|
|
  We are so incredibly blessed. After leaving slaDE~s Mom’s late in the evening, we made our way to Montreal to our home for the next 5-6 days. A beautiful authentic man whom we meet on our last visit to Montreal (at both the Acro Yoga Sunday jam and the Yogaslackers slackline workshop) has gifted us with a place to stay whilst here for the Acro Yoga Fusion Throwdown. He lives a stones throw away from the La Salle Metro, just south of downtown. The space is fantastic, with a humungous kitchen and a beauteous yoga studio in house. The icing on the cake … we have a bed and room to call our own with a mighty important fan to keep us comfortable during this raging heat wave. The journey thus far is bringing us the most incredible souls and opportunities along our path. The adventure continues ….
    
  With Ontario summer comes hot humid weather (or so it is at the moment!). Humidity and trailers don’t go together so well. Alas, comes the issue of humid closets and clothing. With moisture in freshly washed clothes comes a not-so-fresh smell several days later. So in order to tackle this, we needed some sort of dehumidifier.
Alternative #1
Without wanting to generate even more heat through an electric dehumidifier, I found an incredible product on the market that has served us from the beginning of our RV adventures. When I first initially did some research, I stumbled across an economical alternative at our local Co-op store in Teeswater. It’s called ‘High & Dry’ from Prairie West Industrial Ltd. and is made in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada). In our travels, I’ve looked for this product everywhere, but so far have only seen it at the one Co-op store close to my Father’s Canadian farm.
The 3.1 kg bag is dubbed as a moisture remover for basements, cabins, flooded areas, sheds, garages, tents, boats, or anywhere that high moisture is a problem. It’s basically Calcium Chloride in a burlap bag. Since my discovery of this product almost 2 years ago, we have gone through 4 to 5 bags. At around $15 per bag, it’s a very affordable and convenient option. Dependant on the season and destination, the bag lasts us on average for about 3 months and works impeccably well. The diagram on the front of the packaging shows the 7 lb bag secured by a hook over a pail. At first, I thought perhaps I could hang the bag from the affixed shower head but realized that such a heavy item would ultimately pull the faucet from the wall at some point. This called for an alternative resolution. With such a smart creative husband, he came up with the perfect solution. slaDE macgyvered a makeshift collection bin by securing porch screen material loosely over a 5 gallon pail with his work tie-wire. We set the bucket in the shower and it wicks away moisture from throughout the Airstream fabulously!
Alternative #2
Another dehumidier option that we’ve invested in is the product called ‘Damp Rid‘. I bought 2 small containers, one to keep in the closet and the other in my electronics drawer. These containers are topped up at the end of my ‘High & Dry’ contents life end (small remnants of calcium chloride replenish these containers every 3 months … therefore renewable and more eco-friendly than just pitching after 1 use).
Alternative #3
It was only a few months ago that we stumbled across the product ‘Eva-Dry‘:
Safe, non-toxic, natural defense against moisture and mildew. Renewable Eva-Dry dehumidifiers are filled with silica gel, a very thirsty substance. Odorless silica beads absorb many times their weight in moisture and lock it in so water can’t leak or spill out.
When the Eva-Dry is “full” you renew the silica inside by plugging the unit into any power outlet. Heat gently releases water vapor in a few hours. When the indicator is blue again, Eva-Dry is renewed and ready to go back to work. You can repeat the process for up to 10 years!
 I actually saw this product advertised a few months before purchasing and was somewhat leery about it’s proclaimed capabilities. However, I was happily surprised!
Here’s a testimonial: we’ve used the Eva-Dry 500 now for the past 3 months, and I must admit, it has worked extremely well in our closet. In fact, I hope to buy another one to use for the rest of the RV (to replace the Calcium Chloride — if it works as well as the ‘High & Dry’ now, Eva-Dry will pay for itself after 9 months – 1 year comparatively). We’ve plugged it in twice over the past 90 days and I LOVE the fact that this is ‘rechargeable’. There is no need for batteries, chemicals or a purchase every few months. When plugged in, we need an outside power source to ‘recharge’ the silica pellets. So far so good! I like the colourant in the pellets which tell me when the unit needs to be replenished (when they turn bright pink, it’s time to plug the somewhat heavy device in for approximately 12-14 hours – we use a power bar to have it sitting upright during the discharge. The website recommends that “the best place to renew the Eva-Dry is in any well ventilated area or in a bathroom with the exhaust fan on”).
