downshiftme.com Podcast Feed

Podcast 70

2010-05-22T21:01:00.000-03:00

Just a quick update to let you know we are still doing ok and to answer some questions which Louise asked us by email.

How long has it been since you relocated?
Has it met your expectations?
What would you do differently if you were just now starting to plan your move?
What was the biggest disappointment?
What has been the best reward?
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?

Recorded outside so apologies for the noises when the wind got up.

Podcast 69

2009-11-08T19:29:00.006-04:00

Chicken update
duck – lame duck
chicks appearing – natural rearing with their mothers/surrogates

LotteLotte
Produce update - 3rd summer

* tomatoes
* garlic
* onions
* potatoes
* carrots
* peppers
* beans
* peas
* zucchini (courgette)
* berries
* grape vines
* water tank

Some of the harvest
AJ visit to England

Work on house
Mortgage (short), good interest rates, buffer against future disasters
Envirofoam – basement insulation
Ecowater – water softener
New windows (energystar rated)

Non-house things things (which will not add value to it) too
New sofas and other furniture
2 new netbooks after various laptop disasters

Future works
New roof, skylights, verandah restoration, kitchen door, carpet, flooring, bathrooms, closets, insulation and dry walling. Work on wiring happening in next few weeks. But probably not solar panels for now.

Bad things AJ – his father's death
Matt – the economy

Good things
AJ – Lotte and turning 40
Matt – Skype, white woodwork, clean water, lots of produce, rainwater harvesting.

Podcast 68

2009-03-15T19:42:00.006-03:00

This week's podcast studio (photo from Feb)

Chicken update
6 boys rehomed. Egg production is up. Celebrating by recording in the greenhouse – the chickens' winter home.

Harry
Sad news is that Harry died. Luckily Chloe recovered after a night in the vets and anti-biotics. We got another cat with undue haste as we were worried about Chloe. Caden has now joined the family. Harry had an amazing character the short time we had him – he was a beautiful loving, affectionate naughty cat. We miss him a lot.

Harry

Caden

AJ's garden masterclass
Weekly tea, cake and gardening

Starting to plan the season
Some seedlings being planted, getting ready for the snow to melt to start work. Also want to tidy some of our woods.

Produce
Quince jelly, mango chutney, curries, naan, yoghurt – making so much from scratch. Some days I have had a 100% homemade lunch – soup, with homemade bread, followed by homemade yogurt with homemade jam in it. Almost as nice as last summer when our meals were often 100% garden produce.

Bad things
Matt – tax returns
AJ – preparing receipts for taxes

Good things
Matt – sunshine
AJ – Spring

http://www.downshift.me.uk/podcasts/downshiftmecom68.mp3

Podcast 67

2009-01-02T19:04:00.001-04:00

Visit from Carolyn
Was great to see her
Check out www.frugalandgreenish.com – her well written blog about all things greenish and frugalish.

Chicks
Hatched, grown, flourished – almost as big as their parents now. 5 boys to try to pass on.

Recession
Downshifting is very “in” now – TV programmes have gone from Property Ladder to The Home Show - all talking about making do. Living within your means rather than on credit.
Growing food, knitting, making gifts.

Jeep sold truck bought
Our own little bailout of the auto industry

Energuide survey
Got results – not much hope of any grant money – scored 57 points

Plans for 2009
Work on the house
Build AJ's business
Grow even more vegetables
Optimistic about it

New TV
Flat screen – we have been really consumerist – works with our UK DVD player – great picture and right size – it is our main form of entertainment. Works with our resurrected laptop.

Matt been to PEI
Matt – NS, NB, PE, ON
AJ – NS, NB, AL, ON

Bad things
Matt – TV
AJ – power outages

Good things
Matt – life
AJ – 6 months free Sirius satellite radio

Podcast 66

2008-10-05T20:42:00.002-03:00

Podcast 66 – get your kicks

Immigration
we landed
permanent residence
long journey – enjoyed the ferry
problems with Canadian immigration
wait times
CIC
study to immigrate
good way to “try before you buy”
bureaucratic system
CIC need to work with people not against them

Broadband, highspeed, ADSL

Spencer - the purr is silenced

Introducing Chloe and Harry – 3 months later

Chickens

Garden update
Greenhouse – up and inflated
Lots more produce
More time
More experience
Produce – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries, rhubarb, potatoes (including lovely blue ones), beans, peas, courgettes/zucchini, carrots, corn, leeks, asparagus

Business update
Park - community involvement

Bad things
Matt – our friends moving to Ottawa
AJ - negative election campaigning

Good things
AJ - potential of us having chicks
Matt – PR and ADSL

Podcast 65

2008-05-10T20:55:00.000-03:00

Not podcasted since December… quite a winter..

January – snow
February – more snow
March – less snow

Horticultural happenings
- awards
- Skills Canada gold medal
- commissions
- business
- job

Our garden
- greenhouse
- soft fruit
- grapes

Home brewing
- beer
- wine

Immigration update
- medicals
- bureaucracy
- new 5 year graduate work permit

My job
- at the University
- website work

Animal updates
- Spencer
- Dylan
- chickens

Visitors from England next weekend

Bad Things
AJ – ticks
Matt – bugs

Good things
AJ – Twinnings Herbal Teas (wellbeing range)
Matt – living in the country

Podcast 64

2007-12-28T20:38:00.000-04:00

2nd anniversary of our first podcast (not going to play it again)

63 podcasts later but bit out of practice.

Nice to hear people have come to us after we stopped weekly podcasting and they have listened all the way through - out of real time.

Winter
- Quite a winter - 5 storms (including last night) - last winter 5 in total
- 10cm last night
- snow most of December

Horticultural happenings
- passed semester with honours
- one more to go
- lots of houseplants propagated

Knitting
quest for the gnome
tree decoration
knitted our hats

Creeping Canadianisms
highway
gas

Immigration to Nova Scotia - we have PNP

People not always doing what they set out to do coming here
True of many downshifters
Adapt plans if things don't turn out exactly how they are planned

Bad Things
AJ – TV
Matt – snow

Good things
Matt – snow
AJ – snow

Podcast 63

2007-10-08T20:27:00.000-03:00

Why we stopped podcasting
Busy
Ran out of things to say
Spencer tries to stop the podcast
Was worried slightly we had “lost our way” with my new job

We are poor, we knit our own yoghurt and hats.

Didn't get chickens as we hoped to this year.

Got some great emails from people – people said they understood but would miss us.

Met some great people visiting
Welcome to Nova Scotia – Mark and Tania, Richard and Jane, and Flora and Larry

Harvest – potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini/courgettes, squash, chilli peppers, some berries.

Next year – carrots, parsnips, more potatoes, onions, more zucchini, berries – hoping the grape vines and kiwi survive.

Triumphs of the year - we can look back and give thanks

So settled
Survived the winter
Had some great produce
Great fun - spent time together
Enjoy walking the garden after dinner
New job meant physiotherapy on foot and filling replaced which came out in November
AJ learnt to can - chilli jelly, jam, chutney, pickle, salsa
AJ has mastered beer - Matthew likes the beer

Setbacks

Truck still dead – setback – bought car – on credit
Not grown as much as we would have liked
Money running out faster than we hoped

Downshifting is about finding your own path. Choose a different way of living.

We need BBC Canada.. Doctor Who, Torchwood, Spooks, Robin Hood, It's not Easy Being Green, Buildings that Shaped Britain.

Don't feel homesick but nicely nostalgic.

Found our house in a book.

The school was bigger than we thought. More outbuildings - like we thought.

Bad Things
AJ – the truck
Matt – cost of insurance

Good things
AJ – a general sense of joy and contentment
Matt – Nova Scotia is my home

Podcast 62

2007-06-10T17:22:00.000-03:00

Truck is dead

AJ’s infected bite

Job going well

Bought a cultivator

Grass growing quickly

Almost a year on

- Achieved a lot
- Not always as expected
- starting to run out of things to say weekly
- getting quite busy doing things
- weekly is too much pressure
- we will still update the website
- subscribe to the email updates or subscribe in bloglines or a newsreader to the general feed

Bad Things
AJ – infected bite
Matt – dead truck

Good things
Matt – work colleagues we live in a beautiful place
AJ – happier, more content with less stress

Podcast 61

2007-05-27T19:40:00.001-03:00

Feels like spring has come and gone and its summer.

Planting update – Spencer ate the corn, planting beds outside – lots of free discarded – “not good enough to sell” plants.

Truck MVI

Wood for the chicken coop

Matt’s new job – back working for a University, back in housing – looking forward to it. Sad to be leaving the supermarket and the nice people – but not the anti-social hours. Leaving pay not too bad (for this area) but new pay better.

Is this going backwards on the downshifting thing?

