Day #156 The Hitch-Hiker

Whenever you're cycling or hiking at this time of year, you will notice marble-sized ball-shaped flowers of green turning dark pink.
They're very pretty at this time of year.
They finally turn brown.
In the brown stage, they start looking to hitch a ride.
Now they become sticky. They stick to your skin, to your clothes, your boot-laces, your gloves, your hair, and/or your dog if one is along for the ride/run.
The plant is called burdock.
The dog then becomes a burdog.
Instead of cycling/hiking next day, you are grooming...that is, pulling hidden sticky burrs off a long-haired dog!
Happy burdockless trails to you.

Day #157 Extinction

'Planet Earth' tells us that at least half of the wetlands, grasslands, and forests have now disappeared.
Even worse is that they say one-quarter of all animals are now gone and also one-third of the amphibians.
For instance, the Golden Toad of South America is lost to us forever.
Half of the amphibians left on planet earth are endangered.
How is this possible?
Well, researchers brought a toad over from Africa quite some time ago, and, of course, some escaped, or possibly 'kindly' researchers let them go.
Why should that matter?
As amphibians also breathe through their skin, their skin is very absorbant.
Thus, when the African toads carried a fungus with them to North America, frogs and toads of all varieties 'caught' it from these escapees. This fungus continues to dessimate most varieties of amphibians today.
Also, the pesticides from current farming are absorbed into their bodies through their skin, and so you will see mutations on many of the survivors. Not to mention the many chemicals from cleaners and drugs that go down the drain and into the water system.
I found a 'blue' bullfrog in Bloomfield a few years ago when I was mowing. It isn't listed in any books that I've found. It is likely a mutation. The US has recorded a lot of mutations.
Mowing lawns excessively is another reason why thousands of species of plants - the most important life factor - as well as animals, birds and insects, are dying off.
You will see homes and properties with 2, 3 and sometimes many more acres completely mowed over the entire area. Sterile green deserts! Do you see any living creature on these mowed areas? No!!!
Leave a wild area, and mow around some of the wildflowers. Dig a hole 3'x 3'x 3', fill it with sand, and be secure in knowing your garden toads have a safe place to hang out in the day and through the winter as they help you look after your gardens.
Home-owners are simply using up the last of our natural gas resources in a race to include mankind, (that means us), in the ultimate extinction of life on earth as we know it, in as short a time as possible.
It has been fun, though, hasn't it.
What is it they say? It's been nice knowing you!

Day #158 Reading

Should I get to do the TransCanadaTrail next year, health and finances willing, then there are bound to be days when the weather is just too bad, or I'm not feeling up to cycling.
Wednesday I called in sick because I had a cough and sore throat so bad I just wouldn't have been able to handle the phones. As it was, Tues. night I had to leave work early because of the coughing.
Well, yesterday the internet system was down, so I couldn't do my blog or much else.
Instead, I read an excellent book:
mark haddon's 'the curious incident of the dog in the night-time'. (no capitals)
It's a funny, intelligent story written from the viewpoint of a 15 year old autistic math genious.
Many book clubs have done this book. You might want to try it.
Remember to take extra books along on any venture you might indulge in in case you have a day that needs filling in with something else.
I always take extra reading material with me on all my trips.

Day #159 Coming Home

When my cycling trip across the TransCanadaTrail is done next year, this may well be how I'll be travelling for the last (few?) miles.

Day #160 Tunnels

Photo by Adrian and/or Josie.
Unlike the train tunnels along abandoned old rail lines on the TransCanadaTrail, tunnels are built in Europe especially for cyclists.
In other words, cyclists are catered to in Europe.
Still, a challenge for the claustrophobic.
This tunnel is in Antherwp, Belgium.

Day #161 Cycling in Holland

Photo by Adrian.

Cycling in Holland:
Gentle easy riding
on flat terrain
along ancient canals,
and through picturesque cities
as seen here in this photo.
Imagine the fields of tulips and daffodils in springtime.
A cycling trip in Holland is definitely on my list of wannabees.

