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Get chickens! They convert nearly all your waste food (and unguarded seedlings) into nice fresh eggs. They also convert pesky crop eaters into eggs too with their foraging. Use ex battery hens and they get a nice retirement
Also allotments and gardens with growing things and chickens are nice places to meditate, I wonder if I can make me shed a zendo? Would it be a shendo?
Nice boats! I did a powerboat course 6 months ago - and I'm smitten by them. Sailed dinghy's as a child and my kids sail too - lasers . Did an overnight sail in a Genaeu from Cornwall to Southampton a few months ago. Amazing.
Apart from sailing I love to dive - I have done cave diving in Mexico, Nitrox and adventure diving qualified, and in 10 weeks am boing to the Maldives to dive with my 2 boys! Love exercise ran the marathon a few times for various charities and also cycle. Up at 6:30 tomorrow, and in a few months have signed up for the Castleride 100. A 105 mile tour of Kent countryside - it's really cool . Anyone want to tackle oride ride
@anataman I talked to someone recently who said the diving at the Maldives is spectacular. Isn't that a protected area? Should be beautiful. I got certified in Canada in '79 and dove quite a bit, then stopped when my gear became outdated. I thought I would never dive again till last year when I took a refresher course one day in March for something to do. So far since November I've done 10 days of diving here in Thailand and in Bali. It's been pretty good. At 58, I'm usually among the older if not the oldest guy on the boat, but I don't see why I shouldn't be able to do it for quite a few more years.
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HamsakagoosewhispererPolishing the 'just so'Veteran
I am the least exciting person here I taught myself to spin yarn, and I've spun not just wool but mohair (goat) alpaca and llama, and even have a bag of New England Sheepdog hair to spin for a friend. I'm not much of a knitter or crocheter, which makes me wonder why I have this as my most consistent hobby. I spin every single day. Well, there are days where I PREPARE the wool, mohair or alpaca/whatever to spin which means I wash it, dry it, card or comb it into roving, and then spin it. This includes dyeing it or leaving it au naturale, or combining it with other fibers.
Spinning yarn is not just producing a nice long round thing like a string. It can be spun into wild hairy ringlets, thick and thin, loopy, extremely fuzzy, chunky and fat or like a cobweb. It can be matte or glistening. Don't get me started.
Next is having a small hobby farm, but really they just the people that live outside (see my excessively long post on Anataman's non human companion thread). I provide them food and shelter, and since I live in a swamp, they have a reasonably natural life with natural food too.
I try to work as an RN as little as possible. The rest of the time I am studying, reading or meditating, ie, practicing. My practice has most seriously taken the time available for spinning etc which is exactly right.
I am the least exciting person here I taught myself to spin yarn, and I've spun not just wool but mohair (goat) alpaca and llama, and even have a bag of New England Sheepdog hair to spin for a friend. I'm not much of a knitter or crocheter, which makes me wonder why I have this as my most consistent hobby. I spin every single day. Well, there are days where I PREPARE the wool, mohair or alpaca/whatever to spin which means I wash it, dry it, card or comb it into roving, and then spin it. This includes dyeing it or leaving it au naturale, or combining it with other fibers.
Spinning yarn is not just producing a nice long round thing like a string. It can be spun into wild hairy ringlets, thick and thin, loopy, extremely fuzzy, chunky and fat or like a cobweb. It can be matte or glistening. Don't get me started.
Next is having a small hobby farm, but really they just the people that live outside (see my excessively long post on Anataman's non human companion thread). I provide them food and shelter, and since I live in a swamp, they have a reasonably natural life with natural food too.
I try to work as an RN as little as possible. The rest of the time I am studying, reading or meditating, ie, practicing. My practice has most seriously taken the time available for spinning etc which is exactly right.
Gassho
A very under rated skill that would be useful after society goes to hell. I wish I had a useful skill like that.
Gardening, cycling and triathlon, music (mostly guitar, little bit of piano), photography. I'm also a scout leader so I spend a lot of time hiking and camping with teenage boys.
@Hamsaka...sounds rewarding and therapeutic, have you got any pics of the machinery you use? I have a 'sleeping beauty' image ...don't prick your finger I would miss your posts too much
@anataman never tried diving, snorkeled in Thailand, Egypt and Rose island, Bahamas ....awesome experience each time, a different world, so peaceful.
@robot.... have you ever seen phosphorus when you've been fishing? Ive only seen it once when I was a child its like sparkling fairy dust in the water (some kind of algae I think?) one of the loveliest things I've ever seen
@robot.... have you ever seen phosphorus when you've been fishing? Ive only seen it once when I was a child its like sparkling fairy dust in the water (some kind of algae I think?) one of the loveliest things I've ever seen
Yes I have seen it many times. Sometimes when we run at night, the boat's prop wash leaves a trail of light. Many times I have seen countless flickers of light rushing away from the boat, as we pass through schools of fish on the surface
@Wisdom23....I would really like to work in that profession sadly I wouldn't earn enough for my current outgoings but may do it when the kids have grown up and flown the nest
@Frozen_Paratrooper... myself and 19 other family members are going skiing in 3 weeks, first time for me, any tips? I've got really fond memories of my Dad making his own lead bullets for his collection of black powder guns, fun to watch the big 'poof' of smoke when they are shot!! Pipe smoke has a lovely aroma I'm a smoker of too many cigarettes but thats my next challenge, planning to give up end of this month :eek2:
Hah, I'm afraid I don't have many good tips. But when the panic sets in, just fall down in the direction of the hill.
