Okay, so I don't know that for a fact (that I am the first or the only) so perhaps I shouldn't make the claim that so quickly. Nor am I really a true-blue example (not even nearly). However I do know what a hippie is (thank you childhood of the 90s on Salt Spring Island), and though some people have a rather skewed idea of what a hippie actually is - and we can have that conversation later (the 60's were like half a century ago... Which has been a while in the average person's memory. I wasn't [even] alive then, but yeah, so resurgence anyone?) - I am a hippie as far as Alberta is concerned.
Can you tell?
And what can one, single person, or hippie do that matters? I don't know the width of change that could occur, simply talking about ideas, even if just tiny. Nevertheless, one can change themselves, or make certain choices, or practice what they preach, and those with integrity can occasionally be influential. Weren't hippies movers and shakers after all? Don't trends and history repeat themselves? Or (oh no!!!! Are you really suggesting this???) are there actually many Albertans who already possess so-called 'hippie tendencies'?
I identify some earthy/bohemian/nature friendly/organic ideals in myself when it comes to our brood of chickens, for example. (Don't worry I've not started any patchouli obsession!) And my neice's friend was listing off things hippies do the other day, of which I believe I do or have done each and everyone of them, but the items on the list were more frugal, than hippie per se. Like washing out ziplock bags! She may have actually cackled about that one! Lol.
(Can you believe all 26 came in this box?)
When it comes to a home, farm and gardens I simply appreciate what can basically be summed up by one of today's 'buzzwords': permaculture. Obviously such a system is ideal, and in the past was a way of life and survival, even though it seems the term wasn't officially in dictionary usage until 1978... I'm a tad surprised it wasn't around at least ten years earlier...
I'm reading The Small Scale Poultry Flock, by Harvey Ussery and gaining many ideas about ways to keep and use my chickens. I believe I'll end up with more nutritional eggs and better meat, (when I get organized to try raising meat birds - I'm having regrets I didn't try this initially!) happier and healthier birds, a mainly neutral scented coop, and great compost sooner, without much work on my part. And it's free. At least the deep bedding is. That will be very welcome in my garden! I may in fact need to spend some on fencing resources, but the whole project will no doubt use up some of the 'junk' we have laying about.
Speaking of Junk, we made this interior wall to section off our coop from the 'rustic sitting room', almost entirely from 'junk' laying around. We couldn't get rid of our little wood stove, or just give it to the chickens. Set up like this, the stove is between the coop and the Rabbitry, so not only do we get to keep the central room, it can heat the other two in the coldest winter weather, or be a home to any struggling wee animals.
No comments:
Post a Comment