Bicycling in Ontario –I'll be glad when THAT season is over!

This is so sad. 

Oncoming traffic.

Thankfully, they pulled in somewhat

Cyclists killed on Trans-Canada Highway identified -
 Two cyclists on a cross-Canada trip were killed one July afternoon on Highway 11/17 near Red Rock. A group of 25 cyclists traveling across the country. It was on one couple's bucket list to do so. I can see how it would happen. Drivers get frustrated, they try to pass, and there is a
dangerous situation. They were part of a Tour de Canada.

I have photos of bike riders. We have big bike tours around here, and I've been to council to protest them. They simply do not stop in our towns, they cycle through, causing traffic issues. We need a wide shoulder to accommodate them.

Saturday, on our trip around Ontario, we encountered yet another group of people biking. I just wish they would drive single file. It is frightening to see oncoming cars.

My friend, Norah, reported on another fatality.
Cycling accident claims life of Bracebridge doctor 
Posted on July 24, 2013 by Norah Fountain
UPDATE: July 25, 11:00 AM: OPP Sergeant Peter Leon has confirmed that 67-year-old Gordon Riddle, a doctor in Bracebridge, has died from serious injuries sustained from his cycling accident on Sunday.

Clumping. Cars pulled around them.

Single file, please

Distraction is Deadly from Greg Friese

Distraction is Deadly: EMS World Expo 2013 Slides by Greg Friese from Greg Friese

I love this guy. He's an amazing EMS educator. While he works to improve training of his fellow EMS workers, he improves the safety of the public, as well. Distraction is a scary thing for all drivers, amateur and pro. It's bizarre that we need these kinds of signs. In fact, don't you think it's ignored by those who most need to read them?

Praying mantis was here for a visit

I've been decorating for Hallowe'en, it didn't seem to dissuade the praying mantis!

This is who I spotted
coming around the corner of the house.

Hubby has this funny streak, and brought home a gift for me from the antique junk store.

 Then, I looked at the door frame...

The last one I spotted was brown.

Whatcha lookin' at, sistah?

I put it on a stick, and into a planter.

It didn't seem too worried.

Praying mantis from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Following fish around an artificial reef

What an interesting show! Buster came in at 3:55 a.m., and I couldn't sleep.
I turned on my radio, ear bud in one ear.
They were talking about Ph.D. students who were tagging fish on an artificial reef off Sydney's shore.

Following fish home

Which fish call Sydney's artificial reef home?

More

Offshore Artificial Reef at Sydney Ports

http://www.abc.net.au/radionatio...

• Fisheries and Marine Environmental Research Facility (UNSW)
• School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences (UNSW)
• Offshore Artificial Reefs (DPI NSW)

It's that time of year: come on in, goldfish!

Who, me, mommy?

What a job! I drained the pond, since the goldfish weren't inclined to come in from the cold. I couldn't find them.

Using an old garden hose, and that miracle of gravity: hydrostatic pressure, AKA the syphon effect, I got rid of the green water. The algae isn't so bad, it protects the fish from sun, and the osprey that likes to circle above!

The water lily is doing fabulously well, with great leaves and flowers. The fish are doing well, too. I brought in the big ones, a few medium and a couple of smaller ones, just in case the others do not survive the winter!

These fish will be outside for winter!

I wrote a post about caring for goldfish. It's a pretty easy task, but they do poop a lot! Indoors you need a good filter. Plus, they grow to a decent size!

I had great supervisors, two wearing white fur coats and one with

a black coat, although they had a short attention span. Dorah came back with a field mouse and was having a grand time. It bit her on the nose and it bled!
I chucked it into the tall grasses and Daisy found it later. It's ironic, as there are holes in the pond liner from the mice chewing it.

There were three green frogs helping, too. Geraldine Bullfrog heard there was work involved and steered clear of us all day. I haven't seen her in two days. Here is a photo from a couple of weeks ago. 

I'm loathe to use so much water refilling it,
but we had 46mm of rain last week. 

Once I shut it down for the season,
I will soak the pump in vinegar to remove the skunge!

