Enjoying the Long Weekend

I can’t believe that we are in the last month of summer so soon.

Already we have moved on from the uncomfortable hot days of July to the cool evenings of August.

This is my favourite time of the summer.  Not only because I was married in August, but also because I love the coolness that sweeps in, allowing me to relish the crispness of the evenings while snuggled next to the Dreamboat.

And on top of that is the realization that another holiday weekend has arrived.

Which means…[cue the bells and whistles]…camping! Continue reading

Those Amazing Trees

If you thought this summer was hot, sticky and are hoping that next year the weather is just a little more balanced, then you might want to think about one of the most natural air coolants out there:

The tree.

Simply put, if we had more of them left, we would have more opportunities to experience their amazing powers of cooling and shading.

Think I’m exaggerating?  Well here are a few interesting facts about trees that I learned from the David Suzuki Foundation email newsletter this week:

30 x 30 Fun: Week 3

Wow.  What a crazy week.  I apologize for the weird order of posts this past week, but I have been pretty busy lately with visits both at home and away.  We are finally back from our travels, so I wanted to fill you in on week 3 of the DSF 30 x 30 Challenge.

Friday

On Friday the Dreamboat started getting ready for his trip down south to Muskoka to help his friend M with a kitchen renovation.  At the same time I was getting ready for M’s girlfriend L to come to our house with her little one LD.  It was a pretty busy day, but Little Man and I managed some time outside in the backyard.

So-called weeds in bloom.

Saturday Continue reading

Speaking Up for Little Man

Little Man is…well…a little man.  He doesn’t speak the way adults do.  He doesn’t read the way adults do.  Nor does he pay attention to the political issues surrounding him.  He is, after all, only fourteen months old.  But he is going to be caring for the people and environment around him long after a lot of us are gone.  So tomorrow I am doing something to help ensure that he has a clean environment in the future.

On June 4th, I will be participating in an online campaign called “Black Out, Speak Out.”  It was created by several key environmental non-profit organizations in Canada to protest a bill that the government is trying to pass that will significantly weaken laws, and processes put in place for environmental protection.  It is also attacking charities that speak out against environmental destruction.

To protest these changes, people and charities will be posting a “Black Out, Speak Out” picture, link or article on their sites Monday instead of posting as usual.  You can also do this on your Facebook by downloading the “Black Out, Speak Out” profile picture (as seen at the start of this article).  Essentially it is a virtual protest that anyone can participate in.

I know that my posts are generally on the lighter side, optimistically looking at our family’s eco journey, but I think that I need to do my part to speak up for Little Man, who cannot speak for himself.

But that is what’s happening tomorrow.  Here is what is going on in our world today:

Despite the heat that I grumbled about last Sunday Continue reading

Keeping it Cool the Eco Way

It is hot.  Not warm.  Not balmy.  Not sunny, temperate or toasty.  It is hot.  The warm days in March should have been a hint, but I feel like the heat just snuck up and gave me a wedgie.  Ouch! [Fist shake.]

I shouldn’t complain.  I do like the sunshine, and I am having a lot of fun in my mini herb garden.  But there’s something unpleasant about becoming sweaty just by standing outside.  A desert girl I am not.

So the Dreamboat and I have tweaked our house to stay comfortable throughout the day.  This involves cunning strategy, of course, as we do not have central air conditioning.  We are trying to Continue reading