So far, all the alternatives have been great effective options. Economically, Eva-Dry seems to outweigh them all. The ‘High & Dry’ has been the most visibly effective humidity deterrent (to give Eva-Dry a fair chance, we need to buy one for the whole trailer). I’m happy with them all and use all three at the moment for removing moisture in the trailer. I recommend them all!
PS I’ve just discovered online that you can go to a pool store and purchase Calcium Chloride. Not sure if it would be cheaper than the ‘High & Dry’, or packaged as conveniently, but it’s an option for y’all!
Oh blazes it’s hot! Please note, I am NOT complaining … I’m just sharing.
Our home for the summer runs on an old electrical panel with old glasses fuses. This means that when we blow a fuse, rather than ‘flip’ / reset the breaker switch, we actually have to replace the old blown glass fuse with a new one. A bit of a pain, especially as parts of Dawn’s house is also run on the same breaker as our Airstream. So when running a toaster, nothing else can be run. Same goes for the Vita-Mix, microwave, etc. The thought of an air conditioner right now is hugely desirable, but with only 15 amps of power being shared between us both I fear that we’d be blowing fuses left, right and centre. Hence, we open all the windows, run our fantastic fans on high, extend all the awnings.
What’s a girl gotta do to keep cool? Hide in the basement / yoga studio is one option. The second option came up from visiting a health fair yesterday. A juice bar served a simple slushy-like watermelon concoction that inspired me in to making my own! So I’ve come up with a name that I will copyright (unless of course, someone has beat me to it prior to this moment)! Watermelonade 
Here’s the recipe for your cooling refreshing pleasure. Of course, any organic ingredients are preferred over the conventional variety. Go for at least organic lemons / limes:
 Watermelonade Refresher
- Cut up ⅓ to ½ watermelon (dependant on the melon size)
- Add 3 cups of ice (filtered water ice is best)
- 2-3 cups of water (to taste and for mixing ease)
- 1 whole peeled lemon (and if you’re feeling adventurous, add in a peeled lime!)
Directions:
- Combine all the ingredients in the VitaMix.
- Use the plunger to mix all the ingredients (the ice will freeze up without further plunger coaxing).
- Sweeten to taste (or not — I prefer the juice as is), using stevia, maple syrup or organic sugar, if you must.
- Garnish with fresh mint or basil leaves.
  Settling in to our new home for the summer, today was the beginning of something truly beautiful. An opportunity to practice yoga in a studio space within feet of our doorstep seems almost like a dream. So to make the most of our time here in Oshawa, I’ve made an agreement with myself … upon rising, each and every day, I will practice yoga, in whatever form that may take. Evolution of a daily practice has no time limitations or defined routine. It is whatever may show up for me in that moment. And today, it meant leading my own practise alone and finishing a beautiful one hour session with slaDE by my side. My husband joined me quietly, breathing and stretching in his own cadence and style. It was magic.
Dawn played tour guide around town, showing us the Friday morning farmer’s market along with the major areas of interest that would make life a bit easier and fluid whilst here in the city. A morning stretch in the park by Lake Ontario sealed the perfection of the day!
  Oshawa and yoga. Not something I particularly had in mind for the summer. But after spending the morning with my sister (who attempted yogaFLIGHT for the first time!), we made our way from Alliston to Oshawa, a small city just east of Toronto. Why Oshawa you might ask? Well, slaDE and I have been brainstorming about places to establish roots for the summer, and his friend Dawn (whom we met at the Yoga Conference several years ago) has a small brilliant home yoga studio — Breath of Light Yoga — with a long driveway that her and her partner might consider renting to us for the summer. It seems almost too good to be true, but we’ve set a dinner date for this evening, in the hopes of establishing a summer residence whilst helping out Dawn with her new business.
Having arrived early in to Oshawa, we set up our slackline and worked on our balance poses. Such a challenge for me, klutz that I am . But yet, I will continue to play in the hopes of bettering my skills at core & body stability, steadiness and sure-footedness.
Dinner with Dawn was fabulous. Her partner Craig had been called in to work, leaving the three of us speaking well into the night, discussing spirituality, yoga, web presence of our work and business marketing. It seems like we will be a spectacular fit … such an amazing opportunity for us all. I’m pretty excited about the summer, and what potential it will bring.