Day #162 Relic Windmills

The scenery and the daffodils make Holland another lure.
Don't you just want to grab the next plane to the nearest Dutch bike rental shoppe?

Day #163 Waterside Cycling

Photo by Adrian.
Josie writes "Rural Holland/Netherlands. Each road has side paths for bicycles even in the rural areas, and routes are well marked."
Cyclists have an easy time of it in Holland. I may well go there myself, and cycle around for an extended holiday.
Holidays/Retirement - the same thing.
Another place similar to this for good, flat cycling along the waterfront is Stanley Park in Vancouver.
Also, there is a waterfront trail around Lake Ontario, but you may find yourself sometimes on hilly highways as the path is not entirely along the lakefront.
Any other great choices you may mention in the comments, and I will address it on the next blog.
Happy Trails.

Day #164 Unusual Bikes

Photo by my daughter Josie.
This is a picture outside a bike shop in Amsterdam, Holland, with some unique
bikes.

Day #165 Flat!

My daughter, Josie, writes "This is a parking garage in Holland full of bicycles outside the train station in Amsterdam that people use for commuting, etc."
Can you imagine how big the parking lot would have to be if all of those were vehicles instead of bicycles!
Imagine the gas and oil saved.
Holland is relatively flat, the people are friendly and avid cyclists. This is a cyclist's dream.
You might also want to plan for a cycling holiday in Holland, or on PEI's Confederation Trail which is almost flat in most areas.

Day #166 Happy Birthday to You!!!

28 and 29 years ago today, I busied myself giving birth to a daughter.
Like the former Prime Minister's wife, Margaret Trudeau, they have the same birth date, with my children's being only one year apart instead of two.
I am, however, much more proud of them than I am of myself.
You will note, too, that I missed the 1st birthday party. Those pains my husband thought were psychological, were actually real!

Every year after that, we had a big birthday party down on the shore in front of the snack bar of our cottage rental business.
Every cottager was invited, and, being summer, friends also came down, and lots of relatives. One year there were 25 children (for this reason there were always 2 cakes - no sharing a cake as there'd be so many to feed), and lots of games - one being The Dinosaur Egg Hunt (turned out to be a watermelon so everybody won), and a Treasure Hunt one year for the girl's main birthday present.
Happy Birthday to both of you with tons of love, and may you have dozens more.

Day #167 Bicycle Built for Two

A reader emailed me directly to say:
"Have you never heard of a bicycle built for two?"
Great Idea!!! Thanks, Val.
Now I need to find someone who's legs are stronger than mine, loves cycling in the rough (areas, that is), and who can stand to be with me for 4,322 consecutive hours next year.
Any ideas, folks?

Day #168 Giant Sphinx Moth

Know your camera, and reap the rewards.
If you compare the first 2 pictures here, the upper pic is by Lucas Velthuis who knows his Canon camera inside out. In the first pic, you can even see the tiny horn-like projection on its leg as well as the various colours on its legs and feelers.

The 2nd is by me, who sets her Samsung on automatic.
There are about 100 N.American species of sphinx moths, and the closest we can come to identifying this one is to guess 'Walnut Sphinx'.
Lots of the spinx moths are named after the tree that its larvae feed upon: walnut, pawpaw, catalpa, great ash, apple, laurel (which feeds on lilac bushes, too), wild cherry, big poplar, sequoia, huckleberry. So many, and more!
If the caterpillar you find has a 'horn' at the rear of its body, like the Tomato Hornworm below, then you have found a sphinx moth 'larvae' - caterpillar.

Moth velcro: Moths have a 'frenulum', a curved spine or group of bristles on the inner angle of the hindwing which helps to hold the fore and hindwings together in flight.
So lovely, so graceful and fascinating to watch.

