Dad said we should stop feeding the hummingbirds by early October in order to encourage them to begin their journey south. I’ll wait for the feeder to be emptied of its syrup, and then take it down by the end of this week, the first of

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-72796523783749485112007-10-01T18:10:00.000-04:002007-10-01T21:51:07.376-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Our house is a perfect fit for our lives. Much of what it offers us in its 800ish sq. ft. we didn’t even think to ask for, as is the case with our deck. Now, when we moved here 4 months ago we weren’t quite so focused on energy conservation, but how brilliant is it that our deck was designed with a removable roof (courtesy of Laura’s brother Dan)? In the

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-21364611557441983982007-09-27T15:16:00.000-04:002007-10-01T21:51:38.776-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();When I was growing up in St. Thomas, religion was a bit tricky for me. I was quite involved in our church (which went bust some years ago and is now a dance school – who knew such a thing could happen?). I was a member of the choir and the youth group, a cub and scout. But there never seemed to be a middle-ground – it was like you were either a God or a

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-56687514937306041332007-09-22T11:32:00.000-04:002007-10-01T21:51:50.568-04:00

Am I insane, or we still designing streets they way they did when fresh sewage flowed alongside pedestrian walkways? Since we have to get in and out of vehicles, walk, cycle, load babies into car seats, empty our trunks, stop to chat or cross the street, all at the curb side, why not design streets so that the gutter is in the middle? Why is all the water, oil and filth, drainage grills and

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-28734199055137858472007-09-18T19:43:00.000-04:002007-10-01T21:49:30.462-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();The cycle of nature is in constant flux; the seasons change; the numbers of predator and prey vary; organic population controls such as disease are turned on and off; the tide advances and recedes. Water will always level itself, and the earth has evolved to find equilibrium. Of course, that was prehuman and things have changed ever since we dammed

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-16229410557313074362007-09-13T19:25:00.001-04:002007-10-16T14:25:42.017-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Last evening, Robin, Dana and I attended a fund-raising Harvest Dinner and Silent Auction at the Quaker Meeting-House in Sparta. We learned of the evening through our friends at Orchard Hill Farm, and it had the warm, honest feeling I want every community gathering to have, though they seldom do.The Meeting-House is magically situated in a forest

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-55313286533472072007-09-11T18:55:00.000-04:002007-10-16T14:37:50.997-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();When we were last in Austin, TX visiting our friend Janet, we learned of a program by which the local energy provider would install in your home, free of charge, a programmable thermostat allowing the energy provider remote-access control to your air-conditioning. During a peak energy-use period, the provider could cycle-down specific A/C systems,

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-61544870283355982202007-09-10T18:15:00.000-04:002007-10-16T14:38:17.655-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();.... further to my Sunday rant about caring for our earth, in the September issue of Prevention Magazine there is an article noting a connection between the bacteria found in healthy soil and increased brain function. Researchers at the University of Bristol found mice who had inhaled the bacteria were better problem solvers. Perhaps they can figure a way

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-32588996580422472902007-09-09T14:22:00.000-04:002007-11-03T16:01:41.891-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();In Stephanie Donaldson's prologue to The Elements of organic Gardening, by HRH The Prince of Whales, she says "an organic gardener's focus is on the soil, while a conventional gardener's focus is on the plant".Similar to using the word "smog" instead of "pollution", "conventional" in this context is a polite way of saying "short sighted". We're no longer

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-26621578784393560962007-09-08T19:13:00.001-04:002008-07-23T08:04:54.097-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();I've never understood the whole huge-tank-of-hot-water-sitting-in-the-basement thing. When I was in the UK years ago on business I had my first experience using something called Hot Water on Demand (we sometimes call it instantaneous hot water). This is a tankless system which heats water as we require it buy coiling cold water, through tubes, around a

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-60076718885085856772007-09-06T11:48:00.000-04:002007-10-16T14:40:37.460-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();So we had our energy efficiency assessment from Andrew at AmeriSpec. He recorded a lot of data, asked a number of questions, took some measurements and explained how the program works. Once we had all of our windows shut, he conducted a pressure test by utilizing a fan equipped with computerized controls to pressurize the house. We were then able to

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-23780723869190713742007-09-04T18:41:00.001-04:002008-05-19T17:04:47.558-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();I like the life my grandparents lived; I think they were healthier and good stewards of the earth. They didn’t watch much TV and read only local newspapers. Most of the food in their fridge and cupboards didn’t have ingredients. They had only one of everything; TV, fridge, automobile, residence. They ate pears and cherries off of their own trees. They

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-8306247259894943202007-09-03T17:31:00.000-04:002007-10-16T14:42:22.841-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();We’re enjoying our Labour(less) Day holiday Monday, sitting on our deck (something we couldn't do in our condo, with our juliet balcony!). Yesterday we had a friend (and qualified electrician) doing the tricky stuff as we moved our stove to an exterior wall to accommodate an extractor fan. In the process of wiring the high voltage outlet required for the

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-68622780346686729882007-09-02T16:54:00.000-04:002007-10-01T21:53:59.838-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Our pal Brian was in town over the weekend, advising while we prepared the kitchen for the electrician to wire a new outlet as we move our stove to an exterior wall to accommodate an extractor fan. Holiday Monday found us relaxing on the deck, watching the hummingbirds (can you see it in the right photo, bottom left of feeder?), reading, typing. Tuesday