AJ working through torrential rain, baking heat, bug plagues

Bug update – we were premature last time – they come and go – lots today though. Need a screen house tent thingy

Bad Things
AJ – bugs
Matt – bugs

Good things
AJ – plants
Matt – weather and having weekends back

Podcast 60

2007-05-13T18:29:00.000-03:00

Spring

Cut grass
Bulbs appeared

Update on our vegetables and herbs

AJ work update

Matt Work update

Truck having MVI tomorrow – wish us luck

Chicken house construction starts soon with local timber

Bad Things
AJ – apprehension about the truck MVI
Matt – bugs

Good things
AJ – being alive
Matt – smell of freshly cut grass

Podcast 59

2007-04-29T21:27:00.000-03:00

Not retiring at 60. 3rd attempt - very tired. Matt has had his siesta. AJ has bottled beer.

AJ work placement week. Saltscapes expo. What is the difference between an exposition and exhibition?

Tracey Smith in the Toronto Star.

Electric poultry netting - mentioned on Geek.Farm.Life.

Bagels and Baggels. Gooda and Gouda.

Andrew and Misty built their own greenhouse – looking at ways to retain heat.

Humidity question - good for some plants but not others. Humidity can cause problems with pests, mold or spores.

We are looking for a heated winter greenhouse with dual skin.

Sprouting update – what's hot and what's not

Water sampling has started again

Earthquake – damage in Folkestone – 475 houses damaged. 4.3 magnitude on the Richter scale.

We had one in the valley of 3.2 magnitude – was 11th August 2006 so we were living here then (and didn’t notice).

Google Map

Records 1985 to 1997 – nothing over a 4

First tick - yuk. Don't listen while you eat!

Bad Things
AJ – first mosquito bite
Matt – still a little chilly

Good things
AJ – bulbs
Matt – youtube - numa numa

Podcast 58

2007-04-22T22:27:00.000-03:00

Happy National Downshifting Week and Earth Day (happy St. George’s Day for tomorrow)

Truck update

Downshifting week - goals

Work starting

End of year at college

Warm weather – noises – peepers, birds

Sad news – made us feel a long way away from home

Bad Things
AJ – sad news, truck, college ending
Matt – truck or nothing

Good things
AJ – work starting, weather, truck
Matt – weather, summer

This podcast is dedicated to the memory of AJ's Gran.

Podcast 57

2007-04-14T18:42:00.001-03:00

Brought to you by AJ's Banana Bread and Celestial Seasons herbal tea

Winter storm – LOTS of snow – didn’t last long – single biggest snowfall of the winter.

Tracey Smith – Odeo Message – National Downshifting Week and Sustainable Sausage Saturday

House prices in the UK - density doubled over past 10 years

"Housing people like tinned sardines does not come without costs however. Complaints about noisy neighbours have risen fivefold in the last decade with loud music cited as the chief culprit." Reuters

Google maps and Google Earth - 4,416 miles from our old house to our new

Kate Adie sounds posher now on From our own Correspondent- said power as "pa"

Huggles - What's that all about?

Torch Song Trilogy - very well written and acted

Taxes - lots of work!

Bad Things
AJ – hunt for a truck is frustrating
Matt – too much oil - ordered $200 of oil - ended up with $450 worth

Good things
AJ – banana bread
Matt – fresh air

Podcast 56

2007-04-08T08:58:00.000-03:00

Happy Easter

Weather has changed for the weekend

More plants – house is becoming a nursery. Willow propagating - growing "fedges".

Greenhouse - bad news - shipping $600 US from Maine. Still cheaper than other alternatives.

Wine and Trees garden – seen in flesh. Looks even better in the flesh than in the photos.

Woodpecker

AJ has a commission to design a garden

Robins are back - 14 robins in the front garden

Provincial Nominee Program – NS graduate route immigration forms now available.

Wide salary differences in Nova Scotia.

www.acountrylife.com – Canadian Immigration discussion board

Google ads – experiment. Hopefully not too intrusive. Its free money for us if it works. If you are interested in anything – click it – if not don’t :)

Header image has changed. AJ wants to change the bumble bee and the sunflower.

May get the bee hives back.

Bad Things
AJ – snow in spring
Matt – muddy water

Good things
AJ – good things on the horizon
Matt – recognition at work that doing a good job

Podcast 55

2007-04-01T19:34:00.001-03:00

Chainsaw
- cut up lots of the oak but still quite a lot to go
- sat outside on a bit of the oak tree

Spring
– seedlings sprouting
- greenhouse research

Wine and Trees
- AJ’s Japanese Garden

Immigration rant - there will soon be changes to the Provincial Nominee Program (see last Sunday's post on downshiftme.com)

Different woodpecker - will play next week

National Downshifting Week

New York Times – A Year Without Toilet Paper - need to register now to read or check out No Impact Man blog

Bad Things
AJ – people drinking when you can’t
Matt – work yesterday

Good things
AJ – chainsaws, praise, sunshine
Matt – crocus

Plastic bags – to be continued…

We play out with the wonderful Sandie Shaw

Podcast 54

2007-03-17T20:50:00.000-03:00

> Oak tree down – rotten down one side – need to buy a chainsaw now.

> Spring - thawing. Winter storm last night.

> March break

> Job news - AJ

> Woody woodpecker – a pileated woodpecker

> GOTW – new podcast from www.acountrylife.com coming soon

> Census – population drop in rural Nova Scotia - turns into a rant about immigration and how NS should fast track immigration to the rural parts of Nova Scotia. New Brunswick has a better provincial nominee program for entrepreneurs.

> Trying to reduce clear cutting – satellite images showing forestry in NS – on the news showed our house from the air – well the general area.

> Need sustainable woodland management

> Jerry and Gemma – good luck with their house building plans – starting very soon. Blogging it.

> Google Sketch Up

> Still some windows and doors to add

> AJ has bought some books

> Smaller file size – mono for dialup – thanks Daniel

Bad Things
AJ - bored with snow
Matt – work – had its moments this week

Good things
AJ - Dylan
Matt – broadband again

Chad Hatcher and Classified

Podcast 53

2007-03-11T18:10:00.000-03:00

> Take 2

> First podcast in satellite digital broadband
- Frees the phone line - its faster - but not as fast as we had in the UK.
- Digging post hole in a snow storm and minus 15 degree windchill - pick axe
- Trying to keep concrete warm

> AJ has enjoyed using Youtube and Google Earth

> Podcasts
- The Now Show – very very funny – very middle class and our generation. 22 minutes. Political satire – we love it.
Catching up on –
- Geek.Farm.Life
- Daily Source Code
- Canadian Podcast Buffet

We will try different quality settings on our dialup version - this week 40k - feedback is appreciated.

> BBC 30 things which have changed in the UK

> AJ looks at trucks – and gets told that an older truck costing less really costs more than a 2007 brand new model. Some people's trucks must be worth more than their houses.

> Been here for 2 clock changes

> An email with a yarn about yarn - kind offer from a knitter

> Frappr update and shoutout - read fast not like Clement Freud being ponderous on Just a Minute.

Bad Things
Matt - more weather moans - the snow and the Jeep sliding one way and then the next
AJ - icicles on eyelashes

Good things
AJ - March break
Matt – higher speed internet

Podcast 52

2007-03-04T18:55:00.001-04:00

Storm

Post

Visitors

Eclipse

The Now Show

Lovely email from Paula – listened to all our podcasts – torture!

Full week of course

Gimpyness update

Bad Things
AJ - snow storm
Matt - snow storm

Good things
AJ - tea
Matt – sunshine and moonlight

Podcast 51

2007-02-25T16:54:00.001-04:00

Lots of snow

Yoghurt – don’t need electricity as you said – heat and cool – insulated container, welly, that sort of thing – thanks to Richard for the advice.

Home made soup

East Coast Music Awards

- Jill Barber – tipped in earlier podcast
- Classified
- Joel Plaskett

Funny comment after Peter McKay thought he was in Toronto

Mary Walsh comedian referred to the federal “Conservative a*** lickers of Satan who don’t even know which town they are in”

Also watched the last of the series of Doctor Who.

Satellite broadband – need a post.

Get back into listening to podcasts – hopefully Skype.. but who knows. Better for the uploading of podcast. Also may use youtube more and things that don’t work like google earth and frappr.

Work update – still training in the cash office – but not looking forward to having to “balance” on my first shift.

Art day at college

Learning lots of latin names

Donation – thank you – will use it to plant a tree.

Bad Things
Matt - snow
AJ - foot still gimpy

Good things
Matt – home made soup
AJ - Celestial Seasons tea

Podcast 50

2007-02-11T20:36:00.000-04:00

The big 50.

Surprise visitor – very nice to have and good luck for tomorrow. Matt gives a geography lesson.

Our driveway is like a skating rink.