My plan for this year is to get a reloading press and make my own ammunition, since the obscure ammo I need is typically hard to come by up here.
@Hamsaka...sounds rewarding and therapeutic, have you got any pics of the machinery you use? I have a 'sleeping beauty' image ...don't prick your finger I would miss your posts too much
Spinning, including all the preparation of the wool (I buy it just shorn from the animal) is very absorbing as a task. I think it's why it 'stuck' so hard with me when I discovered it, long before learning deliberate absorption in meditation. The word 'concentration' applies as well as 'absorption'. There is a pleasant, calming peacefulness about just about any aspect of preparing and spinning, and it's quite similar to concentration states in meditation. Ironically I have ADHD from birth, but it expresses in either complete overwhelm or uber-absorption, neither of which I've had any control over until I began meditating to deliberately cultivate concentration.
It makes me wonder if our hobbies are personal pathways to absorptive states we naturally seek even in if unaware of our Buddhanature? I imagine skiing or other physical activities where there is lots of risk cause pleasant or ecstatic inner states to rise as much as happens with the artist or animal trainer or computer programmer. The absorption and pleasure we Buddhists cultivate isn't exclusive to meditation, and once you get familiar with the absorption in meditation you think "I know THIS!", it's a spontaneous, natural expression of our human minds.
Which leads naturally to understanding hobbies/interests as not being antithetical to Buddhist practice .
Until I began my disciplined meditation, I craved spinning and all stuff to do with it. I thought about it all day, at work, dreamt about it. That was 'cuz the rest of my life was greatly lacking any peaceful absorption whatsoever. I also don't tend to deal with my emotions with a giant crock of macaroni and cheese, either because I can count on making peace happen within me on a regular basis
One of the meanings of Tantra is 'thread'. You can dance your way to mindfulness if you are a whirling dervish, through craft and work if you are a Freemason, through dish washing at a Zen monastery or [insert sailing boat of choice for the 'far shore']
@anataman I talked to someone recently who said the diving at the Maldives is spectacular. Isn't that a protected area? Should be beautiful. I got certified in Canada in '79 and dove quite a bit, then stopped when my gear became outdated. I thought I would never dive again till last year when I took a refresher course one day in March for something to do. So far since November I've done 10 days of diving here in Thailand and in Bali. It's been pretty good. At 58, I'm usually among the older if not the oldest guy on the boat, but I don't see why I shouldn't be able to do it for quite a few more years.
It is a spectacularly amazing place to dive, you see so much that you are spoiled as a diver. Manta rays, sharks, lion fish, eels, turtles, I even saw a whaleshark. I did a night dive there a few years ago, and there was some kind of spectacular rare occurrence where these purple sea slugs the size of cats and dogs came out in their hundreds. The dive instructor, who was a marine biologist had only ever seen 1 or 2 of these in his career and went nuts - we thought he had the bends. I am going there again, probably for the last time, at easter because it has become so expensive that it will be beyond my price range hereafter.
I have known divers in their 60's so don't give up on it as a hobbie.
@anataman never tried diving, snorkeled in Thailand, Egypt and Rose island, Bahamas ....awesome experience each time, a different world, so peaceful.
@robot.... have you ever seen phosphorus when you've been fishing? Ive only seen it once when I was a child its like sparkling fairy dust in the water (some kind of algae I think?) one of the loveliest things I've ever seen
I have seen phosphorescence a few times and it is pretty cool to see.
Something more amazing to experience as a diver is something called the haloclime. I experienced it in Mexico, when I went cavern diving. Where underground freshwater streams meet sea water the freshwater sits on the seawater because of the difference in density. As you pass this fresh/sea water barrier and mix the 2 up it is like mixing oil and water together. As you are in caves you need lights - imagine being in an oil/water mix with 4 people each with a flashlight. Fortunately our instructor adequately prepared us for it, as I think I would have shat my pants and lost the plot being confined in a space as wide as my outstretched hands in the local geology and becoming completely disoriented.
Yes in line with the thread diving is a bit of a passion for me!
'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.' Bill Shankley
@anataman ... wow that sounds amazing, I've just had a look at some images, is it like underwater clouds?.... I have a mate that teaches diving, after reading posts about it I may give it a go, only thing that has put me off in the past is Guernsey water is full of seaweed and its a bit freaky!!
My uncle died in a diving accident when he was on spring break to Florida while he was only 18. No diving for me!
Sorry to hear that @Jeffery. Like mountaineering, and sailing other hobbies of mine, it has it's risks. That is why you ensure you receive proper training and have a sensible buddy with you at all times who has also been properly trained. And you plan everything before you dive - although you can't plan for everything - you would never get in the water!