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-41794267223444698682007-09-01T06:29:00.000-04:002007-10-01T21:55:10.553-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();As we delve into our E.R.M.P., I find I'm obsessed with our kwh (kilowatt hours) and just exactly how much energy our electric tooth brush is consuming while innocently sitting by the bathroom sink. I've purchased a EM130, electronic energy meter, to hopefully collect some hard data. (we bought ours at our local Home Hardware - I can't say enough good

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-21031632473997110332007-09-01T05:59:00.000-04:002007-10-16T12:38:31.458-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Now that I've completely overwhelmed myself with information about alternative everything (power, water systems, light bulbs, heat, transportation ...), I need to add another important "alternative" - financing. Thanks to my brother Wayne, I'm now aware of a system of grants offered by our government, provincial and federal (even a program offered by the

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-29665541282256277312007-08-29T19:40:00.000-04:002007-10-01T21:58:08.307-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Okay, tell me if I'm nuts but there was an expensive insert from a car manufacturer in a bi-weekly mag I receive. They seemed to be trying to convince me that there was a way for me, if I purchased one of their "green" cars, to help the environment. Of course, likely 99.9% of the planet could not afford to purchase one of these cars, including myself.

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-53526948690258671372007-08-28T19:21:00.000-04:002007-10-01T21:58:30.137-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();My folks, Robin and I spent a magical afternoon at the home of our friends Lin and Frank. Apart from a succulent meal of homemade everything (hummus and guacamole with crackers, open-faced sandwiches of homemade mayo, special crispy fried onion, cheese etc., on long slices on pumpkin-seed bread, crisp green salad with Lin's poppyseed dressing, warm

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-82154746607595305252007-08-27T20:15:00.000-04:002007-10-24T08:14:00.213-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();The Renewable Energy Handbook by Canadian William H Kemp (you can hear an interview with him on The Watt) is, by far, the most user-friendly, comprehensive guide to living sustainably that I've been able to locate. It's also helped us in being realistic about what we can hope to achieve, considering we are neither rich or contractors. Our list so

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-51647038192585124482007-08-27T19:46:00.000-04:002007-10-01T21:59:34.515-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();We were so lucky to find the house that fit our lives perfectly. We had spent too many hours looking at houses that were too big or had too many rooms; most had too many stairs. Ours is small, on one level and the previous owners had lived in the house very gently. All the doors are intact, the wood floor is warm and beautiful; everything is looking

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-32167704875146604032007-08-16T22:21:00.001-04:002007-10-01T21:59:58.300-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();These are some of Robin's earlier works; the house was inspired, I believe, by one of our trips to the east coast, likely PEI. The churches and crofts were on the Lossiemouth Harbour in Scotland where our friend Rita took us for lunch. I had the best mac & cheese, and a cup of tea, in a converted fish-monger's warehouse, while watching the fishing fleet

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-23237991039218059712007-08-11T18:15:00.000-04:002007-10-13T11:22:08.706-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Our friend Emily, who is a magnificent embroiderer, pried herself away from daughter and hubby and hoped on ViaRail to spend a few days with us. We haven't seen her since we moved away a few months ago and she was a welcome sight. After catching-up on our deck and a brief night's sleep we rose to watch the birds bickering over their breakfast seed in our

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-4397859166123669912007-08-11T16:45:00.000-04:002007-10-01T22:00:42.353-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();We belong to a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) which means we are sort of share holders in the harvest of a specific farm. Our farm is a magical, Eden-like place called Orchard Hill Farm and our "dividends" are our weekly supplies of organic produce.Our pick-up day is every Saturday so we eat particularly well over the weekends.It's an amazing

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-50206224713514247672007-08-08T05:55:00.000-04:002007-10-01T22:01:32.280-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Robin's studio - all the mod-cons, and looking out the windowWe see bees buzzing around the flowers and sometimes canhear the rain on the leaves. It was a quick adjustment from lifein Toronto for me, and Robin's studio is twice as big as it was.

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-59394215822983180492007-08-07T18:47:00.000-04:002007-10-01T22:02:10.630-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();When we were in Scotland a few years ago, we took roll after roll of pictures, many only subtly differing from the previous shot. We were overwhelmed by the scenery and speed at which the weather changed, often watching clouds moving across the sky through the camera view-finder. The trip was a long overdue visit to country of Robin's birth, a response to

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-32302523544473818762007-08-05T15:55:00.000-04:002007-10-01T22:02:31.353-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Robin was a part of the Toronto hospitality industry for years, from Hazelton Lanes, to the Rosedale Diner, to Southern Accent Restaurant. He has a million stories, particularily from his many, many years at Southern Accent Restaurant. Taking Patti Labelle into the kitchen to meet the chef because Patti loved the Blackened Chicken liver; spending a day

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-79971875681302997492007-08-03T18:29:00.000-04:002007-10-01T22:02:53.286-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Robin is prepping for a group show which is fast approaching; it'll be his first show in Port Stanley as part of the The 9th Annual Port Stanley Artists Tour September 25 and 26 and his first big, official showing since we moved in May. He's been working on some new landscapes, experimenting with mottled colours and a slightly different

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8131202670725980844.post-34120073233110198552007-08-01T20:58:00.000-04:002007-10-01T22:03:10.439-04:00

_uacct = "UA-2717539-1";urchinTracker();Well, I'm learning to blog as I go along, much the same way welearned how to live our lives, and that worked our pretty well.And so we begin ...

Neil Hubertnoreply@blogger.com0