Foot update – its all gone gimpy.

AJ is drinking Raspberry Green Tea (Celestial Gardens) and Matt is drinking a Twinnings of London Green Tea.

Two loads of wood delivered in the week.

We could see backwards in time:

AJ likes the Antiques Roadshow.

Work update – whole supervisor shift. 1m different lottery tickets and scratchcard. No news from jobs. Also being trained to work in the cash office.

Spencer mips.

Sewing machine went backwards and now doesn't go. AJ has started knitting.

AJ – planting update on “Zone 1” – permaculture term.

Herb garden:

Tofu - looks cost effective - it almost sounds like we have a plan to be more self reliant.

Fence the vegetable plot using our own wood for posts. AJ going to start coppicing

Home made alcohol – not worked

Bread – great – pasta was good but not cheaper and lots of faff.

Yoghurt – be nice to find a yoghurt maker. Our old one is being used to still make yoghurt in Wales.

Bad things
AJ – snowy roads
Matt – sliding sideways in the Jeep and worrying about AJ driving in the snow

Good things
AJ – scratching his creativity
Matt – learning new stuff at work

Got cut off in mid flow by the music.

Podcast 49

2007-02-03T18:03:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Andrew and Misty of Geek Farm Life for reaching 50 podcasts.

Apologies for not podcasting last week.

Snow storm outside. AJ made two snow sculptures after feeling creatively challenged.

Foot update - still sore - getting better - taking pain killers.

Wood – sweat equity in the cost - lots of labour when you carry each piece yourself. Need to cut back - not sure if the oil gauge is stuck.

AJ has been doing some impressive garden designs for his course.

It is not easy being green – or rural! Or poor. We aimed to be greener but not sure we are more green - but think we will build up to it.

Driving test - AJ passed - never had a driving licence in the UK

Need second car - global footprint has increased (in ways)
Drive further for shopping
Easier to be green in the city
Need to go further for work
BUT we will start putting things back into the earth very soon and reduce our footprint
Wood – good local wood – not used much oil for heating – well insulated

Consumerism – feel like we are consuming a lot!

Spend less – still not been easy so far

Its easier to be green if you are middle class and urban.

Work update – stopped applying for low paid jobs as I am not getting interviews or hearing from any of them. Think I may have to go it alone and be self employed if I don't get a job.

Supermarket job - have a "Customer Services Supervisor" shift, being trained in new stuff and doing the signs.

Am doing some freelance web authoring and been commissioned to design a website today. Also look after empty property. Otherwise I will need to retrain.

Ironically there are jobs being advertised in AJ's old "sphere". Must have applied for 20 jobs and heard nothing from them.

Planned on an outside podcast - but the weather is too bad.

Bad things
AJ – painful foot
Matt – how much moving you have to do with wood

Good things
AJ – being mobile - motor mobile
Matt – Nova Scotia - despite work and money - its a wonderful place

We still can't get Frappr to work on dialup

Podcast 48 - the brrrrr edition

2007-01-21T15:11:00.000-04:00

Winter has arrived:

Monday – finished early – a nasty drive home

Tuesday – got out of working

Wednesday like The Day After Tomorrow
-30 windchill
-16 real temperature
High winds

Thursday – back to college and work – river frozen.

AJ’s accident
- hospital visit
- charging for ambulances
- hobbling
- getting better

Winter – managing to survive – yes it is cold. House is lovely and warm. Burning lots of wood – not using too much oil (as long as the gauge is working). Snow is a pain on the roads sometimes. Need to shovel the entrance to our drive.

Storms in Europe – plane taking off – couldn’t find on BBC or Youtube.

Brewing beer - Mouse in bottle incident

Our Favourite advert nicotine replacement –“The seatbelt light is on! SIGH”
Click here and then on "Deb on quitting smoking" on the bottom right.

BBC Canada – wall to wall homes programmes!

Bad things
Matt – snow
AJ – hurt foot

Good things
AJ – woolly hats
Matt – snow

Podcast 47

2007-01-14T20:37:00.000-04:00

Things to bring thread on ACL, a Dead Dyson, Flora’s question about money. Nice people we have met, listener in Israel, email about rain in Swansea. Work update – doing signage. College update – Chelsea garden. Mother Earth News article – poly tunnel with compost pathway, keeping chickens, nuts, compost.

Podcast 46 - one year on

2007-01-08T19:30:00.000-04:00

This is the first podcast of the year and our "review of the year". Our first ever podcast was on 30th December 2005 so this is our one year anniversary of podcasting.

It lasts for 50 minutes so have uploaded an even lower quality than usual version for our dialup listeners plus the normal 56k version which is included in the podcast feed.

Happy New Year

2007-01-01T12:59:00.000-04:00

Happy New Year. Click the icon below to play a message from downshiftme.com or right click and "save link as" or "save target as".

Next podcast should be out next weekend hopefully.

Happy New Year,

Matt and AJ

Podcast 45 (belated)

2006-12-23T06:40:00.000-04:00

Apologies for the delay in this appearing in iTunes and for podcast clients due to a technical hitch (thanks Daniel for alerting us).

Not sure if the next podcast will be Christmas Eve or Christmas Day or Boxing day but next two will be our “reviews of the year”. First podcast was on 30th December 2005. What we have done, what we achieved, what we have not achieved, what was not expected, the highs and the lows.

Please send us your comments for the next two podcasts. Email us or record audio and send it to us.

We do not have broadband :( Aliant website shows next door has high speed but we don’t. Aliant say its due to available ports not distance.

We may even play some moments from previous podcasts.

We will also look forward to the 12 months ahead and see what we hope to achieve.

> College update – its finished for the year with exams Thursday and Friday. Next semester – different modules, different hours. Integrated Pest Management. Integrated Plant Health. Computing module.
- Driving.

> Work update – Christmas rush, very busy in both. Tiger balm helping my back – done in by bad ergonomics. Day off today! 50 hours next week. Being talked about.

“Only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about”

> Christmas – probably just the 4 of us, although we may have a friend over some of the time, who may otherwise be on her own (and she has a dog). We usually have a quiet Christmas.

- Candle from my grandmother.
- Will probably have some very happy moments but also some sad ones.

- Miss our friends and family. Although we may not have seen them at Christmas, I think it will make us feel a long way away.

AJ doesn’t feel the distance. Matt does miss our past life although job helps a lot.

Matt witters about change, loss, confidence, and making choices. We have long term goals and some of the short term necessities are just that – short term.

AJ misses Radio 4. Matt really misses broadband (and A4 paper)

Bad things
Matt – rude eco Nazis – please be nice to supermarket staff!
AJ – TV series suddenly stopping mid series

Good things
AJ – on holiday for two and a half weeks
Matt – people are nice

New Frappr person - Jonathan from Annapolis Royal.

Podcast 44

2006-12-10T21:00:00.000-04:00

Matt and AJ have moved from busy Leeds in the UK to the beautiful Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia, Canada for a better life.

Weather report
Lots of snow
Road conditions
Drive nice and slowly, avoid breaking and sudden manoeuvres and use the 4wd if needed. Snow tyres are great.
Lowest temperatures
Windchill
Thaw and freeze
Incredibly beautiful
Dylan enjoying it but regressing in naughtiness

Work update
Long hours
Interesting possibilities in both

College update
Winter retail sale

Bad things
Matt – American date format
AJ – Dylan's naughtiness

Good things
AJ – weather
Matt – beauty of snow

Podcast 43

2006-12-03T20:12:00.000-04:00

From Heart House, Nova Scotia with snowflakes gently floating past the window.

What have we been up to?

Hort East
- AJ went with his course to Hort East show in Moncton
- 2.5 days
- Horticulture conference and exhibition
- interesting and enjoyable

Work
- 50 hours last week and 48 this week
- very busy and not much time off
- not exactly the plan for downshifting but need to follow up on opportunities

Weather
- gone cold but has been very changeable
- getting through the wood

Liberal leadership
Stéphane Dion winning – rather glad not Ignatieff – bit spooky. Although there are a fair few Sesame Street characters amongst the candidates. Liked Bob Rae after him being on Rick Mercer

Bad things
Matt – not enough hours in the day
AJ – the bus is heated too well

Good things
AJ – Hort East
Matt – colleagues at my new job

Podcast 42

2006-11-19T18:28:00.000-04:00

Podcast 42 – the answer to the meaning of life the universe and everything?

This is downshiftme.com a podcast about a couple who have moved from the UK to Nova Scotia, Canada. This has involved some big changes in life and lifestyle and we are getting used to living on very little money and trying to simplify the pace of life.

The podcast has been following our journey in what we call “downshifting” but it is probably more like the story of trying to survive the cultural, financial and other changes moving from an urban wealthy lifestyle in the UK to a financially poorer, hopefully “life richer” existence in Nova Scotia.

