Day #248 Runners

Our car broke down today, right at a mechanic's garage where I was using their auto vaccuum.
We had started the day way out by driving down to the cabin in the country where, had it broken down there, would have seen us walking almost 2 km. on a stony dirt road to find someone with a phone as there is no cell phone service down there, either - or hydro - or water.
It put me in mind of the trouble I would be in if my bicycle broke down 30 kms in on the TransCanadaTrail in the outback 'somewhere'.
First off, I was wearing light sandals. That was a good reminder to get myself really good and light-weight runners to keep in the backpack. I paid a lot for Nike's once and they were terribly uncomfortable. I'm not sure what is the best brand to purchase but it must be one with an excellent support.
Hopefully, though, I'll have no bicycle break-downs or brake-downs.
K

Day #249 Blue-backed Bullfrog

The bullfrogs are the ones now calling for mates. They are the ones with the deep 'garumph' sound, usually coming from swamps and ponds.
This almost robin's egg blue bullfrog was found by me just in time before my lawnmower did when living in Bloomfield beside Brown Creek.
It must be some kind of mutation as I can find no mention of blue frogs in information sources for frogs of North America.
I have heard of the mid-western states finding anomalies in frogs, and so it would seem there are also cases right in our own back yard and most likely caused from pollution of the environment. The neighbours had their lawn - one acre - sprayed every year with pesticides although they both, Mr. & Mrs. C have since died.
Several old homes in Bloomfield back onto the pond, and likely some have old and faultly septic tanks systems and that could contribute as well to pollution of the pond.
The blue bullfrog probably wasn't able to pro-create. Too bad. It's quite pretty, although I only saw one this colour that one time.

Day #250 Mommy!

Baby Robin
and
Baby Robins-to-be.
The mother is likely a first-time mommy, as the nest is built in a cedar hedge and placed a human eye-level.
Robin's Egg Blue - one of Mother Nature's most beautiful colours.

Day #251 Pretty and Pastoral

The joy of cycling, seeing beautiful scenes like these from another vantage point -
behind the barn - way behind - from the trail.

Day #252 Wild Apples-to-be

The village of Wellington, ON has public benches on Water St. overlooking Lake ON.
I am over my poison ivy pain, but still itch lightly, so spent some time relaxing down by the lake instead of cycling today.

Day #253 Fatal Accident in PEC

May 23, 2007.
John Taylor of Cherry Valley,
Prince Edward County.
Mr. Taylor, 59, was hit by an 87 yr. old driver on Cty. Rd. 10 near Macaulay Mountain exit.
Cty. Rd. 10 from Picton to Cherry Valley is really bad for cyclists in that the sides of the road are a very loose, soft gravel and so cyclists like myself, and evidentally John Taylor, feel they have to stay on the pavement even when there is traffic. The soft soil and gravel mix pulls at the wheels of your bike and you feel you could topple anytime, landing with your head under the wheels of the vehicle behind you. I hate cycling that bit of road but have to to get to and from my cabin. Otherwise, you'd never see me on it.
In all 117 blog entries that I've have done since Feb. 2, I have tried to cover all the dangers I'd faced cycling the TransCanTrail alone next year.
I hadn't thought of being hit by a car. There are still 4000 km of trail yet to be finished whereby one has to use roads and highways so the danger is always there, whether accidentally as in the case above, or on purpose by some maniac.
Please drive safely, and please ride safely.

Day #254 On Being in Bed

Just like these two, Chelsea and Keeper 1995,
I have also been in bed. In bed with poison ivy and off work for a day and a half as I came home early the night before in desparation.
Not for long do I stay in bed, mind you, because the place where it sits and infects my body is not conducive to either lying on my right side nor on my back. Sitting in a chair is not too bad, for a while. Showering is horrible but a must to wash off the yellow infection that leaks continually but the water then causes such as deep need and desire to scratch that I shower only when necessary - which is too often. Once the waters starts to hit the infected area, I need handcuffs to be stopped from scratching; scratchy hard and fast.
Avoid poison ivy.

