The 30 Day Challenge – Part 2

….our most interesting finds

Over the last 30 days we’ve certainly come across a whole host of unusual finds in the parks, on the beaches and between the rocks.

Lake Ontario is part of the Great Lakes in North America and provides fresh drinking water to over 9 million people in Ontario, Canada and New York State, U.S.. It is the 14th largest fresh water lake in the world and because it is so deep it never freezes completely.

There are days when the waves are so large you would think you were on an ocean. I bring this up because much of the garbage that we collected from the beaches was washed ashore during those days when the swells were huge.

Some of things that we found on the beaches and between the rocks were golf balls, styrofoam and plastic, old tires, chair parts, umbrellas, headless doll and a wallet with $20.00.88-B99001-EB72-439-E-B403-2-AD0-ADAA545-C
D6-E6-D018-A5-E8-41-C9-A8-FB-D3-A7343-AEA74
AC6-FE6-BD-A3-BE-4622-82-DD-3-E9563-B183-A6-1-201-a
F72-D5745-AA05-43-E8-B224-147-B5-B9-CC2-D8192178-AA-CBAB-4-DD4-8798-909-F1-DF43243

When we started on this challenge May 2 we were wearing winter coats, hats and mitts and now five weeks later we’re in our shorts, tee-shirts and sandals. We always say that here in Toronto we go from winter right into summer.

Nearing the End of Our 30 Day Challenge: Part 1

….to clean all the parks in our neighbourhood

On May 4th I joined my neighbour Trish on her 30 Day Clean the Parks Challenge. As we come to the end of this experience we’ve learned a few things about people.

Most people are very appreciative for what we’re doing. We’ve met some wonderful people on this journey. It’s the minority that spoil our parks with trash they they can’t be bothered to walk over to the bins. In our parkette at the bottom of the street where we live there are three sets of bins space about 100 metres apart. The biggest offenders here are those people who drive down here to eat their breakfast, lunch and dinner in their cars and then dump their empty cups, food containers, serviettes, cigarette butts and beer bottles on the curb.005-C3-A9-C-2-F56-42-AF-B60-A-6-ED9-E37-D5-CD8

52 Week Smartphone Challenge – Week 21 Serenity

….thanks to Khürt for hosting the 52 Week Smartphone Challenge

Serenity definitely comes from being outdoors. I’ve spent a lot of time in the parks in Toronto that border on Lake Ontario. Even though I’ve been working to clear away the trash that has fallen between the rocks I can still take a moment to enjoy the view and take in the peace and quiet along the shoreline. This is one of the last photos I took on my  iPhone.

573654-AC-0-BE3-46-B8-8790-42982571-FA5-C-1-201-a

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Anything Man-made

…thanks to Cee for hosting the Fun Foto Challenge

For more than 20 days we’ve been collecting garbage from the our parks. All of this trash is man-made.4-E5-DB23-E-24-DC-4-D1-A-900-A-0770447-AF49-A
D6-E6-D018-A5-E8-41-C9-A8-FB-D3-A7343-AEA74
7-E3343-A2-1-FD2-408-C-920-A-5-AA345-A16-F2-D
4-A661044-543-C-4-EAC-BE92-019-D9-B6-AC9-DD-1-201-a
511668-DA-D461-4544-83-F1-9563-F064-ECD8

Midges – Is there a way to repel them?

they’re back in swarms that literally get up your nose and into your mouth

It seems to be a particularly bad time for midges. There are swarms of them along the waterfront. This seems to be our second wave. The first one happened a month ago. The good news is that their lifespan is pretty short and they don’t bite.

Today on our hunt for trash in the park we came across an unusually nasty swarm of them. It was a very warm day and because we were working hard they gravitated towards us. Midges are are attracted to us by carbon dioxide in our breath and the smell of our natural body odour and sweat.

On Facebook one of my friends suggested the we apply Vicks Vapour Rub to our bodies. When I looked it up I did find a site that suggested that eucalyptus repels Midges because they don’t like the smell. Not sure that I want to go to a drug store for a jar when I know that they won’t be with us for much longer.

I have discovered that my COVID mask has come in handy for keeping those nasty little bugs out of my nose and mouth.E82149-EF-4817-40-C2-9-D7-D-E24-EA4-F7041-D
1913-FDD6-293-C-4-E7-A-A181-D0017-E0403-CC
70-D7-BEDD-BE34-4-A65-98-AD-90-DDBE77-E275