Saturday 12 November 2016

Permaculture, Activity and Diet Courses











I have been on several courses lately and my brain is frazzled, it's like being back at Uni, trying to take it all in.  I think I lost the plot towards the end.  The Permaculture course was a personal choice, the others mandatory for work.   So what did I learn?  I have been doing 'permaculture' for many years without even knowing it.....well I am an old hippy at heart.  We  had a really enthusiastic tutor full of ideas and energy.  Putting his ideas into practice in his own home.  Compost toilet, rocket stove mass heater, all in his eco hut that he built himself.  I love all of that but there is no way in hell I would pursued the bearded one that we should have a compost toilet.  These things are all wonderful but both of you have to be on board.  He is keen on us having solar panels as they are pretty mainstream now, but as for some of the more way out things, it's not going to happen.  Having grown up on a farm his dad and himself look with amusement at my overgrown veg patch with cardboard scattered around, including in the neighbouring trees as it dries out and peels off.  ' Could do with putting a rotavator over that" they chorus. After growing things in a certain way for decades they do not get the whole 'no till' thinking, but I will persevere.   I do think the permaculture way of thinking is a really good way to approach things, we really need to step gently on the earth......literally.

The Encouraging People to be more Active course was a lot better than I thought it would be, having good tutors makes all the difference.  They were not your usual sporty types who run 50 miles a day and make the rest of us feel like sloths thank goodness.  It is about getting everyone to do something as it helps not only with physical well being but mental wellbeing.  I know I for one feel a lot better after going out for a walk, even if I have moaned and practically had to be dragged out.  I have actually started swimming in the outdoor pool in the evenings, it is painful to start off, it involves a lot of shrieking but once I'm in as long as I keep swimming it is wonderful.  Swimming under the stars and moon is bliss.  Anyway as far as I can remember, people aged between 19 and 64 need to do at least 150 mins exercise a week of moderate intensity, which could be 30 minutes a day for five days, OR 75 minutes vigorous intensive activity spread across the whole week.  Plus muscle strength exercise 2 days a week, which is why I'm swimming in the freezing cold weather!

As for healthy weight, well I already knew I was overweight, ( or too short for my weight) but after being weighed on a body composition analyser  found that my visceral fat level is healthy YESS!!!  I knew there was a thin person inside :)  Your visceral fat is very different from the squidgy fat you can squeeze on the outside.  It wraps itself around your organs and makes you prone to heart disease, diabetes etc.  It is a hidden fat that even if you are thin, can be lurking inside.  I eat healthy food, vegetarian and gluten free,  just much more than I burn off which may account for my results.

I am saddened by the news of Trump winning the election but can't say I'm surprised, after Brexit, nothing surprises me.  Michael Moore who predicted the win months ago warned that people who struggle to put food on the table and roofs over their heads are desperately looking for someone who says he will listen to them and fix everything.  Sadly they will be bitterly disappointed, a bit like the 350 million that was going to the NHS, yeh pigs might fly.  In my opinion he is a thoroughly nasty piece of work who shouldn't be in charge of a car park, let alone a country!

Anyway, enough lecturing! The next post will be on lighter subjects I promise :)  I will leave you with some photos from my week.







The deer spotted on a dawn walk, sadly we haven't seen them for days, I think they were scared off by the huge firework displays going on all around us.... and there was me thinking that living out in the country we would avoid all the fireworks!







Some photos taken at the fabulous Mount Pleasant Eco Park where the  Permaculture course was held, we had the delicious vegan roast for lunch accompanied by the owner on the decks playing reggae in the cafe.





Beautiful sunset, frosty morning and the venue for other training.


Chickpea xx





38 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos, it was a joy to see the deer, a real delight. I would love to learn more about permaculture, my husband and I have been doing a little research and have found it all a little confusing. Maybe you could enlighten us and explain some of the principles.