Day #255 Why I Missed Day #256

Well, because, even though I have written on previous articles about poison ivy (blog Days #263/262/309), I now have it. Probably from photographing down at Pt. Petre. It makes me feel as though I have flu as the poison seems to course through my system.
Ironically, I was looking for poison ivy there to get a good photo for my file.
I got poison ivy once before in the early 90's in early May just before I was to leave for a wedding on a mountain in Colorado. To give today's blog something beautiful instead of my woes, I will use photos from Roni and Dan's wedding on that CO mtn., on the trail to Rattlesnake Gulch, including their lovely cake decorated with raspberries and mandarins and Pansies.
At this time of year, the leaves coming up on poison ivy are almost imperceptible in their smallness as it grows slowly, and with eyesight like mine, that is dimming, well, I just didn't see it and got infected again.
This time, not so badly. A few years ago, I took annual injections for it, until I had a severe reaction in the doctor's office one year and she discontinued shots for me.
Where, this time? On my rear, mostly, as I sat to take several pictures along the grassy ridge just above the shoreline at Pt. Petre.
I can blame it on the Admiral Butterfly (blog Day #259).
What helps with the burning pain? This time I find that Noxema helps, and so does Penaten creme, the salve they use for baby-rash - among other things. It soothes for about an hour. In CO, Roni gave me some of her creme with cordizone in it which worked wonders.
Today, I had to book off work as it seems to be the worse day so far. This then, may be the turning point.
I apply the salves directly onto folded tissue and then apply the tissue to the 'injury'. I wear leggings or a leotard to hold 'the dressing' in place, under my clothes. The poison soaks through my clothes pretty quickly, and continuously. At work, I have to get up often to go change the tissue.
Have I learned my lesson about poison ivy, finally? I hope so.
Stay home? No!!! I don't think so.

Day 257 Rear View

This group of cyclists reared into view as they sped through Wellington, heading east on Hwy. #33.
Now that I have a digital camera, I find that I can't point and shoot rapidly like I used to be able to do with my old and wonderful Olympus.
With a digital camera, one has to give it time to focus - perhaps 3 seconds - so you can easily loose a good shot.
I saw these cyclists in their colourful garb coming towards me, but by the time I was able to get the camera out of its camera bag, and on and ready, the cyclists had passed me by and I had to be satisfied with a rear shot.
Many rears.

Day #258 Family Day

We went for a late lunch up to Lake on the Mountain. We sat on the patio and could either look across Lake on the Mountain beside the restaurant, or across the road and down onto Glenora where the car ferry goes back and forth all year round.
Lake on the Mountain, although 100 feet above Glenora and the Narrows draining the Bay of Quinte into Lake Ontario, never goes down whether in late summer nor in drought. It is said to be at least 400 feet deep out in the centre and closer to the north west side. It may even be fed by springs originating from Lake ON.
I know when I lived on Smith Bay, northwest of Waupoos I could feel the springs there whenever I swam across one, and there were several, so it could easily be that Lake/Mtn. is fed the same way.
Those springs made it possible for the fish born in Smith Bay to be unpoluted, according to tests down by the fisheries in the 1980's.
Good swimming; good fishing; good living; good neighbours; and lots of wild animals, wildflowers, birdlife, and beautiful butterflies and insects.

Day #259 Admiral Butterfly

If you're cycling down Pt. Petre way this long weekend, you may be lucky enough to find an Admiral Butterfly resting on a tree trunk, as I did, exhausted after its long journal back from southern USA.
They look so much like the monarch that predators usually leave them alone as eating a monarch will make them very sick, and/or kill them.
Soon we will also see the monarchs, newly arrived from their marathon journey back from Mexico. There have been fewer by half these past two years due to the unusual cold in the mountain area where they winter over which killed tens of thousands. Normally, on a trip to that area, they will literally be 'dripping from the trees'.
I saw that once - dripping from the pine trees in thousands - on Wolf Island across from Kingston where they were gathering for their fall flight south. It was truly amazing.

Day #260 Just Ducky!

