The Hazards of Trash Collecting – Part 4

Posted on June 10, 2020 by Mama Cormier

….on our 30 Day Challenge Trish and I had a few mishaps

Collecting trash in the parks, along the beaches and in the rocks has its misfortunes. Luckily for us none of them were too serious.

Trash collecting can wreak havoc with your clothes:

Burrs were a constant problem.

Climbing over wire fences can cause tears in your tights.

The insects can also be problem. The midges were particularly bad. Thanks goodness for face masks.

Wearing proper shoes and gloves is very important. I learned both the hard way. On the rocks I pulled out a broken beer bottle and promptly cut my finger. Luckily I brought water with me and Trish had hand sanitizer. I put pressure on the cut and cleaned it out as best

I could. Once the bleeding stopped I put on my gardening gloves and continued to work.

On another trip I was wearing my sandals. It was towards the end of the challenge and a lot of vegetation had grown in on the pathways. Everything seemed fine until I felt a burning sting under my foot. I quickly looked down and saw a wasp fly out from under my toes. Upon closer inspection we didn’t see a stinger but I did notice red ants in the area and I suspect it was an ant that bit me and not the wasp.

Towards the middle of May as the weather warmed up it was important to wear sunglasses, hats and sunscreen. There were days when I felt I had been in the sun a little too long.

The final hazard of course is falling. There were days that I wasn’t comfortable on the rocks and I soon figured out it was due to my low blood pressure. If I didn’t have my morning coffee before we left I felt dizzy on the rocks and I would stay on the pathways while Trish did her thing diving between the rocks to retrieve treasures deep in the crevices. Even on the beaches the rocks were slippery and on the paths rocks jutted up and were tripping hazards. There were a few times that I slipped or tripped but luckily I always caught myself before going down.

Trish was more adventurous and one day she tried to jump to a large rock for a photo op but she slipped and ended up in the water (only her shoes got wet).

In the next segment I will talk about the fun and beauty of trash collecting.

Midges – Is there a way to repel them?

Posted on May 26, 2020 by Mama Cormier

…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.

Correction – Gnat Invasion is Actually a Midge Invasion

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Mama Cormier

…..apparently I’ve misinformed you and what I thought was a gnat is a midge

Today CBC news reported that Toronto is in the middle of a midge invasion. They live near water and seeing that I live next to Lake Ontario it is not unusual to see swarms of them on the street. Apparently those clouds are mating swarms. They look like tiny mosquitoes but they don’t bite. They are attracted to light and that’s why they’re landing on the condominiums by the lake.

I was right about there being more swarms than in past years. Last summer’s unusually wet season is the reason for this years larger population. The good news is that they should disappear in a few days but if we have another wet summer they will return on mass.News video about Midges in Toronto.