…my Frances is getting old but she still enjoys a dip in the Lake
I love walking to the beaches over at Col. Sam Smith Park but Frances is finding the walk a little too long so I helped her into the car and we drove as close to the park entrance as possible. She must have sensed that we were going somewhere special because she walked quicker than she normally does.
She wasn’t disappointed. She headed straight for the water. Ah, heaven!
Thanks to Becca Givens for hosting
…..for those who don’t know the 19 stands for the year the virus came to be
Here in Toronto we are just about to go to stage 2 which means that things will start to open with some restrictions, such as hair salons and outdoor patios. All around our neighbourhood there are signs that indicate that we still need to be careful, wear a mask and stay socially distant. They also show how this virus has impacted some families.
…unusual to see during the day
This little guy was sunning himself on the fence yesterday. At first I wasn’t sure if he was even alive. It is unusual for racoons to come out during the day. There is clearly a family living in my neighbours garage. This one is still a baby.
…how can collecting trash be fun or beautiful?
On on our 30 Day Clean-up Challenge people have often commented that they couldn’t do what we were doing. I think one of the reasons why we were so successful and persistent on completing this project was because we could see that it was making a difference. The parks were definitely cleaner and ‘some’ people were making an effort to help keep it that way.
We also had fun while we were doing this. Sometimes it was like looking for buried treasure between the rocks and often we’d be amazed at the things we found. The lost wallet was returned to its owner and Trish also found a cell phone and was able to locate the owner.
After each haul we’d take a minute or two for photo ops. Trish loved posing in unusual stances, sometimes doing cartwheels and hand stands. I on the other hand was a little more conservative with my poses.
The beauty of trash collecting in the parks comes from discovering the nooks and crannies of the park that I would never have ventured to before. I had never walked onto the rocks before and there were areas around the pond that I discovered for the first time. We also met a lot of wonderful people and we really came to appreciate the beauty of our environment.
….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.
Mama Cormier 