There is a little pool and fountain at the entrance of the building where I work.
Recently, unbeknownst to most of us, Mother Mallard was sitting on ten eggs under one of the bushes in the far landscaped corner across from the pool watching us go to work.
She, herself, is not a career type but instead perfers domesticity.
Yesterday, the younguns were hatched and, in true duck style, headed straight for the pool.
What Mommy hadn't considered was that there was a straight up and down concrete lip on the edge of the pool with a brick decking on top of the concrete.
Fortunately, astute employees soon realized that the babies had no way to get out, and put in a board ramp for the family. Others, or maybe the same people, put down some food.
I hope it wasn't from the cafeteria or they may get hardening of their little arteries at a very young age...although it hasn't seemed to hurt the sparrows and seagulls that hang out every day on or near the patio.

Day #261 Pt. Petre Red Squirrel

I'm feeling a bit squirly myself today.

Day #262 Poison Ivy Info'

Some excerpts from Day #309.
It seems that the higher CO2 levels are the perfect environment for Poison Ivy. There are fields of it in Prince Edward County. It abounds in Sandbanks Provincial Park, Pt. Petre, The Millenium Trail, roadsides, conservation areas.
Not only that, the toxin it now produces, thanks to global warming, is said to be stronger, more toxic than ever.
For those of you, like myself, who are sensitive, or super-sensitive, here are words of caution: as soon as you come back from hiking where poison ivy may have brushed against you, take the Sunlight dish soap with you into the shower. Lather yourself with it first, and then rinse off in cool water.
Launder your clothes right away in cool water, and, yes, you can effectively use the same soap.
Rinse off your shoes/boots in tepid or cool water, and wipe with a cloth dipped in the same - Sunlight dish soap.
Perhaps even rub down your bike.
Be sure to shampoo the dog in cool water afterward, too, and no harm to using some of the same soap treatment.
You might even want to rub down the car seats and steering wheel and your keys.
Some people I know walked through it on the trail to the dunes at Sandbanks, realized it, and then washed off in West Lake. Poison Ivy seems to be water soluble. They never got it.
Whenever I get poison ivy, it's like having the flue for 2 weeks with 3rd degree burns - as though I'd lain my hand, or whatever, flat on a hot stove. My face, when effected, blows up like a balloon, and I am no longer recognizable.
So you can understand my concern.
Even getting close enough to take that picture you see on Day #263 was extremely difficult and worrisome for me.
In spring, the leaves start out very red but by summer they are as green as any plant. The leaves always look wilted, though, and the cluster of 3 hangs down, droopy, like a plant needing water.
On most trees, their leaves are such that if you fold them in half, the edges of the two halves are identical. Think of the Canadian flag.
With poison ivy, you will see that one leaf may be smooth on one side or have one notch, while the other side of the leaf may have one, two or three nibs/points. The leaves are never concentric.
Ontario Parks are deemed natural parks so when you go swimming at places like Sandbanks, in some areas like the north end parking lot customers are actually wading through poison ivy growing perhaps a foot high or more on the sandy pathways. I've seen it growing as high as 5 feet in one ditch on private land.
Now, when you swim, it washes off in the cool water for some people, but when you head for home again ... well, you're walking through it again. There are no signs 'Warning: Poison Ivy' because there is simply acres of the stuff. In some areas, it has covered woodland trails, especially among and under pines.
The next time you hear a politician complain about the high cost of health care, remind them of poison ivy in Ontario parks and how very much it costs us, untold millions of tourists using emergency services at hospitals all through the summer every year.
Children crying in pain, and adults losing time at work.
The skin makes bubbles of poison which turns a ghastly mustard yellow and drips down your legs and arms. In the 1980's, one emergency doctor at the Picton hosp. told me he had seen at least 10,000 cases of poison ivy reactions. Multiply that one doctor by the number of Ontario doctors times the number of years since times the cost of one visit and you can see the money that has flown out the political windows.
Poison ivy, as a problem, is almost entirely avoidable.
Teachers and parents can teach children to recognize it.
Ads could be put on TV with warnings and pictures of the plant from different angles.
Politicians could eradicate it from public (hiking/swimming) areas of their provincial parks.
Let's ask all Ontario MPP's to walk through the poison ivy patches. Think that might get some action?
I sent the ministers involved (tourism, health, parks) a letter 3 or 4 years ago, and received double talk back for my time, together with all the reasons why they couldn't address the problem.
I also put the letter in the local newspapers. They, at least, co-operated.
Politicians consider one letter the equivalent of 1000 voter-voices. Perhaps you all could help and send a letter, too, or sign a copy of this one from me and mail it in.
Still, I don't suggest you stay inside this summer. Get out and enjoy Mother Nature. It's not her fault that the world is out of balance right now.
Poison ivy is a deceptively attractive plant, and often hides among other plants. It's very hard for me to get a good photo of it as it psyches me out!
Karen

Day #263 Danger! Poison Ivy

It isn't the plant with the pretty white flowers.
Although the leaves are dark red when young, and foolish,
they soon turn to green like all other plants
so don't be fooled.
They always have this wilted look
three leaves hanging down slightly cupped.

