Earth Week
No I have not disappeared. I have not posted in a while and some blogging friends started to wonder about me. I have hit a dry spot. With a lot of things I would like to blog about I found myself unable to getting anything done.
I have been enjoying the Spring weather and fighting Depression, two conflicting experiences which frustrated my impulse to write something. This happens from time to time.
I am always moved by views of our island home from Space. It is truly beautiful and yet I know we daily treat it with contempt, now to the point of permanently changing it for the worst and making it less hospitable for human and animal life. This is enough to depress any thoughtful person.
I did not do much on Earth Day. I did walk the mile frontage of road on my property and pick up the garbage carelessly deposited over the Winter. This gave me a chance to spot the little trees struggling to develop in the ditch. In the last few years, I have been transplanted these back to the fenceline where they will be free to grow to maturity and create a wind brake.
Speaking of trees, I walked the section of riverbank we planted trees on a few years back. I was dismaying how slow they were to grow. i even replanted once. Well they seem to have caught at last. There seem to be many of the white pine we planted last and even many white Spruce we seemed to have unsuccessfully planted a few years earlier. All in all we have planted about 2000 trees along this section of river. Twenty years ago, I planted 8000 trees mostly along 3/4 of a mile along my frontage on the river. They are all doing well many as tall as 25 feet. This last effort is on the last 1/4 of mile of frontage. In five years, now that they are well started, they will be the size of Christmas trees and make the cabin feel even more remote.
A couple of news announcement have interested me this week. The Ontario government has bannned cosmetic use of pesticides. This is aimed at those home owners who just can't tolerated a dandelion in their lawn or ants living in the cracks of their paved drive ways. Sadly, golf courses, those environmental disasters in urban areas, are exempt along with farmers. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2008/04/22/pesticide-ban.html
The government has moved to ban the toxic chemical, bisphenol -A, used in plastic bottles and toys. This chemical leaches out into the contents of the bottle. Of most concern is the use of it in baby bottles which are often heated increasing the leaching.
I hope this will lead to the decrease in the use of plastic food containers, particularly the wasteful and unnecessary water in a plastic bottle.Glass is such a wonderful material for containers. I don't see plastic as a better replacement. I bet if manufacturers had to factor in the environmental damage and recycling cost of plastic containers, glass containers would be cheaper. The time has long passed when goods can be made without the manufacturer being responsible for their final disposition.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/health/bisphenol-a.html
I hope everyone did a little to acknowledge the importance of our environment in honour of Earth Day.
If you enlarge this picture by clicking on it you might notice the grass is starting to green . The herd of pigs are busy plowing it up in their search for tasty roots and bugs.
Here they are "the three amigos", my version, Gage, Dave and Runt. Dave is on a break from his latest task of replacing the sod on the lawn where the pigs turned it over. Dave doesn't say much but he seems to enjoy being around the animals. He is always fretting as to where they are and whether they are at risk .
This is my lilac bush which is starting to leaf up and develop blooms. It will be in its glory soon. I will post a picture then. This is sure sign that the gardening season is underway. Another is that Dave took off his long underwear, his long jeans, he calls them. Is this French Canadian speech for long johns? I just heard on the radio we might get some colder weather with a little snow. "Dave! You might need your long jeans again."
posted by Tossing Pebbles in the Stream @ 8:45 a.m.
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8 Comments:
Hopefully as spring progresses, the mood will shift.
Hello there, well I'm glad all is well. I'm sorry you have been feeling a little down but hopefully the on-set of spring and the new-life and colour it brings with it will go someway to helping you feel a little better. I loved the pics, especially The Three Amigos! What an unlikely threesome yet looking very comfortable in each others company!
Have a good weeken Philip and thanks for the 'catch up'. :o)
I tend to be depressed in the winter but spring can normally bring me around. Hopefully it will do the same for you.
8000 TREES! Wow. And here I was getting smug about the 10-12 trees we plant every year.
Glad to see a new post Philip! Sorry to hear about the depressed mood but like everyone else said, maybe spring will help clear that up. I have some trouble with the same thing sometimes myself and have found that St. John's wort or 5-HTP do help. You might check into that and they are both fairly inexpensive.
For Earth day I helped pick up trash off the bypass around Jonesboro, it's unreal how much trash you find in five miles.
I have fought depression since I was ten years old. Sometimes it just takes time. I hope you feel better soon.
Loretta
Wow, 8000 trees? You must have worked 365/24 non stop. Thats a lot. Good for you. And good for the Canadian govt. for caring about the pesticides and plastic. I wish we had no pesticides here...they go right down into the natural aquifer running all thru Florida. People just take sooo much for granted!
Hello there Phillip
I had begun to wonder where/how you were when earthday came and went. It is the first time I had herad of this.. which says a lot for the UK and our news programs.
I enjoyed your post today and the pictures, I planted.. all of 2 tree a while back.. then two trees give me so much pleasure and pride... you have planted a forest... that much feel good,
Gage is looking well and the piglet as got bigger since I last saw it.
I liked your comment today on my blog about you time on the track.. I concider a round trip of 10 miles far.. ha!... it just shows how different things are.
All the very best to you and all you stock.. and of course you house guests.
Tom
Philip,
It's good to hear that you have planted so many trees. They will make a great windbreak and trees are essential to the earth.
Your depression sounds a lot like mine. A few weeks ago my daughter, who is a pharmacy technician suggested I try Vitamin D because she thought I was suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder. It has helped a LOT. Next time you are in town, pick up some and be sure to take it all next winter. It can make a big difference to those of us that live in a four season climate.
Take care, Philip. I hope you're feeling better soon. Love that lilac.
Blessings,
Mary
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