tips

There are 33 posts tagged tips (this is page 1 of 6).

Haunted in Canada

Tis the season for spookiness, creepiness and just plain ordinary hauntedness. So, I started looking for Haunted Canada. Who better to find haunted sites and locations than a Canadian urban explorer? Sure, there probably is someone better, but I’m here.

How to Tell if a Place is Haunted

You might want to try exploring and ghost hunting yourself. But, how do you become an instant expert on the topic of hauntings? Here are some guidelines to get you started.

  • Try a little historical research. What history does the place have? Were there any deaths in the building? Any history of violence or tragedy?
  • Watch for suspicious or odd flashes of light or light orbs in your photos of the location.
  • Do you see anything else unusual like a mist or something that disappears once you turn your head for a better look.
  • Have a map (your own hand drawn map is great) and mark down any odd cold spots or places where you suddenly feel emotional: fear, aggression, anger, etc.
  • Listen for noises – especially anything unusual that can’t be explained in a simple way.
  • Are things different when you are alone, at night? Be careful you aren’t just letting your imagination have free reign.
  • Are any pets afraid to enter a room in the building? Animals can be more sensitive than humans.

Take these tips with a grain of salt. Most noises, lights and atmosphere can be explained once you start looking for a logical answer. I think this is why it is so hard to prove the existence of ghosts. There are so many logical answers. Logic is so nice, firm and solid. Meanwhile, everything else is just a feeling, something you could have imagined or something you want to believe in spite of the logical explanation.

I don’t know if anyone will ever find concrete proof of ghosts. But, they keep on trying.

How to Explore a Haunted House

Don’t go alone. It’s safer with an exploring buddy who can call for help if one of you has an accident, like falling through rotten floor boards.

Gather the gear you need: flashlights digital (or film) camera, tripod to set the camera on, extra lights for better photos in a dark house, sound recording device, temperature gauge, notebook and pen. Bring supplies for first aid and cleaning up after the exploring. Consider a back up for your camera and flashlight this isn’t the time you want a mechanical problem to keep you from exploring.

Don’t impede your own investigation with alcohol, smoking or long hair. Not drinking alcohol should be common sense. But you should consider the photos you will be using as evidence and make sure you get the cleanest, clearest photos you can. Don’t let stray cigarette smoke or long hair wind up being a ‘ghost’.

Find a place to explore. Get some historical background, talk to others who have explored there and get permission from the property owner. (If you are carrying a bunch of equipment into the house this might be the smarter way to go rather than risk having the police charge you with trespassing).

If you can, make copies of floor plans from the location. This will let you plan the route you will explore so you can make sure you don’t miss a room while you are there. You can also use your floor plan to note the exact area you found any paranormal activity.

Visit the location before you plan to explore it. Make sure you will be able to get in. You may need to contact the owner again for a key. You may find your information is out of date and the house has already been demolished, etc.

Don’t start out expecting to find something haunted, spooky, etc. Try to be unbiased when you explore. Don’t get into scaring each other for fun. If you are serious about detecting paranormal activity, approach the location like a detective or a scientist.

Articles

Creepy and Spooky Places

Ghost Hunting Supplies

 

Links in Canadian Cuisine

 

 

A history of cooks and cooking, foods and foodways in Canada.

 

Dotty’s Recipes

 

Collection of tried and true recipes, reflecting Canada’s ethnic diversity. Dorothy Rheaume.

 

J.J.’s Complete Guide to Canada: Canadian Foods

 

An explanation of Canadian meals. Unique food and drinks.

 

 

The Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association provides numerous recipes that use maple syrup.

 

 

Lovella Schellenberg enjoys farm and family life western coast of British Columbia. Traditions of food and faith.

 

 

Information about the show and the cook, with recipes and kitchen tips.

 

Voyageur Storytelling: Country Supper Recipes

 

Small collection of recipes from the French Canadian trappers of yesteryear.

 

 

The list includes: figgy duff, Saskatoon berry pie, butter tarts, and split pea soup. (August 03, 2012)

 

 

 

Valerie Lugonja showcases the evolution of Canadian Prairie cuisine. Based in Edmonton, Alberta.

 

 

 

DNA Gardens: Prairie Berry Recipes

 

Dessert dishes made from such familiar prairie berries as saskatoon, chokecherries and black currants.

 

 

Recipes for dishes using Manitoba grown ingredients.

 

 

Original recipes provided by this northern Alberta resident.

 

A Culinary Tour of New Brunswick

 

 

Provides information on various New Brunswick restaurants and also includes unique recipes.

 

New Brunswick Recipes

 

Mainly seafood recipes. Soups, roasts and desserts.

 

 

Archive of Acadian recipes, including some Cajun and French-Canadian cooking.
Provides an archive and weekly features for recipes ranging from pickled zucchini to barbequed caribou ribs. St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Original source ODP, now Curlie.

 

Moustache Growing Month: Movember

emergmoustacheDo you know about Movember?

Movember is about men’s health, specifically prostate cancer. The idea of Movember is for men to grow a moustache in November and/or contribute to the cause of their own health. Growing a moustache is changing the face of men’s health, in a literal way.

Growing a moustache (also spelt mustache) myself doesn’t appeal to me. But, I’d wear a fake moustache for Movember. There are plenty of them to choose from once you get looking around online. You could choose them by facial hair style or hair colour. Of course, with a fake one you get to decide if you like felt, plastic, paper or something else too. You don’t even have to wear it on your face. I found necklaces, hair clips and mugs and glasses which make it look like you have a moustache when you drink from them.

 

How to Grow, Trim and Maintain a Moustache

 

What to do When you Can’t Grow a Moustache

 

Men’s Facial Hairstyles

 

Would you Keep a Moustache After Movember?

Would you grow a moustache just for the sake of having a moustache?

My Uncle has had a full beard and moustache for as long as I can remember. He has always maintained it well. But it’s fuzzy. I’ve seen him itching it at times. Often he gests something in it when we have dinner. I know he keeps his beard clean and combs it out too, but it must still be a weird feeling to have all that hair on your face. It gets in his mouth when he doesn’t keep it trimmed close.

There are certainly downfalls to having a hairy upper lip.

But, there are men who look really good with a moustache.

 

Find More Moustache Guys

Does Penmanship Still Count?

We type on the keyboard and now and then pick up a pen for a quick note. Not so long ago we were more likely to hand write than pull out a typewriter to bang out a note on that keyboard. Older typewriters require some force behind fingers.

I miss hand writing. I keep noticing how much less controlled and sloppy looking my handwriting is becoming. Does handwriting still matter to anyone? Did you know schools are not teaching cursive writing any longer? My niece told me about this and asked me to teach her how to write. How strange will the world be when the generation of young people comes who are no longer taught how to write, or print, at all?

You may laugh and think this is silly… but in my generation I won penmanship awards for my cursive script writing. That wasn’t so long ago, considering I’m still far from being a century old.

Letter Writers Alliance: Penmanship Pointers

Paperpenalia: Tips to Improve your Handwriting