Day #264 Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to me!

Day #265 100 Days Counted Down

Where did they go.
Time flies when you're having fun.
When the next 100 is counted down, there will be only 165 days left before I'm 65 years old and can get pension cheques and be free, free, free as a bird.
Oh, yeah!
We'll see what The Fates have to say about that.
It's been fun so far, and I'm thankful for that.

Day #266 Dutchman's Britches

Photo by photographer
Lucas Velthuis, a Dutchman himself from Zwolle, Holand.
Now is the time to see these delicate flowers, flowering now at Pt. Petre.
Pt. Petre is a great place to cycle to, but it holds you there with the rhythmic wave action and the beauty, the flowers and the bird song, the trees and the huge boulders.
You will want to stop cycling, and just sit on the beach to watch the fairies dancing on the wavelets in mid-afternoon, their costumes sparkling hypnotically, enticing you to walk in and join with them.
It may be a bit cold just yet for swimming, though - like painfully so.
Be careful where you sit - watch for poison ivy in the cracks of the rocks or in the long grasses. A couple of the fields there have nothing else but...

Day #267 Trout Lily

Trout Lily under the hardwoods, often sharing space with Hepatica, Dutchman's Breeches, Spring Beauty, Flox, and Trilliums.
Photo by Lucas Velthuis.
You can find these delicate spring flowers in many of the hardwood forests in eastern Ontario at this time of year.

Day #268 Millenium Trail Update

For practise towards cycling the TransCanadaTrail, I suspect that Prince Edward County's Millenium Trail is the best place to go.
It's BAD! Big rocks cover the trail.
The gravel on it is the lowest grade that you can get.
However, it spite of not being able to look around because of the rocks, you can open your ears to the music of mating birds.
The calls are exquisite at this time of year.
Yesterday, I saw the Rose-breasted Grosbeak singing the most wonderful song just above me on an over-hanging branch. I also heard the Pileated Woodpecker in the Wellington Golf Course Woods.
Today, there were a couple of khaki-coloured Finches mating on the wing less than 10 feet from the bike, and a red male Cardinal flitting among the thickets in front of me in another area so I stopped to sit and watch.
Be sure to look for poison ivy first before sitting down on the Millenium Trail.

Day #269 Rare 4-Petal Trillium

Like a 4-leaf clover, this 4-petal trillium was blooming in WayzWoodz in 2005. You can see by the pink shading that this trillium is near the end of its bloom and 'starting to go'. I took its picture anyway.
This 100-acre woods, full to overflowing with millions of white trilliums, may even have another 4-petal one hiding among its friends, but I didn't see one this year from the trail. Don't like to go off trail, as their stems break too easily if they get stepped on.
Speaking of friends, Farmer Foster, near Bloomfield, has a 6-petal white trillium growing in his garden, and it comes back every year. He loves to show it.

Day #270 Cycling Back

I was fortunate enough to be able to go down to my cabin today.
I put all my stuff inside, and then was driven to Pt. Petre so that I could cycle back, a distance of only 6 km. Pt. Petre is a natural area that hasn't yet been made into a government park - free - beautiful - wild - shale and limestone on the shores of Lake Ontario. It was the first 22 degree C day, with a gentle breeze.

Riding back to the cabin along the dirt road was perfect. I stopped to take this picture. Most of the land to the north of the road is yet undeveloped, like this area, and to the south of the road for 9 km. is the Prince Edward Perserve.