> 42 – very hitchhikers - the answer to the meaning of life, the universe and everything.

> Difficult to concentrate, talk and walk last week – especially getting thwacked in the face by branches! Hit deer not car.

> Snow – forgot to mention. Current heat wave – 21 degrees Friday.

> Thermostat is ace – nice and warm – surprised all Canadian homes don’t have them

> AJ hurt his finger

> Work on the new rockery - 50% done

> Soil analysis - put soil and water in a jar and then leave it - layers of sand, silt and organic matter

> Dog whistle – eagle attraction?

> Matt has been bitten

> AJ had two days off college

> Matt starts at the electronics store next week

> AJ has started making Christmas cards

> Lovely meal with friends up the road - Dylan came too

Bad things
AJ – hurt finger
Matt – having hours cut - annoying

Good things
AJ – finding things - we found a car!
Matt – colleagues at the supermarket

Podcast 41 - down in the woods

2006-11-11T20:35:00.000-04:00

Podcast 41 - in the November sunshine - Matt, AJ and Dylan go into the woods to bring back pine trees to plant in the garden.

> Garden activities
- Holly x 2
- conifers
- pines

> I have 3 jobs - One thanks to the podcast – looking after an empty house.
- Another in a store selling things plus the supermarket.

> Thermostat fitting – electronic programmable one. Save energy and wake up to toasty warm without baking all night.

> Deer incident – scary accident – luckily no-one harmed. Matt says they hit a car - but he meant - hit a deer!

Paused podcast as we thought Dylan had run off.

> They are wanting to cull some deer in the inner city part of Leeds where we used to live.

> AJ is digging up pine trees

> AJ had a birthday a few weeks ago

Bad things
AJ – people who put gasoline in diesel lawn tractors
Matt – having 3 jobs (and no time)

Good things
AJ – middle of November and a beautiful sunny day and AJ couldn't be happier
Matt – having 3 jobs

Podcast 40

2006-11-05T17:04:00.000-04:00

The big four oh podcast.

Power kept going off which we think killed one of our PC's

Heating comes on. First snow in Nova Scotia for us.

Main news is I have a job – working in a supermarket. Big change and very tiring but it will help out in lots of ways. Need the money – even though not going to cover our outgoings on the part time nature.

Good experience – and all I could get.

Job hunting was getting me down – hearing nothing from so many employers for jobs I could easily do.

Work with some very nice people.

Small oil flood in the basement - not entirely the oil company's fault.

Thank you for your comments - we want to be upbeat. It is not easy to podcast when you feel down.

We have a message from the DSM stalker - in a windy barn by the sounds of it.

Don't worry - we are warm.

AJ’s placement week – working in all weathers with a woolly hat on.

What did you do?
How did you feel about it?
Obtaining information from AJ is like pulling teeth :)
Were you disappointed going back to college?

Going to fit a second filter for a two stage filtration process - more plumbing.

Tonight – fireworks in the garden. Bonfire night, fireworks night, Guy Fawkes night.

We mustn't diminish people's listening pleasure.

Bad things
Matt – job hunting for Johnny Foreigner sucks
AJ – dark nights mean AJ misses bus stop

Good things
AJ – snow
Matt – having a job

End with a song from the DSM stalker - from the musical "South Atlantic" - Nova Scotia

Podcast 39

2006-10-22T15:34:00.000-03:00

Quick update – famous last words? Almost didn’t do one but thought we would just make it speedy instead.

Windy – leaves blown from the trees.

Power on and off – need a UPS not a generator I think. Bought a propane camping stove to add to our emergency kit.

AJ College update – getting wet. Placement week.

Driving lessons - been a busy week for AJ

Job hunting update – lots of applications, one interview, one place not hiring yet – so not as bad as a complete rejection. Had to be quite pushy which is not really like me.

Has been getting me down a bit. As usual I expect things to happen immediately and panic when they don’t. Like selling the house – on the market a week and we worried we didn’t have anyone buying it.

Project blind – successes and setbacks.

Frenchys

Battery runs out.

New dining table – needs restorating, restoring, renovating or re-finishing.

Bad things
AJ – bus journey getting tedious
Matt – job hunting

Good things
Matt – our table
AJ – Veseys Seeds

Podcast 38

2006-10-15T22:13:00.000-03:00

Geek.Farm.Life – new dog Harvey joined them. Such nice people.

Power cut – survived – do we need a generator?

Digging – going well but my back hurts – was so hot doing it.

AJ College – what have you been doing?

Welcome to The Maritimes – by Classified – shame we can’t play it. Scroll down for the link to their video.

Hats – downshifting hat?

Marketing to children – CBC documentary – spa days for little girls. Matt’s theory on capitalism overload destroying the planet.

Bad things
Matt – not being able to play clips of music
AJ – headaches

Good things
AJ – deer in the garden
Matt – new friends

Podcast 37 - the purr is back

2006-10-08T14:34:00.000-03:00

Spencer progress - he is downstairs and purring

Emails – sorry not replied. We are the Tardy Boys.

Frappr – you are not in Kansas any more.

Went down to minus 4.
Furnace – broke - fuse blown

Water update – its clear! Extra fine filter needed. Filter is disgusting now though.

Milk frother

We have a Spurtle! From seafoamwoodworking.com

Job update – no news – 2 more to apply for.

One day of work – viewed a property, recorded a video on DVD, a CD of photos and wrote a report. Easier to write than being diplomatic about carpets for owners of properties wanting to let to students.

BBC Radio player – The Archers and The Benn Tapes – very good service which even works on dialup – pretty good huh. Bit of 20th Century British Political History creeps in. Tony Benn website - closed for a 2005 update! Or try Wikipedia. Downloads would be even better though.

AJ started cider with 18kg of apples.

Why does Carolyn want to see us in our thermals?

Bad things
Matt – international standards or lack thereof – 3 holes for binders, letter not A4, SCART sockets, impetric measurements (Kyoto and War Crimes Tribunals too)
AJ – X-box doesn't work - need a PAL to NTSC converter

Good things
Matt – Spencer downstairs and Autumnal colours
AJ – nothing further to say this week

AJ refuses to do his Mr. Punch impression.

Podcast 36

2006-10-01T18:07:00.000-03:00

Thank you for all the concern about my sanity.

Got my work permit
It’s a SIN
First person to ask if I know "so and so"
Job hunting started in earnest – 4 jobs applied for so far - very ecclectic mix
www.jobbank.gc.ca a lot better than monster.ca

Saying “stuff” hitting the fan is “very CBC” according to Shelagh Rogers on Sounds Like Canada

Hat poll – choose a downshifting hat/beanie/toque/toboggan from this link - scroll to hats.

Chicken hat:

AJ thinks Dylan decided on what we talk about on the podcast. Dogcast.

Plumbing effort update – it worked – no leaks but we do need to possibly get a finer filter. Ground floor, first floor or first floor, second floor. Tomato two-mate-oh.

Dylan contributes to the podcast for the first time.

Jill Barber – playing the Fav (and everywhere else in the UK/Canada and also in Ireland). Like the track Hard Line – very catchy.

Frappr (see link on the right) - we have 34 Frapperistas.

Friends listen so I can't tell them what we have been up to.

Subscribe with your email address to DSM (see the box on the right). AJ nods.

Bad things
AJ – muscle aches - lack of fitness. Or Matt thinks muscles ache not because of fitness but due to using new muscles. AJ does a Charles Atlas pose, then Bruce Forsythe
Matt – stop signs - there are too many in Canadia - although I may be the only person who stops. More roundabouts and more yielding! (and also – too sticky labels - take a leaf out of Ken Morrison's book - good labels - Matt needs to get out more)

Good things
Matt – call centre Blue Cross people who deal with inquiries for MSI - excellent customer service
AJ – amazon.ca - $70 down to $25 for a text book. We also bought DVD's and books with a wedding present of Amazon.ca vouchers. Also AJ's slippers.

Also forgot to mention:
Bought insulated wellies, work shirts, thermals, Matt has a work jacket
We played frisbee and AJ wore wellies strung together
I also started digging garden

Sorry for the rambling.. may be better next week.. but probably not.

Podcast 35

2006-09-24T19:01:00.000-03:00

Message from Andrew and Misty of Geek Farm Life

Wood pile
Woodburner replacement - saved lots of money by recycling one from upstairs
The old woodburner will be removed in a week (is it a "Nova Scotian week"?)
Tested two woodburners
Tested furnace with wood. Oil delivered too. It got very hot last night.
Non-bouncy floors
Visitors - family
New friends from UK visited too – www.acountrylife.com – for lots of information for UK people moving/wanting to move to NS

Mystery object

Mystery solved

Ross Farm Museum

Dylan update – still with us and gorgeous. He knows lots of tricks we are learning. He didn't come with a manual. Halti works - he came with one. Spencer still not happy but getting braver.