  My sister is an Arborist … a really interesting career choice. I am a lover of trees and therefore admire greatly her vocation. By definition, an Arborist generally focuses on the health and safety of individual plants and trees. A child of the earth in the truest sense! Aaron’s days are very early … this morning she was well into her day by the time I had awoken . Oh the life of a nomadic wanderer, having the luxury of waking at will, very much dependant on my choice of bedtime. For me, to not have to wake by alarm clock is such a huge blessing. And I hold on to that current truth as if my life depends on it. In fact, my sanity does depend on my quality of sleep … I am very grateful that sleep comes easily to me each night, where 8 hours is my optimal and typical timestamp.
Today was a gorgeous day in Alliston Ontario. Aaron suggested that we visit the local organic farmer who lived just down the road from her. Excited at the prospect of fresh organic produce, we happily hopped on to our bicycles and rode the mile uphill to an amazing selection of fresh seasonal vegetables, lovingly raised without chemicals or pesticides. Beets, cucumbers, carrots, garlic, herbs of many varieties, giant kale leaves, lettuce, zucchini and spanish onions adorned the old barn tables with a sign seated on the ground stating “Will be back shortly. Help yourself if you can. (Prices on board outside)” An honour system was in place for any produce tat was purchased. Nowadays, how often do you see this? I can count 2 other times in the past 3 years … once in buying flowers at a Mennonite’s driveway hut and once in California along Hwy 1 at a strawberry farm selling scones and jam. Such a system is incredibly heartwarming to see in our society where surveillance video cameras and signs threatening prosecution for shoplifters rule our retail purchasing paradigm.
 Sometimes the best laid plans can’t even come close to touching the perfection of spontaneous get-togethers. It so happened that my Father and Sister were vacationing for a few days with my nephew in the Muskoka area. After dropping off Forrester with friends, they were making their way through Alliston for a visit with Aaron. What a coincidence that we happened to be there! Trying to plan a gathering with my sisters is tough to do even with advance planning. Add my Dad in to the mix … it’s usually a once-a-year opportunity (think Christmas or Thanksgiving). So much to my surprise, here we were, blessed with an evening to catch up with my family (Mom & Pat are missed of course). Impromptu perfection at its finest. I’m a happy girl today!
 
  We had arranged to stay in Sudbury until Thursday morning. However, the best laid plans and intentions can be turned upside-down. So we bid farewell to our host and happily drove off in to the sunset, enjoying a spontaneous visit with my sister for a few days. What a bonus to have unexpected quality time with family! And even luckier for us, Aaron rents an apartment with a huge driveway, an accommodating landlady, and plenty of quiet space to call our own for a few days. Nomadic wanderers that we are, home goes wherever our heart takes us. And I’m truly content with our ability to pick up the pieces when timelines go awry.
  
  Weddings can be extremely chaotic, busy and stressful for those involved. Having the opportunity to park our trailer next door to the bride and groom’s house was indeed a special treat, in that we were able to enjoy the company of Carrie and Jovan’s family after the business of the wedding had subsided. They leave for their fantastic Ireland honeymoon on Wednesday. Perfect timing apres wedding, giving them plenty of opportunity to decompress before enjoying their alone time as newlyweds, the sealing of the deal and partnership so necessary after months of preparation and devotion to the big day.
slaDE, always a source of wonderful entertainment, hooked up the slackline to some trees in the front yard. It was an instant success in keeping the children occupied and joyful!
  Long drive from Montreal to Sudbury. It was actually quite tough leaving Montreal, all our new friends, a couple of spectacular turbine Otter drop zones, some killer RW jumps and an optimal home base behind. But alas, our dear old friend Jovan was getting married in Sudbury. There were no ifs, ands or buts about not attending. You see, Jovan was responsible for introducing me to my husband, and in turn, he was at our wedding. Now was the time to be there for our friend on his shining day. 12 hours makes for a long day. Luckily we found some lovely green patches to stretch and do yoga on!
Once we arrived, our Airstream (and slaDE~s innate ability to back in the trailer anywhere caused quite the excitement and stir!) found a neat and tidy home tucked away in the corner of their neighbour’s driveway. It was awesome. Great to finally meet Carrie in person and spend some time with their family and wedding party before the big day!
  
|
|