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    1. Yes it is confusing because it covers so a wide variety of things, but here's a description I quite like "Permaculture is a holistic design system that emulates systems that exist in Nature to create sustainable human settlements and food production systems which integrate harmoniously with the natural environment." So it is not only about how we grow things, but also about communities. It is about ethics and how we treat the earth and each other. Hope that makes it little clearer, or perhaps more confusing! So for example the no dig approach is copying nature, forests just grow, they don't need digging over.

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  2. Forgot to say, the recipe I used for the pumpkin pie was from the Jamie Oliver website.

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  3. THe deer shots are great, silhoutted against a twilight sky on the ridgeline

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    1. So privileged to see them and be able to capture them on my camera

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  4. Deer photos are brilliant
    SWIMMING IN AN OUTDOOR POOL!!!! IN NOVEMBER!!! BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

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  5. I do like that tiny pond at the downspout.

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    1. Isn't it a good idea! They had several of them

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  6. Beautiful deer photos and I love the thought of swimming under the stars - I think I might shriek a bit too on first getting in! xx

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  7. lovely pics, the night outdoor swimming sounds fab, I could do with a bit of that!

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  8. Your photographs of the deer are beautiful. How fortunate you are to have them close by. Hopefully you will get to see them again soon. X

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  9. I've been hearing about the no till debate on the Archers on the radio! Well done for the outdoor swimming at this time of year, brrr! Great photos.

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    1. I haven't heard that, haven't had the chance to listen for ages.

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  10. Hello :) Came over for a visit after reading your comment at 'A Hidden Jem'. Hope it's OK if I putter around for a while :)

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  11. The deer photos are amazing! Your permaculture course sounds fascinating, I'd be interested to find out more! Wishing you a peaceful week. x

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    1. Thank you Christina, I hope you have your kitchen finished soon! x

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  12. What an amazing course to have been on. I hope you will show us some of your works following it. I wonder if the deer were leading the faery folk around you house? I read a book years ago that had Native Americans symbolism in it. About totem poles, I seem to remember it being a sign of love and intuition. With so many of them, they must have been beaming you love for you taking over the house.

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    1. It was an introduction to permaculture and very interesting. I am a complete novice but will put together a post on some of the things I learned on the course. I love the idea of them beaming love at me!

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  13. I have a few permaculture books and have dipped into them, I must dip into them more often, I like the idea of a compost loo I was thinking about one for when we are outside save running back to the house and for when we have visitors camping.

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    1. I'm thinking of putting one in our field for when friends camp but couldn't get away with one in the house :)

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  14. A great post :) I love the photo of the frost, I have a soft spot for frosty mornings. They make me late for work.

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    1. Thanks The_Croods, yes I love frosty mornings makes everything sparkle :)

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  15. I'm impressed with the outdoor swimming. We weren't designed to be inactive it's just modern lives that make us so. The courses sound v interesting and the deer are lovely x

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    1. Totally agree, sitting on our arses all day is not good for us, unfortunately it is part of our lives now.

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  16. Wow! Outdoor swimming I'm cold just thinking about it, well done. You have to do what you can with the green improvements/gardening etc. I often see some fantastic ideas but like you say if the rest of the family won't go for it, you have to make the changes where you can. As a gluten free vegan my lot already think I'm a bit out there.

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    1. Yes the outdoor swimming is something I will have to acclimatise myself to, at the moment my hands and feet go purple and I shiver for an hour afterwards!

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  17. That last photo looks like it was taken from in front of Trelissick. Used to live on the estate in the 60s, so I recognize it.
    As to Trump, being a dual national now, I can say that two weeks further on and it does not get any easier. Who knew there were so many racists and bigots around? He seems to want everything his own way, and I am sure he will line his depleted pockets with conflict of interest, being in his own interest, of course. I'm amazed at the toadies around him who seem to stroke his ego, and the ones who defied him, but are now flocking to get a job.
    Lecture away whenever you feel like it!

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    1. Yes it was Lynn, we hired a room for training, unfortunately the heating wasn't working!! I know, depressing isn't it, they all seem to feel safe now to show their true colours.

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  18. I don't think I could persuade my own 'bearded one' to agree to a composting toilet either.

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