Canadian online shopping good site – seafoamwoodworking.com - get yourself a spurtle - you know you want to.

Weight loss Canada - AJ and I have lost weight. Metric kilogram things. We are children of the middle generation (not children of the revolution). AJ needs belt. Matt is "officially" ideal weight. BMI is under 25.

Frappr update - Frappr new version doesn't work on dialup. Frappr should be called a name that rhymes with "Lavatory".

Dylan twitches.

No shout outs - so sorry.

Many thanks for all the feedback and also the private emails we get with advice, encouragement and tips – we do appreciate it. We have made lots of new friends through podcasting. Please continue and when you know few people locally it really helps.

In 300 years we will be locals. We have friends through prodcasting (so not to infringe copyright). AJ has been sniffing the dog. Dylan has R.E.M.

AJ and I are going to try plumbing.. oh goodness!

Bad things
AJ – rhymes with toilet - Frappr's latest update
Matt – supermarket carrier bags - they use too many.

AJ thinks kittens and bunnies are evil. Matt likes them.

Good things
AJ – apples - harvesting lots of apples to make lethal cider
Matt – wood is good - it heats, it burns, its good for the environment

Work permit applications are being processed from 24th July now. People don't understand a damn word we are saying. AJ is becoming a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Matt speaks to no-one except in his virtual world - a crazy crazy man.

Podcast 34

2006-09-10T17:11:00.000-03:00

AJ started college
- long journey
- interesting course
- nice colleagues
- helpful and relevant
- college rocks!

Water sampling started – assisted by local kids

Big city yesterday. Went to the Mic Mac Mall (debate about the pronunciation – we go with the first nation’s people). Shops – urban sophistication.

Why were we in the city?

Introducing Dylan.
- Good in the car
- Settled well
- Pulls on the lead
- Sometimes ignores commands
- fun at the beach

Canadian online shopping is underdeveloped we reckon - Good – Lea Valley and - The Source. US import duties?

Bad things
Matt – smelly dog, antisocial to Spencer
AJ – buses and skunks

Good things
AJ – we have a doggie
Matt – Dylan

This is a download from downshiftme.com

Podcast 33

2006-09-03T17:20:00.000-03:00

Warning - this podcast contains extreme background purring which some listeners may find disturbing.

AJ gets down to the theme tune.

Busy week. Passed my driving test x 2. Practical part rather thrust on me – but good to get it out of the way.

Quote for work in our basement. Bit of a patchwork of beams down there. No wonder the floor bounces. Does AJ look like Karen Carpenter? Beams and steel props on concrete pads should sort it out.

Plumber. Fitting a filter. Water softener - I am not sure if we need one. Suds are not an issue.

Preparing for winter – cleared brush with rented brush cutter where veg beds are going to go. Quicker than scythe but hard work. Next stage will be to dig over some beds. AJ is in extreme pain.

Matt and AJ reduce, reuse and recycle clothes.

Voluntary work – sampling river water – inducted – start tomorrow. Have a home lab for titration and measuring the oxygen content of the water. Another sample is sent off to the lab to be analysed for ecoli – just like our well sample was (same lab) and then I change the sign telling people if the water is safe to swim in, water cattle, irrigate crops or none of the above.

Carolyn visit – Nice to see her and for her to see our house. Swapped books and DVDs and herbs.

Oak Island – Darcy O’Connor – The Big Dig – found in the library

Also in the library – book on Canadian Green Consuming – from 1998 – bit out of date (talks about lead in petrol) – It’s not easy being Green - new series in the UK – borrowed the book about the first series. It's different though as it is Dick and James helping people do green things.

Recycling – gets sent to Malaysia – like from the UK – buying bags to then recycle into.. does this make sense?

Budgeting – how much (or how little) can we live on? A couple can live on $18k (about £9k)?

Leos in Annapolis was on CBC Radio 1 NS programme - Maritime Noon?

Bad things
AJ – suffering - back, arms and biceps hurt
Matt – stress of having to do a driving test

Good things
AJ – getting things done
Matt – amount we have got done

Lots of people on Frappr - AJ does a roll call - and you and you and you. Hello to Thalia, Eva and Marc and Gemma and Jerry and everyone else too.

Over 100 subscribers now. Matt goes into freeform witter being sincere about how much we appreciate the listeners.

Podcast 32

2006-08-30T11:54:00.000-03:00

Podcast about voluntary simplicity – living a simpler life in rural Nova Scotia, Canada through choice (and financial necessity).

We used to have jobs, a mortgage, city life, stress, Ikea, broadband, healthcare, English tea bags, - now we have less of all of those and none of some. We have moved from a 1930’s surburban semi to an 1830’s rural farmhouse.

We are English men in New Scotland.

Soundseeing tour of our garden
Driveway
Pond plans
Formal garden
Old trees – Black Oak, Sycamore and North American Beech
Barbecue garden
Path cleared
Lower meadow and upper meadow
Apple tree maintenance – rejuvenating neglected trees
Baseball pitch
Main meadow and woods
Compost bays
Previous buildings on the site

Book on Paradise

Our visitor and how great it is to have met a previous owner – new information – one room school, military store, lots more buildings on the plot. Then we found remnants of two.

TV update – have the post and have the dish.. so have TV.. whoo hoo. Good documentary on CBC about the American war machine.

Transplanted trees – probably not the right time of year to be doing it. You dug over the herb garden – what will be.

Bad things
AJ – end of the summer
Matt – its chilly

Good things
AJ – Autumn is beginning
Matt – TV

Podcast 31

2006-08-22T15:21:00.001-03:00

Podcast about downshifting – living a simpler life in rural Nova Scotia, Canada having moved from well paid jobs in the city in the UK.

> We have been tardy. But we have been talking to people, having visitors and visiting.

> More reliable internet connection but we appear quiet to some people on voice calls. May not be us it may be the exchange. Basement is less damp.

> We talked about the thunder and lightning on my birthday - managed to record a little bit of it. AJ fooled by the thunder sounds but not camply apparently.

> Water update – we did our own test - its fine biologically – zero e-coli, zero coliform – next step is the mineral test - $80 to $100 though – not sure where to get that done – will ask at Pharmasave and can phone the lab.

> Satellite TV – 7 weeks without TV but I have missed it – especially the news. Cheap package. We don’t have it as we need to fit a post in the garden, fitted a phone socket.

> Visitors – been great, Spencer has loved it too. Christened the dining room.

> Spencer “autogrooms” noisily then does circuits.

> Plug for Leos in Annapolis Royal

> Went to Mahone Bay and had lunch with Carolyn

> Oak Island – explore Oak Island weekend, New excavations will start soon. Michigan group, Al Capone’s vault. Hope the Blankenships find something as Garnette and David were so nice.

> Had coffee with Flora and Larry and meeting them on Wednesday. Our chicken print was painted by a friend of Flora and Larry’s.

> Anyone know where to buy a telegraph pole in Nova Scotia?

> Annapolis Valley exhibition – agricultural show. AJ likes the sound of Blueberry Grunt.

> Met neighbours – told them we were not property line hermits. They warned about bears – the bears and the bees.

> Had lots of time off – so now we need to get cracking. Need to do a list of tasks.

> Future podcasts
– walking the land
– Carolyn visit

www.acountrylife.com – help out with the fundraising drive to support the virtual smallholders show – give them a few $’s, £’s and €’s

Bad things
Matt – autumn already..

Good things
Matt – nova scotia is a lovely place
AJ – college starting

Higher quality version coming in a few days. Of course the moment I mentioned the phone was OK, have had loads of problems uploading this podcast!

Podcast 30

2006-08-06T19:02:00.000-03:00

This is our weekly Podcast which talks about our journey from being employed, comfortably off urban couple in the UK to jobless country bumpkins in Nova Scotia Canada through choice.

During the Podcast we have painted and pampered our house in the UK ready to sell, resigned from our jobs, sold the house, packed up our belongings and moved.

En route we have talked about Templar treasure, lots of UK TV programmes, green issues, political correctness, vegetarianism and lots more besides.

We have podcasted twice from the car, from the beach, from the living room floor in Leeds, in the garden in Nova Scotia and now from the living room floor in NS.

Dowshiftme is about downshifting we have made a choice to prioritise life above income and career. We are aiming to live a simpler life in Nova Scotia on less money. It is not necessarily about being green, or even having no luxuries, we are going to try what works for us.

> Eliz from New Brunswick - message

> Basement - leaks and structure, phone problems related
> Bedroom leak
> Kitchen floor eruption - parquet - pretty but inappropriate

> Mucky water - filtration systems, Brita, water softener

> Thunder storm
> Electric tree frogs join us (OK they are locusts apparently)
> Need to start getting a structure - cleaning, shopping, etc

> Anne message

> This week - refitting doors, applied for work permit, cut grass twice, started painting woodwork.