Day #169 The Fieldhouse

Four years ago, I built a cabin on my 3 acres which is in an area that's on a road not yet been assumed by my municipal government. That means that no building permit will be granted in that area.
Before I built, I called the planning board, and was assured that I could build up to 100 sq. metres without a building permit, so I planned for a 9' x 12' cabin.
I was also told I could build 18 feet high.
While we were building, my companion ran into a man he used to work with. When he told this man, Lee Scott of Cherry Valley, what he was doing, Scott warned him that he was using his ultralight aeroplane to take pictures of all these 'illegal' buildings around The County, and then he said 'I'll get all of you so look out'.
Well, he did. He took aerial photos, and sent them into the planning board. When I went in to a meeting this winter, there they were, and the one of my place looks so beautiful from the air that I want a copy.
Even though I was originally told I could build 18' up, apparently I could not have two floors. A hanging loft, yes, but not an attic. I have been using the upstairs - 9' x 11' (closet-size) - for sleeping occasionally.
I was told to close in the door leading out to the tiny balcony off the upstairs 'bedroom', both outside and in, and to close in the attic hole.
The attic may only be used for storage. That has been done. At first, they ordered me to remove the entire upper story, so I consider myself very lucky here.
Before and After:


I was also told we may not use the balcony at all.


Then I was told to remove 1/2 the roof covering the deck, which provides shade so that sitting out there in the summer is bearable. It's really not a 'roof' at all, just an overhang over the deck. However, we started taking off the panels underneath the overhang, and have yet to finish this huge, expensive, unnecessary job.
A few years ago, Sandbanks suddenly became aware of nudity at the Outlook sector, and outlawed it. They even sent rangers down there to check up regularly. The nudists covered up when they came along, or went out swimming...catch me if you can.
Why the fuss? You have to walk a mile or more down the beach and around a corner into a deep cove so it is definitely not a problem. Families rarely do. If you don't approve, don't go. Don't look!
I can't help wondering now if some 'troublemaker' in an ultralight hasn't sent pictures taken from the air in to management with a letter of complaint. Maybe those pictures are floating around the internet somewhere.
So, if you are in your backyard, this means any ultralight passing overhead has the right to photograph you and what you are doing? Is this not an infraction? Like the paparotsy, maybe not. If you hear one droning by, cover up.
The best we can hope for is that his ultralight lands in the bush or on top of some tree and is never found again.
Wouldn't mind getting a photo of that!

Day #170 Tube Travel

I can foresee a day when everyone will travel in tubes.
No accidents.
No car insurance.
No road kill.
No vanity plates.
No paint jobs.
No emissions.
No gigantic factories making vehicles, a different one for each brand every year.
Tubes will have 'rooms' big enough for a family, with seats and amenities, perhaps with plexiglas domes for viewing the countryside.
Fields will be allowed to grow naturally.
Pesticides will be banned.
Highways will be dug up and will be allowed to be forest and fields.
Trails for bicycles will be set up across the nation.
Motorized vehicles will become a thing of the past, and we will move forward from the barbaric state we now exist in.

Day #171 The Volt

This seems like good news for people who have to drive to work, yet care about the environment.
I say 'seems like' only because time will tell.
The 2009? Chevy Volt can run solely on electricity, when it finally gets marketed.
It can be plugged into a standard household electrical socket and fully charged in six hours.
Completely charged, it can drive about 65 km on electricity alone, meaning the average commuter can get to the office and back without using a drop of gas or producing any direct emissions (what are the indirect? the manufacture of...?)
If the battery does run down, the gas engine acts as a generator to charge the battery, providing power for up to an additional 965 km. (CAA Magazine)
It can also run on diesel, biodiesel, ethanol or even hydrogen fuel cells.
But, is the price right?
I hope I see this in my lifetime.

Day #172 Corn Maize!