Three babies, plus two shiners!
I tossed them back.

Daisy is keen on the
goldfish coming indoors!

On a rainy day: Daisy is on guard

Whilst getting 46 mm rain,
she hides out.

I so love this little cat, now a year old, the 'runt of the litter', she's tiny!
It was a rainy weekend. Daisy is a trooper, and is determined to go outdoors. She took sanctuary on top of the well.
Did you know that a group of cats is called a clowder or a glaring?
We have four cats. I believe we have a clowder!
With 16 acres, and many forest walkies, we have space.

It was a long day's work!

At age 6 mos. of so,
she hasn't grown much.

Flying bug
caught her attention!

Life and art!

She loves interacting with the critters.
This is from last spring.
The deer moved in to check her out.
She gave a whack to its snout, but missed.
She has inner bigness!

More 'bear' flapping her arms!

Let's Talk Resilience! The Sustainability Project - 7th Generation Initiative

Press Release from Transition Perth: The Sustainability Project - 7th Generation Initiative
Together, Let's Talk Resilience on September 26th at the Perth Legion!

Resilience is our ability to respond constructively to changes and challenges in our world. Imagine everyone being secure, even if oil becomes too expensive to use excessively or if economic



uncertainty affects us on a larger scale.

• Imagine everyone being healthy, even if the cost of food continues to increase or changes in our climate become more pronounced. 
• Imagine everyone being happy, even in light of current downsizing trends or some forms of employment becoming more scarce. 

Potentially we could create local sources for energy, food security, transportation, and meaningful employment. We could choose to respond constructively to many of these changes and challenges, and celebrate together how our community adapted! Each of us hold parts of the knowledge, skills, vision, and enthusiasm to secure the future of our community.  Everyone is invited to participate in this engaging and interactive evening.  Let's share some food, exchange ideas, and explore some potential action plans toward building resilience in Perth and area.

What can individuals do?

Enjoy Yourself

• The first, and most effective thing that anyone can do is to enjoy what life offers. Finding satisfaction within ourselves creates a foundation for a sustainable world. Turn off the TV; make friends; sing; dance; play music, sports and games; write letters, books, poetry, music; create; cook; sew; knit; paint; draw; sculpt; learn; love; laugh; talk with your kids, your neighbours, your friends; reach out to those less fortunate; pray; make love and appreciate nature. When one enjoys one's self, one is less likely to be influenced by the half trillion dollar annual advertising budget, which aims to convince us that we are inadequate and cannot be happy unless we buy the resource consuming products being sold. Read more...

Educate Yourself

Rivers sustain us

• Read about the challenge and the goal: (i.e. Life, Money & Illusion, The Growth  llusion, Small is Beautiful, Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth, For the Common Good, The Long Emergency, Manufacturing Consent.)
• View movies that speak to the issue (An Inconvenient Truth, The End of Suburbia, Who Killed the Electric Car & The High Cost of Low Cost, www.storyofstuff.com, The Century of the Self, "Crash Course" (in contemporary economics) www.chrismartenson.com/crashcourse etc.)
• Attend classes on sustainability in any of its many forms.
• Fast track your personal growth work so that you are ready to handle the emotional challenges that would come with a monetary crisis, health pandemic, climate chaos or extensions of the rich/poor divide.
• Search out meaning and purpose in your life; empower yourself by nurturing your  nnate greatness; integrate mind, body and spirit - learn to trust your intuition, listen to your body and keep fit.
• Distinguish between needs and wants and consider carefully which desires fulfilled today will undermine the well-being of (our) children and grandchildren.



Boat traffic

• Learn how to build sustainably; conserve; plant trees; grow organically; compost. Full cycle nutrient management is a key element of a sustainable future. Building up the soil in our home areas is essential to being able to feed ourselves, our families and our communities in a post fossil-fuel world.

For more information on the event, e-mail us at contact@transitionperth.ca.

For more information on the worldwide Transition movement, click here.
For more background information, click here.

Check out this video about what is Transition explained by a member of Transition Troy, NY.

Troy, NY, a Transition Town from Olivier Asselin on Vimeo.