> Had a birthday.

> Drove 20km for some fuses. AJ put nails up in the workshop.

> Paint is different here - gloss is liquid not like cream cheese.

> Crickets are different - sounds liMediterraneanrranean

> Helicopter flies over - its red and looks like its from Thunderbirds

> Visitor next week

> Going to meet up with Flora and Larry in Annapolis.
> Next week we may have a special guest star for the Podcast.
> Arboreal tasks

Bad things
Matt - our damp basement
AJ - not talking to people

Good things
Matt - voluntary work
AJ - we live in Nova Scotia - our land is 300ft longer

Higher quality version should come later in the week (90% uploaded then the connection crashed.. grrr).

Podcast 29

2006-07-31T16:42:00.000-03:00

>Phone line troubles
>Spencer arrived
>Things arrived
>Laptop died
>Cars coming down the drive
>Less discombobulated
>Moving country does involve a sense of loss – grieving
>Beach – kept us sane – sea glass – nice people from Saskatchewan we met
>Registered car, bought DVD, TV, monitor, lawn tractor – expensive time
>Puppy search
Bad things
AJ – disturbing spiders
Matt – discombobulation
Good things
AJ – this... meadow, trees, sunshine, swaying grass
Matt – our wildlife visitors - deer, fox, chipmunks

Podcast 28

2006-07-17T22:22:00.000-03:00

> From Heart House Nova Scotia

> Moved into the house
- Cleaned lots
- Fought spiders

> Bought car
> Insured car
> Insured house

> Opened bank account

> Bought washer, dryer, cooker, fridge freezer and the loveliest coffee maker

> Picking up car tomorrow

> Walked down to our brook
- Found apple trees
- Bitten on my finger

> Seen a fox, a humming bird, lots of crows, blue jays, woodpecker, chipmunks, eagles

> Met neighbour called Eric and a
very nice delivery man Mike

> Failed to get the garbage taken away

> Bad things:
AJ – bugs – mosquitoes in particular
Matt – not having our things

> Good things:
Matt – how beautiful it is here
AJ – people selling things in their front yards

Podcast 27 and 27b

2006-07-08T22:08:00.000-03:00

Two parts this week - from the beach in Nova Scotia watching the sun set - life is good in the summer sun.

Podcast 26

2006-07-02T08:36:00.000-03:00

A quick catch up podcast as we prepare to leave the UK. Two homeless blokes and a cat.

Podcast 25 - Live from Leeds

2006-06-18T13:21:00.000-03:00

> 25 - quarter of a century. 25 people on the frappr map. Hello Eliz from Moncton.

> Annapolonians, Valleygonians, Halligonians, Valleyistas, Annapolistas,

> Where is Dartmouth? Next to Halifax as Matt said.

> This week – packing and throwing away, sold microwave, given away stuff to charity shop, given two monitors to a colleague today. Still lots of reductions to make – “freecycle”, more trips to the tip and also charity shops.

> Television - Happiness formula – triangle – work, home, shopping
- Social networking - second life - Adam Curry - hello Guildford
- “Will the internet make the world a happier or less happy place?”
- the internet is a social gadget - internet is a social enabler - brings people together. Communities of interest not communities of location. The internet will help us to be less isolated when we move. Housing - 1960's housing estates had destroyed communities. Wayne Hemmingway has designed houses
- AJ likes to see neighbours through binoculars! - he means not too close.

> House sale in UK update – signed contracts but waiting to “exchange”.

> House purchases in Canada update – century properties

> Heating tips from Carolyn

> Carolyn’s farm viewing service at www.acountrylife.com - ideal for people from away wanting to find properties

> Bruce Murray from the Zedcast comments on “heart” century houses.

> Our views on the head Vs. heart debate - we have talked about all the things that Bruce mentions. We can imagine all the problems and pitfalls. We need to improve insulation. Scary heating costs. The first winter will be cold. You will hear our teeth chatter on the podcast. I used the word "Money pit" to describe the house. It will be a project. Our descriptions of head house and heart house do indicate we are aware of what is sensible and what we want. This winter may be a "Baptism of Ice".

> Pleasure + engagement + meaning = happiness.

> Wedding update – next weekend – not sure if we will be able to Podcast. Nicola visiting from Toronto Friday to Monday.

> Oak Island News – look at Carolyn’s videos

> The Da Downshiftme Code

One of your choices is correct – however one is incorrect. If our heart is in the place you guessed, are our feet firmly on the ground?

Our heart is in the valley (they guessed the right house).

If they are, where is our head?

If you talk about people’s feet being firmly on the ground, they are sensible – otherwise you talk about people’s head’s being in the clouds – so Mountain.

This may sound obscure, but don’t want it lost in translation.

“Lost in Translation” is a poem by James Merrill (1926-1995), about a summer Merrill spent as a child in a great house in The Hamptons,

It could be somewhere for some Martha Stewart Living between spring and fall

Martha Stewart has a house in the “Hamptons” where she spends her summer. Hampton is a place on North Mountain and points the way to our “head house”.

Podcast 24

2006-06-11T11:46:00.000-03:00

> House buying
- Victim of the Canadian AND the UK system
- Going from one to the other is a pain – same to same would not be so bad
- Frustrating

> Oak Island
- What a treat – we went! Would you believe it after talking on here about it and then reading a book and then having a chance to go!
- Lovely having coffee with David Blankenship and his wife on Oak Island – nice people and another treat.
- 10X was great – living history – crushed pipe, the big hole, seeing the sea water level – smashing stuff.

- I could have jumped up and down with excitement

- Also read the book by the Fanthorpes about to start a new one by Mark Finnan.

- Treasure hunt is over 200 years old, flood tunnels, defeated technology available on different excavations but now is it too late? Too much damage?

- What is in the hole? Pirate Treasure? Spanish Gold? Proof Francis Bacon wrote Shakespeare’s plays? Or is it the Templar gold or the Holy Grail?

> Frappr update – welcome Suzanne from Minnesota and Becky and Jason from Derby in the UK

> The downshiftme code - especially for Flora and Larry

> Apologies for my Kenny teasing

Bad things
AJ - noise
Matt - frustration

Good things
AJ - sunshine
Matt - weather

Podcast 23

2006-06-04T13:20:00.000-03:00

Podcast 23

> Live from our cabin in Nova Scotia in the rain

> Been house hunting Friday and Saturday
- It’s been stressful
- AJ is drinking some tea
- It has been a very difficult time of decision making
- favourite property had been sold
- second favourite property was not so nice as the pictures made it seem
- Friday’s favourite needs work doing on it (a new roof) and needs money spending on it straight away
- Saturday we looked at two disappointing properties plus one very nice one

> Head Vs Heart – one property needs nothing doing on it and has less potential and the one which needs lots doing on it has loads of potential and is beautiful. Heart won.
- grand Georgian staircase
- bakelite light switches
- cast iron vents
- it is pushing our budget a bit
- other house has a brook, waterfalls and a small bridge, on the side of the mountain

> Last night’s party in Wolfville
- very nice people
- some thought we were mad

> Cabin is on the lake
- 5 cabins plus 2 houses on the lake
- people on a pedalo
- beautifully equipped
- under floor heating in the bathrooms is great
- no TV

> Pimp mobile – upgraded to a Monte Carlo
- electric seats, cryptic symbols, cruise control, automatic

> Supermarket shopping
- one supermarket has vegetarian food

> Bad things
- Matt – rain and the person who drove up the boot of the car last night
- AJ – rain

> Good things
Matt – tofu in the supermarket, people at the party, beautiful countryside, friendly people
AJ – our Realtor, Chris, two nice houses, Nova Scotia

Message from Bruce Murray from the zedcast at www.zedcast.com
Message from the downshiftme stalker

Podcast 22

2006-05-28T10:51:00.000-03:00

> Busy week coming up
- next podcast should be from Nova Scotia but not sure when
- houses to view and fireworks (part of Apple Blossom Festival), party being thrown in our honour

> Leaving do – meal plus went to a bar. Contractors came - very nice. It was smokey, having to talk loudly
- emotional event, never thought I would ever have a leaving do like that. Tears, lovely album of memories
- really nice night - wont have another night like that again

> City life
- Nottingham was calculated to have 115.54 crimes overall per 1,000 population, followed by Leeds, with 107.22, Stockport, Greater Manchester, with 100.42 and Bradford, with 100.4.
- Bradford and Leeds are the “gun crime capitals” of the UK
- Leeds is second most dangerous city in the UK
- figures were disputed by the council but if there were consistent errors on population of the UK, the league table stands
- Friday night – drunken people in Leeds – lots of police

> Odeo – widget – give it a go – probably only a broadband thing

> Message from Carolyn

> Billy – is from Hong Kong, not Hong Kong, China

> House - met with the new owner about the chickens
- shipper met and waiting for quote

> Househunting trip to Nova Scotia in June

> TV - Big Brother

> Templars - Templar Street and Temple Newsam in Leeds

> The Downshiftme Stalker - plus family!

