New gardening season and videos!

So after an unusually long and weird winter, Spring is finally showing signs of it's arrival. This means gardening preparations and a new video season!
I'll post more stuff as we get into it but for now here's the link to my first video for 2017. Are you guys ready for gardening? What are your plans for this year!?

https://youtu.be/2t12fuQeBFg

No more Jihad...

This post is not about jihadist or such things. I'll leave that to the news channels. It's mainly about my latest YouTube channel's name change.

As you might have seen on the links on this blog, I vlog and post videos to Youtube. In fact youtube is the olny place I've kept uploading "stuff" to. A while back (in fact during the thinking I did in the last post about gardening club) I decided to limit the time and energy I wasted online. As a result I left twitter, instagram, flickr, and lately facebook. I almost left Youtube too, not because of my mediarevolution but because of all the agro that my channel's name was bringing me. 
My channel's name was Jihadacadien...and while it was a reference to the Dune novels by Frank Herbert...well some people only saw the "J" word and felt like I needed to hear their opinion or needed a good threat. I won't go into people's motivations for telling me I should die or go back to afganistan (weird because I'm French canadian for as long as the colonisation of the New World began ;). So after a few douzen of threats I was seriously thinking of quiting the Youtube business...or start a new channel, I tried to change the channel's name again. I had before but ended up transforming my channel in a page under my google profile. But this time it worked!!!! 

This weirldy resparked my love for uploading information on the internet. I love the wired comunity feeling of Youtube and I got many messages af support from my subscribees witch felt great! Of course eventually I'll get the occasional "hater" but those never bothered me much. ;) 
I probably won't return to picture sharing and I'll keep facebook post to a minimal but this blog might start seeing more traffic and of course my Youtube channel will continue to entertain ;)

Here is the video I uploaded about the name change. I'll try to put a better link later.

New green hobby: Rug Hooking!

Sometime last winter my sister picked up rug hooking as a hobby. What is rug hooking? Basically, it's an old way of reusing scraps of cloth by making something useful like a rug. Now it's mainly a traditional craft/art that people do as a hobby, though some people seem to be able to make some money by selling their creations. Sadly most rug hookers seem to use new materials made for rug hooking. Myself I still prefer the reusing aspect of it.

So after my sister showed me the basics....that are very easy to pick up, I also became a hooker!
Here my introduction to it http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-aJSb2AK2_I . The second part. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SNhpp1tWPjQ
And of course the more you hook the easier it gets ;). It would be hard to explain the basics so the videos should help you learn this. Put simply, you weave strips of cloth through burlap or monk's cloth using a hook...hence hooking.

For me it's the perfect winter craft, inbetween snow storms ;). And even after a good closet Spring cleaning I haven't trown away a single piece of clothing. I even find myself eyeing clothes in stores or on people's clotheslines with envy. The colors or the different textiles always seem like they would be good for hooking.

As far as creativity goes well it seems to satisfy my needs. I usually freehand my drawing on the burlap and think up the colors I'll use in my inventory. Then depending on the size, I have a few hours of hooking fun ;). Once the rug is done you get to keep your masterpiece where ever you like it! I have yet to sell one. So far they make great gifts but I'd like to sell one just for fun ;).

So! This is my latest green hobby!
Make sure, if you're intrested to check up on the subject. If you're a bit crafty ( even kids can do this easily!) I'm sure you might like this hobby too ;).

Thanks for reading. -PainChaud

Testing the Blogger app for iphone ;)

So I kinda left my blog go for a long while now. But now that I've discovered this app and got an iphone. I just might start posting again. ;) I'm not sure how many of you, my followers are still here. But I guess I'll see and probably welcome new followers eventually ;).

Now a bit of news.
I'm still struggling towards a greener way of living. With all the useful sides and problems. At least I'm not regressing ;). My garden is about the same size as before. I'm still uploading videos about it on Youtube. I've picked up greener hobbies. Like rug hooking, swimming and biking. Oh and I'm using an iphone insteaf of a big computer for most of my internet needs ;). So let's finish this with a picture of tomatoes and wish for comments ;)

2010 Garde vlog 62 Freezing veggies and bugs

This is a video I did late this Fall on freezing yur carrots. It's a very good way to store them for the winter. but you do need freezer space. So right now my freezer is half full with grated carrots ;)

Hope you enjoy!

If you find this blog....go there

Yeah I'm having a hard time keeping my blog up. But if you do happen uppon this page, just go check out my Youtube channel. I post videos every week about gardening, cooking and urban homesteading.

New series of sowing videos!

Now much happening in the written world. But I am still posting my 2010 garden vlogs on Youtube. And right now I'm uploading new videos on how to sow seeds. Celery, tomatoes, peppers, onions, asparagus and more to come! ;)http://www.youtube.com/user/jihadacadien

Today was a good day to play hookie!

I took a mental health day from work today ;). And I just wasted my day..well not really, planted my new winter indoor garden sprouts, made bread, got local meat....a busy fun day. So yeah any of you in a planting spree!? I'm not really, not yet. But I wanted to give another try to growing cuccumbers indoors. Last Fall I had stoped because of a gnat infestation. Now they are all gone (by leting my plant's dirt dry up). So that was my day, if you want to see the video here it is ;)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IVLPwUUmBY

So I hope you are all anxious for this gardening season!