Another fun sideline for cyclists, this one on the Millenium Trail in Prince Edward Cty. between Bloomfield and Wellington.
Stop, and go corn mazing in a maze set up by the owners of the Red Barn(s).
They hired a company that specializes in corn mazes, and contrary to previous years when their maze was beside the highway, have this year set the maze up one field north which is now on the north side of the trail.
This maze is unique to The County. Holy Macril. It's A Mazing

Day #173 Cheap 'Gravel'

Although Prince Edward County Millenium Trail managers have used a little bulldozer to scrape the trail, you can see the large stones covering all but two narrow lanes.
Stones roll when bicycle wheels go over them, and, consequently, your bike slips.
You certainly would not want do a family trip with a youngster along on a bike trip in PEC because the child could wobble, and then topple over onto these sharp 3" stones.
We have had a trail committee for 10 or more years now, given just enough funds from council to cover legal costs, signs, fencing for farmers, and miscellaneous.
PEC - we desparately need you to increase what you give the trail committee annually so that they have at least enough money to do 2 kms of trail per year.
Call the person who was responsible for doing Wellington's part of the trail originally and ask him/her how it was done as it is almost as good as PEI's 275 km. of Confederation Trail. It's a pleasure to use.
Then watch lots of people use the trail, and see cycling-tourism increase.

Day #174 Pt. Petre

The locals pronounce it Point Peter, the non-locals pronounce it Point Peetree.
However you pronounce it, it is wild and beautiful.
The road is fun to cycle on, a swim is imminent on a calm day, and wildlife abounds.
There are few people around at any time and waves are wild on a windy day.
Watch out for the UnderToad on very windy days.
Pt. Petre Road makes for a great cycling experience.

Day #175 Spirit of the Stone

I want to make one of these at my cabin.
None of my stones are thick; all are shale/limestone.
I will make the baby one sitting on the bigger one's knee.
Or better yet, I will hold an Inuktushuk party so that the guests may do so instead.

Day #177 Geo Grannies n Gramps

Geocaching - the Ultimate Treasure Hunt.
People around the world engage in this activity, and there are good internet sites for it.
I used to always have a Treasure Hunt when the family came down to my cabin, as you see in the picture above, and no one was too young to take part. I hung little notes with the next clue written on them and often put lesser treasures beside each clue leading to the main treasure. This hunt took place in the rain, but no one seemed to mind. I have even had treasure hunts in the house for Easter presents with a small chocolate egg at each clue. Even big kids love them, and we're all a kid at heart.
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunt. People hide and seek treasures, or 'caches', all over the world using items of small or no monetary value at all.
However, most people doing this have their own Global Positioning System - GPS.
go to www.geocaching.com
www.trimble.com/gps/ for learning about GPS tech.
http://ottawageocaching.com
http://michael.lehotay.com/kag/
It now lists caches in more than 200 countries. For those who love to travel, it's the ultimate.
Find the closest caches by entering your postal code. The cache descriptions include the longitude and latitude coordinates, terrain difficulty, clues, pictures, and tips.
Once you find the cache, take an item, leave an item, and then record your find in the logbook. When you return home, log the find on the website.
If you wanted to incorporate cycling, think of doing a caching expedition in Ireland, and then renting a bike and cycling around the periphery of the island on their special trail that skirts the ocean for the most part...1000 miles or more of trail circling Ireland. Or in any country of your dreams. In PEI, you have the Confederation Trail. In England, Haidan's Wall. There's probably a special interest place to cycle for every country to geocache in.

I took the above, in part, from Jy/Aug.'s 55+ magazine article by Tracy Ryan.
Here are some tips she has listed:
Bring a map.
GPS routes are 'as the crow flies' - can be difficult to get a reading in heavy tree cover.
Consider your own physical ability for each hunt.
Let people know where you're going, and/or take a buddy.
Carry a compass and a first-aid kit, maybe candies and granola bars and LOTS of water.
Respect private property.
Record start point so you can find your way back easily.
Parks Canada and Ontario Parks prohibit this activity.
Bring extra batteries. Bring camera.

There's no need to ever feel you're 'retired'.
Get out there and have a barrel of fun.