> Frappr update and shoutout
- Hello to: Derek, from Nova Scotia
- Anne is the winner of the draw – we need to send her something
- Special hello to Flora and thank her for the link to the website about one of the houses we are going to look at

Bad things
Matt – smoking - smoking ban can't come soon enough
AJ - iTunes music store only working with iPods

Good things
Matt – people I work with
AJ - stopped raining and the sun has been shining

Podcast 21

2006-05-20T15:31:00.000-03:00

> House - still sold - nothing signed - survey done
- 10 bags of rubbish to tip
- need to recycle things
- giving stuff away

> Trip booked – househunting trip to Nova Scotia in June
- "Tickets" arrived
- Cabin all booked
- properties selected for viewing - 6 shortlisted
- want to sort out a bank account
- Canadian mobile phone SIM card purchased
- New MP3 player - iRiver H320
- Canada is in North America

> TV - It’s not east being green - we want it on DVD
- wind power – such nice people - resonance for us - they are downshifters
- Happiness programme (The Happiness Formula)
- Is Matt a hapiness guru?
– don’t get happy through consumption
- theory that shopping is a caveman instinct
- Big Brother UK

> Templars - Chinese in Cape Breton - theory on CBC Nova Scotia and in Chronicle Herald - Sinclair, Rosslyn, Da Vinci Code II.

> Frappr update and shoutout
- Up to 22!
- Hello to: Jen -Kitchener, Ontario, Wayne L. Mart, Texas, Andrea and Craig McCormick, San Francisco, California, Matt Bailey, Gloucester, England, and Gilda Renehan, Liverpool, England
- We want listeners in Baltimore
- Anne is the winner of the draw – so Anne should email her address to us
- Special hello to Flora because of her lovely email – look forward to meeting her for a coffee in the valley one day
- Nova Scotian downshiftme picnic or barbecue could become an annual event

Bad things
Matt – weather - too much rain - although its fresh and green
AJ - weather too - hot and rainy

Good things
AJ - we are going to Nova Scotia
Matt - my leaving do at work - 20 of us going out for a meal

Peace Out - Be Excellent to Each Other

Oak Island Video

2006-05-13T17:12:00.000-03:00

Podcast 20

2006-05-13T12:45:00.000-03:00

> House - sold
- It’s very scary and exciting now
- It’s really happening now – after so much planning – things are really starting to happen
- new owner is taking chickens
- shippers giving us quotes
- Spencer booked in for jabs and has DEFRA forms
> Trip booked – househunting trip to Nova Scotia in June
- staying in a cabin
- going to visit Carolyn
- stay in Lunenburg one night in Mariner King Inn (which looks lovely)
– in their attic suite
- try to podcast a few times while we are there
- going to do some video but won’t upload it while we are there (I doubt)
> TV
- It’s not east being green
- we can't keep pigs
- solar water heating
> Templars
- New report – video be available on the “feed” later or tomorrow
- Oak Island Report - on the feed later

- Hope to go and have a look at Oak Island – take some photos
- Explore Oak Island Weekend is 11th to 13th August 2006
> Frappr update
- Misty from Indiana (first US map pin – push pin) and Angel from Kalamazoo, Michigan
- Up to 17
> Buckeye Drive Time Promo
- The Now Show - podcast on Radio 4
- Gemma is reading the Da Vinci Code
- May go see the film in Nova Scotia
Bad things
AJ - weekend rain after weekday sun
Matt – weekend rain after weekday sun (and people stealing your bad things)
Good things
Matt - selling house, Canadian Affair - cheap flights to Canada
AJ - same sort of things

Podcast 19

2006-05-06T12:10:00.000-03:00

> Beautiful day in Leeds - birds are singing and children are shreaking
> House - Second viewing last night – nice people – going to have a think over the weekend
> Shooting
- We have a new sound effect
- Great fun
- Bear target
- Cabbages
- Melons
- Don’t think I could shoot live things though

> TV
- It’s not east being green - wind turbine, water pumping from well
- Happiness thing “Britain is less happy than in the 1950s - despite the fact that we are three times richer.” BBC
- Money doesn't make people happy
- Being happy makes people perform better
- AJ is happy
- Wellington College are teaching happiness or "wellbeing"
- More important things than money - success can be measured in your own terms
- Not all about how much you earn and how much your house is worth

> Film - Brokeback Mountain - we loved it - but it was VERY sad - deserved more Oscars - life is about passion - happiness and sadness

> Templar slot
- New book arrived "Lost Colony of the Templars"
- Oak Island news – new buyer
- Our roving reporter may go there

> Matt’s work
- Last month
- Successor has started
- Planning my leaving do
- One more pay cheque until... whenever!

> Frappr update and shoutout (still at 15)
- Noorgy - Sydney, New South Wales (Australia)
- Tim - Worcester, England (United Kingdom)
- Bruce Murray The Zedcast - Pictou, Nova Scotia (Canada)
- Anne - Taunton, England (United Kingdom)
- Shelley - Stourbridge, England (United Kingdom)
- Rhonda - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada)
- Paul and David - Llandovery, Wales (United Kingdom)
- Grant and Laura - Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)
- Mark Kenneally - Leeds, England (United Kingdom)
- Billy Leung - Hong Kong, China
- Daniel MacDonald - Truro, Nova Scotia (Canada)
- Gemma, Sam and Hope - Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
- Flora - Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
- Rob - Stourbridge, England (United Kingdom)
- Downshiftme - Leeds, England (United Kingdom)

Bad things
AJ - nothing
Matt - World Vision - their assumptions and their junk mail

Good things
AJ - sunshine and happiness
Matt - AJ being happy

Podcast 18

2006-04-29T13:30:00.000-03:00

> Beyond the Pale not Aff the Cuff

> Message from Anne - our UK feedback line is not good enough quality to play. Check out Anne's blog

> To feedback from the UK - call our US line for 1p a minute with Ratebuster - dial 0844 720 2020 and then as soon as it answers dial 001 206 350 7684 then press #

> Downshiftingweek card from secret stalker (not like secret Santa)

> Annoying alarm stops
> Plane goes over again - the sounds of our environment, the sounds of the city
> Battle of the stalkers
> Our first stalker leaves us a message
> Sounds a bit like Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter
> Progress with downshifting week aims - 5 out of 9
> Cancelled Sky - well tried to but got it half price for another 3 months
> It is not safe to have a mirror over your fire place
> Stalker from beyond the grave
> Rural Radio - goat sniffing
> Nova Scotia and the Holy Grail - Oak Island, Money Pit, Mahone Bay, Sinclair, Rosslyn, Knights Templar, Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown - more details on a future podcast
> Frappr - up to 13 - prize draw when we reach 20 - please add yourself or you will make AJ sad
> Subscribe by email for notification when we update this site
Bad things
Matt - burglar alarms
AJ - wholemeal flour

Good things
Matt - sunshine, spring and happiness
AJ - a new deli and their mystery sandwiches

Podcast 17

2006-04-22T15:09:00.000-03:00

> Happy Downshifting Week and Happy Earth Day
> New intro music - Beyond The Pale NOT "Aff the Cuff" - many apologies for the confusion!
> Our Blackbirds have flown the nest

> 1 second viewing and 2 new viewings
> National Downshifting Week - 22nd - 28th April 2006
- Ebook
- Planner
- individual activities, company things and school things
- finalist in Britain's Eco-Hero Awards, an initiative from ITV's National News in the UK.

