Friday 31 May 2013

It's time for Farmer's Markets!

Visit one near you! They have robust websites, for example the Ontario site: 

FarmersMarkets Ontario®


All across Ontario, shoppers are choosing FarmersMarkets for nature's best produce, secure in the knowledge that the food is fresh, safe to eat.
Shoppers love them because they can buy top-quality farm-fresh products directly from the person who produced them—and can often find products they won’t find anywhere else.

Almonte Farmers Market Saturday May 18th. New hours are 8:30 - 12:30.

Thursday 30 May 2013

Pesticides, pollution, bees dying, climate change, but Osprey rebound

Circle of life
Ah, my. For those to whom much is given, much is required. I consider it a privilege to live in the country.

I read an article that saddened me...

Osprey

Provincial "Flower" Dominates Landscape This 

Spring

Posted May 23, 2013 By Jeff Maguire

EMC Lifestyle - Spring has sprung and despite the rollercoaster temperatures one of the traditional harbingers of the season is now among the most prominent features in our community and across the district. The resilient dandelion always survives....

The climate change deniers in the US are shocking to me.
Everyone loves dandelions!
As are those who choose pesticides.
It is only recently that the Osprey are on the rebound.
"I know my correspondents on the anti-pesticide bandwagon (the winners in this debate as it turns out) will continue to scream and send more mail when they read this column.
Devil's paintbrush
You bet! For those able to live in the country, there is much responsibility. We owe it to the critters with whom we share this earth, to respect them and nature. Lawns are not natural. Having a pristine lawn need not mean grass. We adore our lawn which, now that dandelions have gone, will soon be featuring Devil's paintbrush. It is all green. Clover is a great alternative.
Honey bees –
bees are dying from pesticides



Natural ground cover
  Many modern city folks are filling in small lawns with shrubs, bushes, and gardens filled with beauty. It's amazing how those who embrace nature are those who are unable to live in it.
Dutch elm disease
 is killing it

 Some give rural Ontario a bad name. It is up to us to keep on top of lessons learned.
Dutch elm disease, for example.
Endangered, extirpated or extinct animals are the lessons we need to learn.
I'm not the only one who is upset with this. Read what a wildlife biologist wrote (posted with permission).

Stewart E. Hamill - sdgcfo.ca

Stew Hamill is a wildlife biologist who lives with his family near Merrickville. He worked for 20 years with the National Capital Commission in Ottawa.

Jeff Maguire’s column (May 23) on dandelions and the cosmetic pesticide ban points out how narrow-minded, short-sighted, and selfish people can be when considering the environment and human health. If he would look up from his lawn he might see that the numbers of birds are increasing also, because fewer are being killed by the effects of pesticides. Yes, I have no scientific evidence of that, just anecdotal observations, but Jeff’s entire column is based on anecdotal evidence also.
My wife is a community nurse and she knows that cancer is rampant in our region. Again, no scientific evidence of what is causing it, but toxic chemicals are a leading candidate. We should try to eliminate as many as possible whenever feasible.
Jeff points out that the applicators of pesticides were wearing regular clothes. That’s the best evidence yet that the chemicals were not being applied properly or safely. If the professionals wouldn’t even follow directions, how could we expect ordinary citizens to take safety precautions?
Along with seat belt, smoking, and helmet legislation, the pesticide ban shows that sometimes issues are too close to people’s personal selfish concerns to be left to their own decisions.

Ditch diggin!

Bambi and I watched!
The video is here!
Apparently, they have to keep the water flowing along the ditch to prevent it from seeping under the road and causing damage.
The backhoe driver operated it as if it was a set of tweezers!
I pick up garbage several time a year!

Please slow down, people.
Somebody out there loves you, or your victim.


We've had much rain –the conifers are happy

Austrian pine
 We've had 120mm in May!
2013
Date rain in mm
8-May   3
9-May   7
10-May 17
11-May   2
15-May   3
19-May     3
20-May   5
21-May 18
22-May   2
23-May 37
24-May 20
29-May   3


Spruce

The moths are out!

Imperial moth - wee one

Still there this morning

Tiger Moth - an 'underwing'
This Imperial moth was huge! 
Tolype velleda