Snow and more snow!

Snow in front of the washrooms.

Mouse Whole In The Snow

I wonder if mama mouse is constantly telling all the children to use the outhouse?

Breakfast Time In The Barn

Just think how healthy everybody would be if they ate a big chunk of barley sprouts and a bowl of multigrain  whole cereal every morning for breakfast.  

Charlie and I walked to the bay.

Charlie and I snowshoed to the bay.  It was -24 with wind chilled.

Fodder Fodder Fodder or Barley Sprouts

I have always been interested in hydroponics and growing plants in different condition then normal.  While in Africa I met a fellow who was building a fodder house.  Him and his wife adopter 7 children all have been affected with HIV in some way.

The new fodder building is in the back.  I decided to grow fodder when I returned home.

I soak the barley seeds in water with a drop of bleach for 24 hours then I put them in long trays with holes in the bottom.

Second day the sprouts have white tips starting to grow. This is the roots also know as the mat.  I continue to water every day.  The trays I purchase from Canadian Tire and drilled holes in the bottom.

Third day the green shoot is showing.  The trays are on shelves on top of each other.  I water the top and the water drips to the bottom tray.

Fourth day more green.

Fifth day.

Day one and Day 6

Day 7 and ready for the goats to eat

Here is a video of the goats eating the Fodder. (barley spouts)

I am having problems uploading pictures to my own blog (go figure).  My daughter Katie is having more luck.

Her blog for this trip is http://thegreenbackpackingadventures.blogspot.ca/.

Em

We are in Africa

We have not had internet since we left Canada on October 29th.  Tonight we came to a mall close to where we are staying and found an internet cafe without the cafe.  We are busy from morning to evening.  Yesterday was the first time we made soap and it turned out good.

The weather is very nice and getting warmer every day.  Yes, the toilets flush backwards and the cold and hot taps are opposite to home.  I have lots of pictures but I can not up load them now.

We had Monday off and went to the zoo in downtown Pertoria.  It took 6 hours to go through.  We ended up renting a golf cart to finish.

Where we go every day is "to the program" at a school.  It is an all-black school.  The kids hug us every day.  They stand in line.  Very happy, happy, happy kids.  They have nothing.  Not even food!  Two women cook them a hot lunch every school day.  On Friday, 10 kids get a bag of groceries to take home for the weekend.

People get paid once per month and by the 10th they are out of money and food.  Most people make 300 Rand per month which is $150 Canadian.  Food is less here but everything else is the same.
Clothes in this mall are the same price as home.

People are dying every day from AIDs.  On Saturday, there were 20 to 30 funerals.  Five coffins roll into the church and when the service is over they are taken to the graveyard and 5 more coffins roll in until there are no more to bury that day.

The internet cafe is closing.

Sorry it took so long to blog.  We are glad we found this place so we can walk here again.

Em

Two weeks!!!

We went to a friends house to practise making friendship bracelets last week.  Katie wants to make brackets with the children.  Joshua is bring sketching paper and pencils to draw with the kids. None of knows what to expect but we are open.

Time is passing by quickly now.  We fly out of Halifax October 30th at midnight.  An over night flight to London,  we spend the day in London and another over night flight to Johannesburg. From the time we leave here to the time we land in South Africa will be 36 hours.  I am a little concerned about the amount of time sitting up right.  My plan is to sleep as much as possible.

The question people ask when I tell them we going to South Africa is "what organization are you going with?"  We are not going with any organization, We are jumping on a plane with our soap making supplies and equipment, flying to SA, teaching the women to make soap, and flying home.  We are staying with the couple that running the missionary.  Quite simple.

Africa, here we come!!!!

Less then a year ago Alejandra at a missionary in South Africa called the store asking for help to make soap.  There was a TB outbreak at the time and regular hand washing with soap reduces the spread of TB by 25%.  After months of trying to teach soap making over the phone I said in frustration "I wish I could see what is happening with the batch of soap".  Alejandra jump at that statement and said Yes, please come to the missionary and teach the women here how to made soap. So at the end of October with a suitcase of soap making equipment we are off to South Africa.  We have two goals.  The first one is to make as much soap as we can for the people in the townships.  Goal number two is to teach women how to make soap. 
I am grateful I have a skill I can share, excited to be going to South Africa to help the people there and a little scared the soap will not turn out right.  If the soap doesn't turn out they will know how not to make soap!

 

Gertie the Head Goat has decided to take over blogging for us and has started her very own page.  Check it out at http://goatsnotes.wordpress.com/!

Em's letter

This weekend we are heading off to Halifax to be a part of Tourism PEI display at the Saltscapes Expo. If you have never been to Saltscapes Expo it is a show you would not want to miss. I went last year to see it for the first time and it was great. Artisan from Atlantic Canada are performing all day, lots of live demonstration and free samples of food and products all grown or made right made here in Atlantic Canada. Shannon and Conor will be giving out free travel bars. They are bringing lots of products to sell. It will be a great time to replenish your goat milk soap supply and pay no tax that would be a 15% discount. Here is the link to the expo http://www.saltscapes.com/expo/

A customer sent me a link to The Story of Cosmetics by Annie Leonard. It is about how big companies put known toxin is their products. At the moment it is consumer beware because there most no law to is not laws to  what chemicals cosmetic companies put in their products.

Last weekend Julia (who turned 5 last month) ran her first 5 km race with her mom. It was an early Mother’s Day present. The emotion hit me like a wave going over the start line with my daughter at my side. The heart felt support I receive from all my family is amazing but crossing the finish line with Julia is extra special. http://therunman.blogspot.com/2011/04/2011-source-for-sports-bunny-hop-10km.html


Mother’s Day is a day for the special people in your life to appreciate you. I feel it is day for all women to appreciate themselves for all they do for others. Here is a Mother’s Day video for you to enjoy.

May your day, week, year be filled with Blessings, Smiles and Hugs.

Dedicated to making 100% natural products.

Recollections of Winter

Now that spring is obviously on its way, I can look back fondly one last time at winter.  Here are a few pictures highlighting the beauty of the long cold season as a final farewell.  Hear that, winter?  It's the FINAL farewell!

Apple Bud Covered In Ice Crystals - March

Morning Sun Through The Trees - March 

The Bench Is Getting Swallowed By Snow - February

An Old Barn - February

Icicles - January

The Inside Of A Tree That Blew Down In A Windstorm - January

Please get this off of me!

Buckets go on easily but do not come off.  The goat's horns slide in but stop the bucket from sliding off.  Soon we will be able to turn the water bowls back on and we will not need buckets.

The Last Day In Daytona

 Sunset on the last day.

 Off to play in the sand

Kris and Julia enjoying the waves

On our last day in Daytona we went for a tour of the Daytona 500.  It was interesting.  The race started in 1903 on the beach.  The loop comes down 1A and back along the beach.  Cars still drive on the beach today.  It is almost 500 acres with its own hospital and fire department.  Well worth seeing.  We came back and played on the beach.

The sunscreen was amazing.  Katie stopped wearing it because she wanted to come home with a tan.  I put it on in the morning went swimming on the beach, then to the pool and out for the day.  One evening my nose was red but my nose burns easily.  The sunscreen does give a good protection.  I put it on too heavy and it was hard to rub into my skin.

A Change in Weather and Scenery

A big change from March 1st to April 1st.  It is warm enough to play on the beach in bathing suits. Well, in Daytona Beach it is possible, but not in Brackley Beach.  Julia and Kris are both covered in sunscreen lotion from the shop.  A true test to see how it works.