Live in my garden of Eden, nestled between mountains and rivers in Winlaw, Canada

Details

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  Description

  Come play and work in my garden of Eden!
  
  Bursting and vibrant, my home encompasses a number of flower gardens blooming with all colours, a large berry garden buzzing with pollinators, and many vegetable gardens that feed us for the year. There are also greenhouses, fruit and nut trees, a flock of laying hens, a duck pond, and a creek-fed dipping pool for hot days. Located in the heart of the small village of Winlaw, I am a 3-minute walk to the store and cafe, but surrounded by beautiful wilderness on all sides.
  
  I, Alli, have lived here for just 10 years, putting my heart and soul into the soil to make it a rich and bountiful haven. The property is serene and calm, shared with me by my kindhearted and quiet partner Robert, and my two cats, Amelie and Dove. My young grandkids, family, and neighbours also come visit regularly. My eating habits are best described as organic omnivore - all the gardens here are organic, and tended with love to yield the most delicious and prolific foods to sustain us.
  
  At 70, I have had 50 years of experience gardening. I am an energetic and enthusiastic person, and despite my years, have been described as fun, far from boring, and more energetic than many people half, or even a third, of my age! I have a humorous take on life, and enjoy a good laugh at the silliness of things. I am open to the moment and don't run my life by any set of rules. I studied zen for a number of years, am a Buddhist, and am keen on the exploration and discussion of religion, spirituality, cosmic influence on daily life, politics, and more. I have lived an exciting and wondrous life of adventure and learning, and look forward to sharing my many stories with you.

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  Types of help and learning opportunities

  Gardening

  DIY and building projects

  General Maintenance
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  Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

  As someone with 50 years of experience in gardening, I have lots of tips, tricks, and intuitive knowledge to share, including encouraging plants, tending soil, knowing what flowers grow well and where, companion planting, mulching, and more. I also have a good knowledge of cultivated and wild herbal medicines and their applications.
  
  I am also interested and excited about discussion and exchanges around spirituality, buddhism, zen, politics, astrology and more - we are all on a journey in this life, and I enjoy diving into what it is that makes you, you, and me, me!
  
  Geographically and culturally, Winlaw is a beautiful and interesting town in the heart of a network of small, rural communities pulsing with life in the Slocan Valley, part of the Kootenays Region of British Columbia. There is great focus on local community and local economy, organic practices, the joys of good, healthful food, dance and music, and a general appreciation for and slowness of life. The Slocan Valley is also pristine wilderness and mountains in every direction, with the Slocan River the main artery. It is an incredible experience of nature and Canadian rurality, sweetened with good people and great local businesses right at hand.

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  Help

  I am looking for help keeping up with the plethora of gardens, with general maintenance of the property, and for various building and carpentry projects to expand the creative and habitable potential of the land.
  
  Generally, the work in the gardens would include watering and weeding, with many other occasional or seasonally-dependent tasks, such as planting out flowers and trees, mulching, preparing or putting to rest beds, etc. For carpentry and building work, there many possible projects including the building of a small cabin, new greenhouses, a trailer over, and more. There are also smaller general projects such as painting exterior walls, setting up & repairing fences, mowing the lawn, caring for chickens, etc. In short, each day there is always something new and interesting to take on, work is flexible to your skills, and it changes up day to day.
  
  Workawayers would be expected to help out 2-3 hours a day, 5 days a week, either in the garden or with building projects. On days where projects run longer, the weekly schedule can be adjusted to have more days off. It is preferable that Workawayers come with some base level of skill and knowledge of either gardening or building (does not have to be both!) For example, being able to differentiate weeds from plants, or having helped build something before, is important, but there is also room for learning.
  
  I like working with people who have a good sense of humour. I enjoy others who are fun-loving, energetic, and also think outside the box a bit, but are not dogmatic or rigid about it. Above all, kind and heartfelt people are who I am looking to host, who are also independent and fare well on their own. "I might be your grandma but I definitely won't be your mom!" I am particular and like things done in certain ways, which I will show you, so being patient, a good listener, and adaptive is important.

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  Languages spoken

  English: Fluent

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  Accommodation

  You will have a clean and well-maintained trailer all to yourself, on a secluded corner of the property. It is located right next to our beautiful creek and dipping pool, and is well shaded and cool in the summer time. It is a peaceful spot, and very private. Individuals or couples are welcome. It has a full kitchen, table & benches, fridge, and bed, along with electricity.
  
  You will prepare your own food, but I will provide bulk grains and dried goods, as well as eggs and fresh vegetables from the garden. A small stipend for your other store-bought preferences will also be provided. I am happy to share one meal with you a day, either breakfast or lunch, but prefer that dinner and the evening are spent alone with my partner.
  
  There is no cellphone reception in much of the Valley including Winlaw, the closest places being Slocan City or the Junction, but we have a landline phone that you can use, and wifi is available to set up at the trailer.

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  What else ...

  There is a dipping pool on the property for cooling off on hot summer days, but on really hot days, we usually head to the beach at Slocan Lake, only a 15 minute drive away. There are a plethora of other swimming spots in the area, if you are brave enough to swim in the cold and quicker water of the Slocan River.
  
  The nature in the area is unreal, with a huge amount of possibility! We have bikes here, as well as blow-up kayaks if you ever want to go out and do a little adventuring. There is the Rail Trail which runs the entirety of the Slocan Valley, accessible right here from Winlaw, and is perfect for biking. The Valhalla Wilderness Area is also near by, with great hikes, camping, and opportunity for canoeing or other water-sports. The mountains and rivers flowing in every direction are a sight to behold, and there are many hot springs nearby. Like much of wild British Columbia, beautiful hikes, camping sites, abandoned mines, and other secret treasures can be found down many gravel roads for well-prepared and adventuresome folk.
  
  Located right in the "downtown" of Winlaw, you are steps away from a restaurant, post office, thrift shop, a gas station & general store, and a health food store. There is often live music, festivals, and other community events held locally (Covid-restriction pending). The community is full of all kinds of people of all ages, with lots of connection in spirituality, environmentalism, music, dancing, and appreciation for the fine things in life! Life is slow but not too slow, with lots of room and opportunity for play. The people are kind, and come from many different backgrounds and locations. Nelson is the closest bigger town, and is a very hip and fun city to experience and explore.

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  A little more information

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    Internet access

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    Limited internet access

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    We have pets

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    We are smokers

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    Can host families

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  How many Workawayers can stay?

  Two

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  Hours expected

  3 hours/day, 5 days/week

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