Yesterday I pulled a folded tarp off my little trailer thinking I should spread it out and secure it for the season... a very unreasonably annoyed bee came flying out of the tarp and slammed me at high speed, butt first of course, right in the middle of my forehead. Now, since I've been a beekeeper, I've only been stung 3 times, each an escalating swelling situation which makes me jealously side eye beeks that go gloveless or even veil-less, the jerks. So, I staggered over to some scraggly dried out lawn, (we've had drought) and try to find a plantain leaf that isn't gross and bug chewed, while the pain in my forehead escalates. Eyes watering, I stuff a questionable leaf in my mouth to chew while running back to the house to find a mirror to check if the stinger is still there. It is. And a large chunk of bee still attached, rest in peace ya wee beeatch. Scrape it off and glob on the chewed green wad of leaf. Lessens the pain fairly quickly, but too much time had passed. I knew it. I glugged down some no-name benadryl that wasn't quite expired yet and hoped for the best. My nose hurt later. Like actually hurt, like I had run into the wall. It felt like someone lobbed a 2x4 at me, smack in the face. My cheeks felt bruised. But it LOOKED ok, just painfully tender and slightly swollen. Fast forward to day break this morning. I pried one eye open to a slit, stumbled to the loo and low and behold, walnuts had grown under each eye, and one in the centre of my forehead. Strangest thing tho, the intense pain was mostly gone but the swelling was a thing to behold. I crashed around in the kitchen making coffee, dropping things until it seemed to get better on account of my mostly upright stature. Then, by the afternoon, the swelling starting sinking to my jaw. It was like one of those Black Mirror episodes where your reflection in the mirror changes while you're looking. Later it was better, although my daughter said it looked like a botox job gone very wrong. I am almost ready for bed now, it still feels weird to squint but my face wouldn't scare a young child any more. I am, however, thankful that I didn't get stung in my mouth or on my throat. I could have been writing this with much less fondness to the wee girls, from a hospital bed. #beekeeping #beeks #homesteading #countrygirlinjury

I FINALLY got my electric fence repaired after a big storm in January that brought down a tree, caused power outages with brown outs and surges. I've been waiting for a new fencer controller to come in. Got it today, hooked up and running at 13,000 volts. My bees and chickens are safe again. It's the only truly functional way to keep beehives safe from bears and keep bears safe from people. It's a commitment for sure to keep it maintained. #homesteading #beekeeping #SmallFarm #CountryLiving

"...In the intervening years, Israel has built more walls, erected more checkpoints, unleashed more illegal settlers and launched far deadlier wars. Everything has gotten worse: the vitriol, the rage, the righteousness. Clearly, impunity – the sense of imperviousness and untouchability that underpins Israel’s treatment of Palestinians – is not a static force. It behaves more like an oil spill: once released, it seeps outwards, poisoning everything and everyone in its path. It spreads wide and sinks in deep...." Naomi Klein talks BDS - boycott, divestment and sanctions.

the Guardian

We have a tool to stop Israel

In 2005, Palestinians called on the world to boycott Israel until it complied with international law. What if we had listened?

