Earthday was Beautiful!

Well, the weekend was incredible! My immediate family - David, Amy, Julia and Colin - (with the addition of my sister, Dee) went hiking at a place called Ragged Chutes - just north of here along the Mississippi River. I had heard that someone - other than the land owners - holds the mineral rights and has plans to start mining the area for uranium. I decided I had to see this landscape for myself so we packed a lunch and headed for the chutes.

The walk was grand, t-shirt and shorts weather, the river was in full spate and there were no mosquitoes! We walked to the chutes (a place in the river where logs were run - you can still see a giant metal ring in the rock probably used to secure the logs) then followed the river downstream, exploring some interesting rock formations and stopping to admire the reflections in this quiet pool.

We saw mourning cloak butterflies, heard woodpeckers, juncos and kinglets and came across this garter snake.

On Sunday I walked to a nearby wetland, spent time in the garden, planted 3 trees and added another nest box to my growing collection. We also ate cake! A good Earth Day was had by all!

What did you do on Earth Day?

David and I at Ragged Chutes.

Green Laundry!

Ah, another beautiful day and what is prettier than a full line of laundry billowing on the breeze?

I have always preferred hanging my laundry to dry than using the drier. The drier is one of the most expensive appliances to run - and it shrinks my cotton clothes - and - the laundry smells like fresh air itself when dried on the line. What is more sensual than crawling into a bed made with freshly washed, line-dried sheets? (well I can think of a few other things but lets stick to laundry!)

I hang clothes out year round - it makes me laugh to try to bend frozen sheets and towels to make them fit in the laundry basket in the winter. When the weather doesn't allow I have drying racks - the neat old wooden kind - that I use indoors. I feel good about not using power unnecessarily for laundry and love the zen of hanging it out and folding as I take it off the line. I even like my pegs, some of which are very old, passed along to me by my mother-in-law.

I don't use diapers anymore, but for each of my children I can proudly say I never put an ucky, plastic, so environmentally reprehensible disposable diaper next to their perfect skin. (don't get me going on this topic!) The soft flannel diapers I used always bleached white in the sunshine, my kids never got diaper rash and I used to sit on our bed with the baby at my side folding the diapers (I am a pro at folding square diapers to fit - my mom taught me how) and laughing and singing and playing as I went.

So you see, laundry means so much more to me than clean clothes!

Living on a well in the country we decided to by a front loading, energy/water efficient washer. I love it and again, I am doing a small thing for the environment. Do you like hanging laundry out? Send me photos of your laundry!

Oh, and look what was on the line!

A Bird in the Hand

I got this helpful comment today (see comments from Earth Day is my Birthday) from Ramona (thanks Ramona!) This is very helpful. In two weeks there is a sale of used Kayaks at a local outfitters (I will be recycling!) And your thoughts are very helpful. Your summer job options sound great - good luck!

One spring we had a late snowfall and when I went out to fill the feeders I had birds landing all over me! Purple finches, pine siskins, chickadees and a downy woodpecker took their turn. You are right, it is an absolute thrill - to feel the weightlessness yet vitality of a live bird on your hand is truly breathtaking! Here are photos of David and I feeding the birds that day.





Happy spring to you too! And Thanks for the birthday wishes - the weather is supposed to be gorgeous here for Earth Day!

David Francey wears environmentally friendly Baffin Boots - made in Canada!

David and I have worn Canadian made Baffin boots for as long as I can remember. They are sturdy, ever so fashionable!!! and nice and tall - just the way we like them! When David gets home I will post a photo of both of us in our boots!

We live in the country, we have dogs and we walk them rain or shine. These rubber boots last forever and are great for splashing through puddles like the ones on the third concession below...



...and through streams and spring runoff.

I have to admit, I still get a thrill when I step into moving water and wade in until it is just below the top of my boots. I did this as a kid and still do when I am looking for polliwogs, caddis fly nymphs, sticklebacks etc.

I am fascinated by the way the water pressure sucks the boots close to my legs and love the security of knowing that my feet will stay dry...that is until I take one step too far or slip on a rock or sink into the mud! You know what they say about small things? (does anyone else have the same boot fetish?)

I figure we spend 3/4 of the year in them and the other 1/3 in winter boots (also made by Baffin)

So...imagine my delight when I bought a brand new pair and this tag was attached to them!



What a great outfit! Now I feel even better about my purchase and I know what do with my old pair! If only all manufacturers had a similar policy! The world would look a little greener!

When David gets home for my birthday/Earthday I will get Colin to take a photo of us in our boots!

****If you wear Baffin boots, send us a photo! Better still, send us a photo of you in your rubber boots helping to keep our planet green!
(we are still on dial up so please keep your photos 100 dpi and no more than 6X6" - mail to photos@davidfrancey.com )

Bird Houses all round!

One of the small things I would like to do to help increase species diversity in our neighbourhood is to put up more bird houses. I have quite a few about the property but I noticed the bluebird that came around last week did not like the look of them. I will let you know how many new boxes I get up and how many nesting birds I get! Here is a photo of one I put up yesterday.
Let me know if you put any up this spring!

The three R's

Right after I wrote my first Earth Day blog I heard from Buck

"I think it's great with your "Earth Day" - I try to do my part, I pick up a piece of garbage a day, and re-use or re-cycle everything possible, I also have a townie bike I have built up that I ride around to get things instead of driving my car!"

Hey, way to go Buck, that is great. Just think what things would be like if everyone road a bike to work or to get groceries, better health, better air! Cycle and re-cycle!

and Doreen

"Happy Birthday!!!It's great when the government does something right for a change! My Mom, husband, and I will be recovering from the movers taking most of our furniture on the 20th, coping with camping in our house until after my last concert with my beloved choir, The John Laing Singers, when we'll be driving to Nova Scotia to take up residency in our new (200-year-old) house and new life together. With luck, I'll squeeze in a dog walk on the 22nd to celebrate Earth Day and your birthday! I hope you all have a wonderful time in Algonquin! (Try a canoe instead of a kayak -- much better for the Northern Ontario wilderness!) All the best, Doreen"

Hey Doreen, just think, you are practicing one of the three Rs (reduce, re-use, re-cycle) by re-using a 200 year old house! Happy moving, and do walk that dog!

Earth Day is my Birthday!

That's right! Imagine my delight - as a lifelong student of biology, an interpretive naturalist, a passionate wildlife observer - when some brilliant member of parliament made my birthday into Earth Day! My friends and family all said "How appropriate!"

So, how will I spend my birthday you may ask? Well, for the first time in several years my husband (you know, that songwriter guy, the one who calls me "gorgeous", talks lovingly of industrial landscapes and says at the beginning of every walk "this isn't going to turn into a hike is it?") will be home. I have decided that David, Amy, Julia Colin and I are going on a day long hike in Algonquin Park. I can't wait! For a present I am looking to buy a used kayak (can anyone out there suggest a good kind to take into wetlands - not tippy but handles well!?)

Because I turn 50 this year, I am going to plant 50 trees over the summer, starting with fruit trees, mountain ash and a few more conifers to attract more bird species. I am aiming at increasing species diversity on our property. And - this will be the most fun, I hope to take at least 50 people on nature walks over the course of the year to teach them what I have learned about the plants and animals we see on the way (starting on the 22nd with my family!)

Check back here to see photos and discussions on how I am doing with my challenges!

with respect for our environment,
Beth