Got my seeds today!!!!!

When I came home from work I got a note saying I had a package at the post office. My seeds had finally arrived!!! I filmed myself unpacking them (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL90J1CKYKQ). It's the first time I order seeds (and so much!) Now I'll be ready to plant my tomatoes and peppers at the end of February!!!

Sweet potatoes!!!

I wasn't gonna..but I did. I've placed a store bought sweet potato in some water to make it root and sprout. Now I still have at least 3 months before Spring is totally here, so I hope it will have enough time to sprout. I still have no idea where I will plant the sprouts...but I suppose I'll have time to dig a hole for it. Besides than....nothing much happening here. I am going to shovel snow in a little while because after a month there's been a snowfall! I'm still making videos of my plans for 2010 on Youtube. Mostly because I need to wait 'till the end of Februrary before planting anything. ;)

Here's the first few gardening vlog

Here's a video about reusing stuff when sowing your seeds

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtW7v1V1JgU

Me ordering my seeds....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDmxRa_2uAc

My hand built solar lamp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAevF0t75oU

and this one is about conservation of your vegetables

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNGPjShNesg

2010 resolutions

I just want to take a few minutes to wish you an awsome year 2010!

And maybe to encourage you all to add some green resolutions this year.

Here are a few of mine and of course if you have some more, please share!

First the 3 Rs, recycle, reuse and reduce! Second buy local as much as you can. This will of course take less energy to transport products and encourage you local economy. Because even if all the "major" countries are thinking of China to salvage their economies.....we all know the best way it to buy "home made" products. I know I will and even if I live in a "minor" province of Canada...this is very doable. One last resolution idea...plant something! ;)

Ground pepper video

The day before Christmas I decided to ground my chili pepper that had been hanging by the patio door.....here's the video....and it's a great way to store you excess peppers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMG9mdA3aWk

2010 planning!!!

It's been a few days now that the weather has been really wintery. Snow, wind and cold! So I've decided to start planning my many gardens for 2010. The more I do I realize that I'll have lots more cultivated space than in my first year. I'd say 3 to 4 times more. I hope it won't be too much. I guess I'll see!!! But just the planning part is new to me. I used to plant everything where it looked good. But with a little research I found some plants go well together. Even help each other out with bugs and nutrients. I used the resourses on the veseys website. It's one of the best canadian seed company and they are from the maritimes as I am. have a look if you want, lots of info. http://www.veseys.com/

More first snow!

Finally winter has arrived. Took a long time this year. And even now it's raining so....But at least the ground is starting to freeze. Wich will be great for killing fungus and some bugs. So the outside part of my gardening is over. My indoor gardening is going ok......I could've cared for it better...but since I had so many small flies....I had to let the dirt get dry so the maggots die. But a plant with minimal water doesn't grow very well. Next year I'll start with new dirt clean of flies =) So have a great week!

Beware of rocks!!!

I don't have a picture for this entry because by the time I was finished there wasn't enough light. Late this afternoon I dug up a trench at the end of my yard for future asparagus plants. It's approximately 2 feet wide and 16 long. Since the seedling need to grow for 2-3 years before you can harvest.....you want a place out of the way so they'll grow quietly. Anyway......rocks! The spot where I dug was, like I said at the end of my yard. When my parents used to grow vegetable they threw all the rocks they found there. So today when I jumped on my shovel it didn't even go in! And I had a really bad time taking all those big rocks out. So what I want to say is throw your rock away for real. Not in a place you don't use. Because one day you may want to use it and will be really frustrated at yourself....or maybe your kids will be in the future =)

Oh and we are having really weird pre-winter weather. Normally there's snow and cold. But so far no snow, beautiful over freezing weather and just awsome Fall!

Composting more leaves!

Tonite after work....just before the sun went out.....I composted more leaves. This time I just added a huge load on my compost and covered it with garden dirt. When I take my greenhouse in the garage I'll use the dirt in the pots to cover some more leaves =) It's weird but I love composting!

Compost your leaves

Yesterdays I finally got around raking the rest of the leaves. There was a lot and I placed them in my larger garden. They will add precious organic materials to the dirt for next year =) I also cleaned the garage so I can put my car in this winter. Now I only need to find some help and put mt small greenhouse in it =)

Have a great week everyone!

Here's the video I made that day..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6Fvlj2GaL8

Last gardening days

Today I took my seasonal things back in the shed and garage. Winter is coming, I can feel it. I also harvested the last of my spinach and lettuces. I left the stems out just in case the weather get warmer. And finally I raked 4 big bags of leaves. Once I clean the ground of my main garden of rocks, I'll add those to the dirt. It will add desperatly needed organic material.

It's time...

This morning it's litterally cold outside. And I think that tonite it will freeze. So I suppose tonite I'll be harvesting most of my main garden. Tomatoes, zucchinis, the bigger carrots and peppers. I will leave my radishes, lettuce and spinach out. They can take a frost plus they're in raised beds so I think they'll be ok. But before I can do that I need to go to work.