#Gaza #Palestine #BoycottIsrael

Since this is often a component of "new year" activities, here is a little talk about "manifesting". A lot of people weigh in on the subject of manifesting without actually knowing what it is or how to do it. (thanks to *that book which, no, I have not read and don't intend to) People have accused those that practice this with success or encourage the concept of doing it with ableism, classism, etc. Those that say that could not be more wrong. People that have not either attempted or been successful at a manifestation do not understand it. They have not learned nor been taught how to do it. Manifesting is not hoping, wishing, thinking or even believing for or of a desire. It is the manipulation of resources including energy, people, places, locations, timing, and opportunity to align the processes that create the desired outcome. The most important thing to understand when manifesting anything is that you are not creating a new thing, only moving things around in the universe. If you desire money, then someone has to give up that same money. Trying to manifest "riches" could result in someone you love dying and leaving you an inheritance. The unintended consequences of reckless manifestation is your peril. You must think through each detail and be very specific how, when, who, what is changed to enact your desire. When you learn to see the world around you, detect every resource and opportunity, use every option, and be able to start a long string of consequences, then you have started down the path of manifesting. People all over the world use this type of energy manipulation but not everyone wants or desires the same things. A person in one country might want to manifest a house for themselves and their family or maybe a fancy vacation. A person in a different country might want to manifest a large enough meal to feed not only themselves but their neighbours for one night. To say that manifesting cannot work because there are poor people or sick people everywhere in the world is to completely miss the point. You can never know other's deepest desires or needs by looking at the world through the lens of your own life. To be truly successful at this kind of magical practice you have to know how to do energy work. Using the energies of the Earth to effect change in your immediate environment is the first step. This practice takes months or years to learn to use effectively. Correctly using meditation and stillness, learning to hear the sounds within silence, to feel the vibrations of every object are necessary parts of this kind of magic. Next you have to develop a keen sense of situational awareness, be able to sense the logical path of a motion, detect the probably outcome of an action. You have to be able to read signs, see the value in a resource, be able to put random events into motion. You have to be able to know when to say yes and when to say no. You have to be able to detect danger in one path and success in another. This kind of intense awareness does not work if drugs or alcohol or present. (you can't meditate after 3 glasses of wine- you'll just fall asleep) Every country, every culture has magic workers. It takes a lot of practice and that comes easier to some than others. But if you want to change your life or have needs that are not being met, you do have the power. You can learn the craft of manifestation. It takes work, dedication and deep self-awareness. What you end up getting might not be exactly what you started out desiring but it might be the best thing for you in the end. #Witchcraft #Manifesting #TheCraft #Meditation #EarthEnergies #WitchCrafting #Magic

There is a lot of ancient lore around wells and springs. Here is another lovely and simple recipe from Gather along with some folklore. She unlocked this recipe from her patreon for today. #Folklore #Greece #Yule #SeasonalFood #Cheesecake https://www.patreon.com/posts/christmas-honey-76309732

Photos and video coming out of Acapulco today look like a war zone. This is becoming all too common now. We are getting numb to actual war zone destruction and extreme weather destruction. So much suffering everywhere. #ExtremeWeather #ClimateCrisis #War #HurricaneOtis #Acapulco

Looking for more info on Acapulco this morning. A seen a few terrible photos and video from daybreak. Nothing official. #HurricaneOtis #Acapulco #hamr #hamradio

Brutal scenes are starting to come out of Acapulco tonight. Horrifying how fast this storm brewed up. #HurricaneOtis #Acapulco

A short list of wild Edible and Medicinal Plants and Herbs growing in many areas of BC for wildcrafting. (Note: there are many other uses than what I have listed, don't use any of these if you are pregnant or nursing and research everything from a reputable source before using yourself) Plantain: Plantago Major and Plantago Lanceolata- fresh leaves for bee and wasp stings, salads. Soothing skin salve. Dandelion: Taraxacum Officinale (Asteraceae)- flowers for wine, roots for coffee-like beverage, leaves for salads and tonics Mullein: Verbascum- leaves and flowers for teas, coughs, bronchitis and sore chest Red Clover: Trifolium pratense- teas for coughs and colds, skin wash for psoriasis, flowers in salad Periwinkle: Vinca minor- astringent for bleeding, mouth wash for ulcers, sore throat, bleeding gums (unsafe to take internally- use with caution) Elderberry: Sambucus Caerulea (blue variety)- flowers for teas, berries for wine, mead, syrups and cough drops. Enhances immunity. Hawthorne: Crataegus monogyna (Rosaceae)- young leaves in salad. berries for elixir, brandy, syrups. Good for regulating heart rate. Horsetail: Equisetum- astringent for wound healing, also useful for scrubbing pots Wild Rose: Rosa acicularis- petals and rose hips for jelly, jam, incense Pine: Pinus- resin and leaves for incense, leaves for flavouring meat and tea Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii- leaves for flavouring whisky, and meat Western Red Cedar: Thuja plicata- bark and leaves for incense Mahonia (Oregon Grape): Mahonia aquifolium or the dwarf plant nervosa- many medicinal uses for the root, but I only use the berries for jelly and syrup. #wildcrafting #foraging #selfsustainability #wildmedicine #PlantKnowledge