THANKS for stopping by, I do my best to acknowledge when someone leaves a comment,you do not have to be a member here & everyone is welcome. Ps: This site is monitored but not actively posting on a regular basis. Mostly these are stories & some photos saved from a defunct site known as Verdun Connections which was on MSN Groups initially then on a social network called Multiply.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
SNOW BIRDS OR POLAR BEARS?
Okay Guys, I'm back on VC and thinking about all you hearty lot from the Great White North! I'm relaxing in the Land Down Under, tasting fine wines, swinging in a hammock and taking strolls along the beach in between cafe pitstops for a cappucino or two....gosh, golly gee, retirement is sure hard to take! Now, how about all of you Verdunites at Heart let us know how you entertain yourself during the long cold winter months, or if you Fly the Coop and head south to a spot in the sun! Let's hear where the "Snowbirds" head to these days and if the "Polar Bears" still put on the skates or skiis and enjoy the outdoors!.....Diane
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Welcome back Diane, I'm contemplating mowing my lawn ( & I'm not kidding). So much for our long cold winter months,this year (with the exception of 1 week) it's been relatively mild ,and little rain,that's what winters used to be like when I first came out here in the 70's.....the rain is little more than a nuisance,but make no mistake it can be seriously heavy at any time. We are a bit lucky here on the Southern tip of Vancouver Island,.and I do appreciate that. HF&RV
Welcome back....Just can't stay away, EH?????? Good for you..... Les and I both have the same kind of weather. Me in Vancouver, Washington, and him up north about 350 miles on Vancouver Island.....It's the good life for sure.....
Hello Diane, glad you are enjoying retirement! I just spent the last three days honing my "skills" at the ski hill. 8 hours a day in minus 20 - minus 35. Lots of snow here in Saskatchewan now. Hard to believe that spring is right around the corner. I am also looking forward to some plus 30 temperatures in the summer.
Mid-seventies here in SoCal. The rain stopped, the sun came out, and all is good. Rain again this coming week. Apologize for not being here much. If not for the email alerts, I would forget. Because of my family, I check Facebook more often.
Stay warm, and keep enjoying the wine - you the Australian Shiraz, and me the Napa Cab...
Burrrrrrrrr! Maggie, you're one brave lady! Must almost snap freeze while swishing down those skihills!...Diane
Glen, you must try a Cabernet Savignon or Cabernet Savignon Semillon from the Margaret River region. Napa Valley wines are great, but Margaret River wines are heaven!
Okay okay...I'm biased.....Diane
Diane have you found this one yet?
CABERNET SAUVIGNON - XANADU NEXT OF KIN 2007 Price: $ 14.95 Volume: 750 mL Country: Australia
We went out to get it & it was only available in two different outlets, so it's on our list to try next week, One store had only 33 bottles of it, & the other store listed 95 in stock, Notmally the Govt' store closet to us has everything,but they didn't have this in stock,so we put it off until next weekend.Will let you know how it is, (was) Have you found it yet ? ......................Odd name for a wine ,isn't it ? ( I mean the 'Next of Kin' part,..sounds more like a name for an extremely crazy Hot Sauce........hahahaha
HF&RV
Hey Diane , what's going on down under, swinging in Hamocks all day drinking wine,and now this, I just read in the Sydney Morning Herald, that it seems BC's largest export business is being horned in on from down under....??? hahahahah
Weed is good - hemp comes to the city TIM ELLIOTT
RICHARD FRIAR loves growing dope. His backyard on the northern beaches is full of the stuff - 500 plants, to be precise.
But Mr Friar is no dealer, and this is no underground plantation. The 66-year-old and his wife, Wendy, are the proud owners of Australia's first licensed industrial hemp crop to be grown in an urban area.
"I'd prefer you didn't publish exactly where we are," he says.
"Even though this is no good for smoking, you can imagine what would happen if people found out."
The Friars are hemp evangelists, firm believers in the world-changing potential of this most versatile of plants, which can be used in everything from food to fabrics and building materials.
With permission from the Department of Primary Industries, they are in the first stages of a pilot project aimed at teaching farmers how to grow hemp and commercialise its myriad byproducts.
The Friars' crop, a mix of Chinese cultivars known as Yellow River and Lulu, is a fine example: the stalks can be used in the textile and construction industries - "they even use it, instead of steel, to reinforce concrete" - while the seeds can be eaten.
In December the couple applied to Food Standards for permission to sell the seed for human consumption, with approval expected early next year.
"They are a real superfood," Wendy says. "It's 23 per cent protein, and has more Omega 3 and Omega 6 than virtually any other source, including fish.
''In the early 1800s, Australia was twice saved from famine by eating virtually nothing but hemp seed for protein and hemp leaves for roughage."
But the couple also plan to become brokers for hemp products, importing seeds and matching overseas and local producers with those undertaking retail or construction projects.
"We want to kickstart consumer demand,'' Wendy explains. "It's hard, though, because hemp has for so long been vilified as a dangerous drug."
A film-maker, farmer, former horse trainer and grade rugby union player, Mr Friar has long been interested in permaculture and recycling; his company King Poo was one of the first to sell worm farms in the early 1990s. But it is hemp that has him raving.
"As a grandfather several times over, I am championing this now as the answer to a lot of our sustainability problems. We just have to lose the baggage we have about hemp, and approach it in a more mature way."
...............................................HF&RV
Tasted it last week at Xanadu...just okay. Lots of crazy names for wines down here. Knee Deep, Devil's Lair to name just a couple. If you could find wines from Cape Mentelle, Voyager Estate, Cullen Wines, Leewin Estate to name a few...favourites of ours. So many more I could name, but unfortunately, probably not available to you guys. Why don't you come on down and taste them all for yourselves! Several boutique breweries in the vicinity also, if that's your scene.....Diane
Margaret River Hemp Co. has been selling hemp clothing etc. for years and as for growing the stuff, the area has a reputation (48 arrested last month) for growing its own. Margaret River was originally the real hippie haven of Western Australia, a little like Nelson BC years ago. Some are still living on the fringes, despite killer real estate prices. The area has gone from hippie to yuppy with a lot of surfers thrown in with the tourists. Makes for a colourful town!...Diane
P.S. Next thing you know, I'll be baking "brownies" from the local supply!
Diane, You are having "cracker" days down-under as compared to the weather we had in Arizona,I think the weather in B..C. was much better than Az. Our pals & neighbors are also in AUstralia since Dec. until May, touring around in a rental Van and enjoying themselves! WOuld be nice to go to Australia one of these years.....hummmm.
cookie
You could go for the cane toad BarBQ
Come on down Cookie...but no cane toad BBQ's! Maybe crocodile or kangaroo, but most likely shrimp and juicy beek steaks with plenty of wine or beer to wash it down with....Diane
BE RIGHT THERE DIANE...................
what was the opinion of the olympics down your way/ Was there any interest? Did you guys see the closing ceremonies?
Everyone watched the Olympics and loved it! The Australian commentators were having a ball in BC and were cheering for the Canadians in all the events that Australians weren't participating in.
I think they "adopted" all things Canadian and the Land of The Great White North! Lots of fun for the two weeks. It sure kept us entertained here in Perth with a heatwave that had us all staying inside in the air-conditioning watching TV!....Diane
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