Day #271 Trillium Time

Benny in WayzWoodz
This woods is a miracle of nature.
The Trilliums in this maple sugar bush - hardwoods forest - go for perhaps 100 acres.
You will hear many different birds, tree frogs, the rustle of garter snakes, and perhaps a car in the distance once in a while, but for the most part it is the most purely serene place in Prince Edward County.
The farm's wagon trail takes you through the woods to the back as it winds along, and before the leaves come out on the hardwoods, you will see Spring Beauty beside or under the Trilliums, as well, and Hepatica, and Wild Oats, true Flox which isn't out yet, Violets, yellow Trout Lily, and many more wild treasures that are fast disappearing under the blades of the ever increasing army of lawnmowers.
What industry doesn't destroy, the lawns and homes do, or the farmer's tractors raze.
That's why biking is such a wonderful activity. You will get to see the last of the wild flowers, the birds, animals, and insects. Your grandchildren may not.

Day #272 Check-Out Time

How to choose which brand to buy.
Check them out, right!
Mike at CTC says Raleigh or Shwinn.
Ed at Ideal says Fisher.
Fisher is light-weight yet strong which I require.
Raleigh is the one I've used for the PEI trail, and had for the last 20 years. But it is a department store bike. Is that bad? Not necessarily. I really should have one that won't draw attention.
Fisher has a great braking system, and suspension system.
Well, it's off to the internet to do research, and a couple of other bike shops for other opinions.

Day #273 On Being Felled

This old shot of Grey Lemond, then #1 in the world, was taken by photographer, Veronica, just moments before he literally fell on top of her, knocking her to the ground, as well as grounding himself.
I think perhaps he may have lost that race.
Lovely day today.
Best weather ever for cycling or hiking - warm but not hot, gentle breezes just enough to flutter a flag.
Ed, owner of Ideal Bike shop in Picton, recommended a Fisher bike to me because of their durability, strength, and yet lightness - great brake system and suspension - 24-speed.
With a few adaptions, I should be able to get the best and most reliable bike with the best ride for about $1000.00 to cycle the TransCanadaTrail with next year.
The Internet will give me more info'.
Enjoy the day!

Day #274 Feeding Toads

Toads are Creatures that like to eat.
If You would like to give One a Treat,
just drop a Worm beside its Feet.
The American Toad, in PEI.
Whether you meet a toad on the trail, or on your lawn, or perhaps have one as a pet, you will find that they enjoy worm entrees, with side orders of crickets, slugs, grasshoppers, ants, spiders and many insects.
Baby Toads can be fed mashed lettuce.

Day #275 Voices

Sketch by Sylvia Draaistra
of Tom E. Toad.
As you can hear when you go outdoors on a warm spring evening, it's the mating time for frogs and toads.
Did you know that amphibians were the very first creatures to have a voice.
With the springtime warming, also comes the desire for humans to work outdoors, most often in the garden.
If you want to encourage toads to stay in your garden to keep insect populations at a natural level, and you have room at the back of your property, might I suggest that you find a corner whereby you dig a hole about 3' x 3' x 3', spread the removed dirt onto flowers beds, and refill the hole with sand or sandy loam.
Toads burrow into soft sand during the day to keep cool. You can place a toad-home on this area is you wish, keeping in mind that it should have only one entry.
To make it look nice, and stay even cooler on blazing hot days, plant annuals or perenials around the edges for shade.
Make your garden a toad-friendly place, while at the same time being environmentally helpful - as long as you haven't pesticides on your lawns. Toads and frogs have extremely sensitive skin. Even holding them too long is painful for them.
Then go for a nice bike ride in the country.

Day #276 Sparkles on Ponds

The following exercise comes from my activity book on toads - Loads of Toads. There are 60 pages of activities for children, all having important information about nature and/or toads. If you'd like one, leave your address - $8.00 plus $2.00 shipping.

This time of year is 'Toad and Frog Singtime' - also known as Spring!!!
You can hear their marvelous choruses by going to a pond or wetland on a spring-time evening and quietly listening. However, if you join in, you may be met with a sudden silence.
A toad's eyes look like jewels, and much toad jewelery has been made over the eons.
Try this at the pond some spring night.
Shine your flashlight across the water and you'll see all sorts of sparkles.
Some of these sparkles may be reflected light from the eyes of toads.
Of course, some sparkles can be for other reasons, which is really fun to discuss if you have the kids with you.