@anataman ... wow that sounds amazing, I've just had a look at some images, is it like underwater clouds?.... I have a mate that teaches diving, after reading posts about it I may give it a go, only thing that has put me off in the past is Guernsey water is full of seaweed and its a bit freaky!!
It is just like mixing oil and water as you pass through it, because the different densities of water refract the light differently.
I only dive in clear water in hot sunny countries - the water in the English Channel doesn't entice me much.
however freak thunderstorms can occur in hot climates, and when you are seeing lightening buzzing immediately overhead from under the water, sharks and fish skating around you with torrential rain hitting the sea surface, it can feel weird and 'supernatural' - but that is why I do it - for the rare experiences, they make you marvel at nature!
Comments
Apart from sailing I love to dive - I have done cave diving in Mexico, Nitrox and adventure diving qualified, and in 10 weeks am boing to the Maldives to dive with my 2 boys! Love exercise ran the marathon a few times for various charities and also cycle. Up at 6:30 tomorrow, and in a few months have signed up for the Castleride 100. A 105 mile tour of Kent countryside - it's really cool . Anyone want to tackle oride ride
I talked to someone recently who said the diving at the Maldives is spectacular. Isn't that a protected area? Should be beautiful.
I got certified in Canada in '79 and dove quite a bit, then stopped when my gear became outdated.
I thought I would never dive again till last year when I took a refresher course one day in March for something to do.
So far since November I've done 10 days of diving here in Thailand and in Bali. It's been pretty good.
At 58, I'm usually among the older if not the oldest guy on the boat, but I don't see why I shouldn't be able to do it for quite a few more years.
Spinning yarn is not just producing a nice long round thing like a string. It can be spun into wild hairy ringlets, thick and thin, loopy, extremely fuzzy, chunky and fat or like a cobweb. It can be matte or glistening. Don't get me started.
Next is having a small hobby farm, but really they just the people that live outside (see my excessively long post on Anataman's non human companion thread). I provide them food and shelter, and since I live in a swamp, they have a reasonably natural life with natural food too.
I try to work as an RN as little as possible. The rest of the time I am studying, reading or meditating, ie, practicing. My practice has most seriously taken the time available for spinning etc which is exactly right.
Gassho
I'm also a scout leader so I spend a lot of time hiking and camping with teenage boys.
@robot.... have you ever seen phosphorus when you've been fishing? Ive only seen it once when I was a child its like sparkling fairy dust in the water (some kind of algae I think?) one of the loveliest things I've ever seen
My plan for this year is to get a reloading press and make my own ammunition, since the obscure ammo I need is typically hard to come by up here.
It makes me wonder if our hobbies are personal pathways to absorptive states we naturally seek even in if unaware of our Buddhanature? I imagine skiing or other physical activities where there is lots of risk cause pleasant or ecstatic inner states to rise as much as happens with the artist or animal trainer or computer programmer. The absorption and pleasure we Buddhists cultivate isn't exclusive to meditation, and once you get familiar with the absorption in meditation you think "I know THIS!", it's a spontaneous, natural expression of our human minds.
Which leads naturally to understanding hobbies/interests as not being antithetical to Buddhist practice
Until I began my disciplined meditation, I craved spinning and all stuff to do with it. I thought about it all day, at work, dreamt about it. That was 'cuz the rest of my life was greatly lacking any peaceful absorption whatsoever. I also don't tend to deal with my emotions with a giant crock of macaroni and cheese, either
Gassho
One of the meanings of Tantra is 'thread'.
You can dance your way to mindfulness if you are a whirling dervish, through craft and work if you are a Freemason, through dish washing at a Zen monastery or [insert sailing boat of choice for the 'far shore']
I have known divers in their 60's so don't give up on it as a hobbie.
Something more amazing to experience as a diver is something called the haloclime. I experienced it in Mexico, when I went cavern diving. Where underground freshwater streams meet sea water the freshwater sits on the seawater because of the difference in density. As you pass this fresh/sea water barrier and mix the 2 up it is like mixing oil and water together. As you are in caves you need lights - imagine being in an oil/water mix with 4 people each with a flashlight. Fortunately our instructor adequately prepared us for it, as I think I would have shat my pants and lost the plot being confined in a space as wide as my outstretched hands in the local geology and becoming completely disoriented.
Yes in line with the thread diving is a bit of a passion for me!
'Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.'
Bill Shankley
Come on Team Dharma. GOAL!
@LeonBasin... haha yes 'sleep' I could sleep on a washing line!!! Yoga is one of my favourite exercises.
I only dive in clear water in hot sunny countries - the water in the English Channel doesn't entice me much.
however freak thunderstorms can occur in hot climates, and when you are seeing lightening buzzing immediately overhead from under the water, sharks and fish skating around you with torrential rain hitting the sea surface, it can feel weird and 'supernatural' - but that is why I do it - for the rare experiences, they make you marvel at nature!