> Frappr map - put in a map pin or a push pin
> Hello Gemma, Hope and Sam, Mark, Billy, Robin, Flora, Grant and Laura and Daniel
> When we get 20 people we will send someone a prize
> Shipping Spencer - AJ shreaks like Xena as it is very expensive
> New phone line
- 206 350 7684 US & Canada
- still 0709 22 33 44 6 UK
> Carolyn’s phone messages
> The downshiftme stalker calls
> A noisy plane goes over
> Wholemeal bread rolls – duck killers
> Hummous - yummy
> Those will have to be the good things and bad things this week as I haven't thought of any
> AJ reviews the papers
- the Guardian – "Supersize Me" DVD- Tracey Smith is in the work section
- Daily Mail – "Kind Hearts and Coronets" - "4 wheel drive" buggies - Hummers for Babies - also on the Today programme on radio 4
> Unplanned "Rant of the week" - People earn lots more than they need to sustain themselves - doesn't make people happy. Capitalism is very good at providing things for people to spend their money on. We are encouraged to buy things before they wear out. Consuming less to save the planet - but what about industry? Does individual action matter when industry pollutes and wastes so much? Consumerism - makes you feel better.
> We want our lives back - so hope we sell the house soon
> Students recycle things in Leeds through a table top sale
> New "outro" music

Podcast 16

2006-04-16T18:44:00.000-03:00

> Spencer joins us and speaks and purrs
> 4th attempt at the podcast
> AJ is tired of the house and frustrated
> Friday we tidied garden and did lots outside
> 2 viewings on Saturday
> Today we painted and got annoyed and tired
> It's nearly done
> Spencer is sat on the crib sheet
> We have blackbirds - babies too
> Stressed about selling
> Fed up living in limbo
> Nikki and Matt – been to NS – wore the hat!
> Dogs - Nova Scotian Duck Tolling Retrievers
> We go quiet for a second
> Don't do the "can I have the bill please" mime
> Email from Misty – Misty and Andrew – he is Canadian (from Alberta), she is from Georgia but they are now in Indiana after living in California.
> Lots of farm information – shearing their own sheep – great noises in the background of geese and ducks.
> Geek Farm Life promo
> Doctor Who started last night – it was a goody - not sure when its on CBC
> "It’s not easy being green" – not about Kermit
> "Greg the Bunny" - Fabricated Americans - Sesame Street for Grown Ups
> Greenhouse heater/heatsink and the water wheel produced electricity – exciting
> Rural Radio is now officially a podcast – subscribe – Geek of the Week about podcasts next week
> We need better music
> Spencer returns and attacks the microphone
> Matt is not a proper geek
> AJ grunts
Bad things
Matt – not enough people viewing our house
AJ – 5 days work in 4 days
Good things
AJ - Green and Black's chocolate
Matt – Spring

Podcast 15

2006-04-09T12:15:00.000-03:00

This week our podcast does get a little political - you may wish to fast forward.

> We get googled for strange things - including sneezes!
> Our house is up for sale!
> Matt almost says realtors instead of "estate agent"
> Lots of painting - hit rock bottom Sunday
> We have new art on our walls
> Do you like the art?
> Didn't podcast yesterday as AJ was grumpy and fed up
> We are ready for people to buy the house now
> Snowing - then hailing
> Bird flu - media hysteria
> Glad our chickens haven't been murdered
> Spencer - donate to the "Belly Wheel Appeal"
> Mentioned on the The Zedcast
> Stephen Harper - free vote on same sex marriage
> AJ mentioned bigots in BC but he means Alberta
> Michael Ignatieff
> Political correctness - hot topic this week
> People don't agree what political correctness is
> About respect
> Narrow minded views are upsetting
> Urban tolerant and rural intolerant?
> Behave well in Nova Scotia and people respect you - despite sexuality or whatever
> If people behaved in real life like they do online they would get punched
> Political correctness should not be used to put people down - that is wrong. Political correctness is against that sort of behaviour.
> People wind you up far more online than in real life - discussion boards are artificial interaction

> Bad things -
Matt - narrow minds
AJ - right wing bigots
> Good things -
AJ - opting out of the internet
Matt - our estate agent and good friends

Podcast 14

2006-04-01T10:44:00.000-04:00

> Quickie – soooo busy
> Good slurp of tea
> Overboarded and plastered ceiling
> May have affected acoustics
> I took Wednesday off – painting
> Paint, paint, paint, paint, paint, paint
> Clocks changed so bit easier to do stuff in the evenings
> Chas Griffin interview for Rural Radio
> What rhymes with Techie?
> Test on the phoneline
> Hello Uncle Matthew
> Ask Erika – www.womengrow.org
> TV Programmes this week:
> It’s not easy being green
> Down on the farm
> Can you hear something outside? Sounds like someone gossiping
> Over the Garden Gate
> Wedding lunch visit
> Hog day afternoon, Piggyback Mountain, Hogworts school – Harry Potter - you have any more?
> Bad things
> Matt – painting!
> AJ - paiting!
> Good things
> Matt – decorators caulk
> AJ - AJ's sister

Podcast 13

2006-03-25T12:04:00.000-04:00

> Unlucky 13 for the podpeople
> Let’s talk Canadian
> All started due to a comment from Carolyn’s daughter Jess's boyfriend Kenny (I am sure prompted) about my about
> Kenny
> So Carolyn challenged us to speak Canadian
> Naomi from www.acountrylife.com
> So we will try – AJ first
> Matt
> AJ – try being a Californian trying to do Canadian
> Matt – try doing the phrase in a German accent
> Bruce Murray from the Zedcast
> Steve from Spine Radio
> Adam Raimer from www.madtownaces.com
> Marc Huber, husband of Erika from GROW Parenting and Education Podcast
> Steve did us proud with 4 accents!
> Carolyn is very competitive!
> AJ and Matt try
> Bert and Ernie
> Any other business (AOB not A or B)
> In May I will work in parallel
> VERY busy – painted 3 and a half days - Dawn to Dusk
> Spent a day in London – met with the Rt Hon David Miliband MP and John Battle MP and his wife Mary
> The phone rings
> AJ sad not to go to London again
> AJ - work – wardrobe failure - leaky shoes, split trousers
> Also on Rural Radio – “Geek of the Week”
> LOTS of work on the house contributing to our downshifting plans

> Bad things:

Matt - the 1980's and Thatcher's devisive policies which destroyed the fabric of British society - prompted by TV programme "Tory! Tory! Tory!"
AJ - buying things he doesn't want to

> Good things:

Matt – Keith the joiner – again – got the bill - excellent value for money!
AJ - all the lovely people who sent us audio

Podcast 12

2006-03-18T11:45:00.000-04:00

> Mobile Podcast on the way to B&Q
> Canadia good and Englandia bad?
> High wind
> Narrow driveways designed for smaller cars in 1930's semi's
> AJ is cold - coldest March in 10 years in UK, warmest Canada winter since records began
> This day last year 20 degrees and today 2.5 degrees
> Joinery work been done this week - panelling and skirtings
> Pot holes and noisy road
> Holes in our ceiling as spot lights removed
> Yorkshire Television - famed for Emmerdale and Countdown
> Timecapsule
> I have been replaced
> Last ever in the UK
> Snow - quite sad
> Christmas
> Board meeting - they were nice about me
> Driving past Elland Road home of Leeds Utd
> Horrible illuminated advertisements
> Blame the Tories
> Following a police car

> Lets talk Canadian

"Nova Scotia is hot in the summer & awesome in the fall and when its snows you can get out & about on your skidoo."

Phone (206) 338 3557 from Canada or US or 0709 22 33 44 6 from the UK reading this phrase first in your natural accent and then in Canadian. Or email an mp3 or wav file to us.

> Foreign car in Morley

> Good things
> AJ - house coming together
> Matt - Keith the joiner

> Bad things
> AJ - nothing
> Matt - UK wiring and building regulations

Podcast 11

2006-03-11T12:52:00.000-04:00

Join Ben and Bertie on the Broadband Bus
Find out more on A Country Life
We love our regular listeners - every one of you
Trying to pump up the volume
This week - painting and stress
Our nuptials are stressful
It has got a little bit bigger
Our wedding day will be very special for us
Other podcasters having "Civil Partnership" - www.trunkguy.com - think his is going to be a bigger do than ours.
We will not be doing cake, flowers, bridesmaids
Brides of the Carribean
Bling and Bye
Clothes - keep, Oxfam and throw
Build a New Life in the Country
10 minutes until the plane lands
AJ sneezes then makes a pleasant noise
Canadian Podcast Buffet Promo - all about Canadian Podcasts
O'Canada - Gemma, Hope and Sam did not phone (206) 338 3557 from Canada or even 0709 22 33 44 6 (from the UK)
Ilanaaq - the Inukshuk
Farmers of the Carribean

No bad things this week
Good things - we both agree - less TV watching this week

Ben and Bertie on the Broadband Bus once more

A pooped up ending

Footnote - I missed the plane! It landed 10 minutes early so it went over while we podcasted.

Podcast 10

2006-03-04T11:51:00.000-04:00

Podcast 9

2006-02-25T12:44:00.000-04:00

Podcast 8

2006-02-18T16:59:00.000-04:00

Podcast 7

2006-02-11T18:02:00.000-04:00

Podcast 6

2006-02-04T16:17:00.000-04:00

Podcast 5

2006-01-28T16:45:00.000-04:00

Podcast 4

2006-01-21T16:51:00.000-04:00

Podcast 3

2006-01-19T14:27:00.000-04:00

Podcast 2

2006-01-19T14:25:00.000-04:00

Podcast 1

2006-01-19T14:24:00.000-04:00