Day #178 Weedy Acres of Chickory

Some homes sit on sterile green deserts, and some are flush with beauty.
Here is the ultimate gift from Mother Nature to a family who is interested in keeping wild flowers from disappearing. Obviously, the lawn had been mown previously, but let go when the chickory appeared. Look how delightfully this family was rewarded.
One day, awards will be set up for families such as these.
As I've said before, mow around some of the wild flowers, and you will be richly rewarded.

Day #179 Country in the Town

Wonderfully enough, the banks of this stream are teeming with wild flowers tall enough to be above your head. They grow along this stream for an entire town block in Picton between Mary St. and Highway 33.
How is it that it hasn't been mowed and/or whipper-snipped? A minor miracle. See what happens when you let Mother Nature take charge. It is simply stunning and almost unbelievable.

Day #181 Tomato Time

My favourite time of the year.
A nice cool tomato sandwich, and then off you go, cycling, hiking, and swimming.
Hopefully, you won't find one of these in your sandwich.
Not likely, even though it is called a Tomato Worm, it is really a harmless and rather large and beautiful caterpillar.
This one was discovered at a Kingston, ON park in 1993, and I saw one on The Confederation Trail in PEI.

Day #182 Did You Know...

that, according to a friend who emailed me this little tidbit...
"Cougar is what they call older women that go after younger men.
I wouldn't mind a younger one as long as he has passed his midlife crisis. teehee"

There's cougar, and then there are cougars.
Both can give you quite a nip.

Day #183 Half-way There, Folks!!!

Jumping for Joy!
Milford Kids doing what I feel like doing,
but would never be able to.
Today marks 1/2 a year since I started this blog,
and 1/2 year until I am 65 years old,
and receiving a cheque from the Feds.
I had hoped to celebrate today,
but, instead, entertained visitors.
Either way, it is still a celebration of my life.
Hope your day was, too.
Happy Trails to You Always.

Day #184 Monarch on Golden Rod

Photo by master nature photographer, Lucas Velthuis.
By driving under 90 kph, Monarchs have a chance to be able to fly up and over the roof of your car.

Day #185 Look Out! Wild Bears!!!

Wild Bears?
They wouldn't hurt a flea!
Oh, yeah! On 2nd thot...maybe this trip ISN'T such a good idea...look how big they are!
Yeah, but...these are Alaskan bears. You'll just see little Canadian Bears.
I'd rather Lilliputan Bears, thank you very much.
Toy Teddy Bears would be even better.

FEEDING bears in his cottage's back yard for over 25 years.
The bears just come and hang out and he believes them to be his friends.
From the internet: this man, and the bears, live in Alaska.

I find this fascinating, but I still would not be so trusting.
I just hope that all the ones I meet on the TransCanadaTrail will be this friendly.
K

Day #186 Polly Feemus

Photo by Mary Esta Marcille.
Actually, that's Polyphemus, and it is one of Canada's six giant moths. The Luna is another.
The pherons that the female emits can attract a male suitor as far away as 2 miles. Now, that is pretty strong perfume.
The two large dots under the top wings look like the eyes of a large predator, and scare off most of THEIR predators.

Day #187 Nikki, the County Cougar!

Nikki's owner is Paul Malagerio. They have to move out of The County soon because of people who complained to County Council.
After all the talk I've done about the fear of, and how to protect oneself from, a cougar attact while cycling, the County Weekly News reports a wild cougar this week on Rednersville Road, across the Bay of Quinte from Belleville.
It chased a couple out walking their Lab. Luckily, they started running for home when they spotted it charging them and before the Lab noticed it, and so no dog-cougar fight ensued. The wind was from cougar to dog.
When the police arrived along with animal control, the cougar was sitting in the same spot near a hay bale.
It was in the back fields where there are literally thousands of acres of countryside, and has 'the right to be there'.
It was spotted again by someone else later on.
Cougars are increasing in Ontario. With all the rabbits, mice and deer in The County, you wouldn't think it would need to chase down people. Can't help wondering if it isn't a released animal.
Cougars are a protected animal, did you know that?
I have been banned from walking with my grandson in the woods for awhile on baby-sitting days - Thursdays and Fridays.