Let's talk Pesticides

FRUIT AND VEGETABLES:

To purchase all organically grown foods is not always practical or necessary. But some foods contain higher levels of pesticide residue than others, even after washing.

From the book Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano (US Statistics) the top 12 nonorganic Fruits and Veggies to avoid are:

Strawberries, Celery, Bell peppers (green & red), Apples, Spinach, Apricots, Cherries, Green beans, Peaches, Grapes (Chilean), Cantaloupe (Mexico), Cucumbers.

The top 12 cleanest Fruits and Veggies are:

Avocados, Grapes (non-Chilean), Corn, Bananas,Onions, Plums, Sweet potatoes, Green Onions, Cauliflower, Watermelon, Brussels sprouts, Broccoli.

Make at home spray to help remove pesticides from fruit and vegetables:
1 Cup water
1 Cup distilled white vinegar
1 Tablespoon Baking Soda
20 Drops Grapefruit seed extract
Mix in large bowl (baking soda will suds up when put in vinegar)
Transfer to a clean spray bottle. Shake, then spray on fruits and vegetables and let stand 5-10 min.
Rinse well.

Have you seen the wolves?

A couple days ago Corinne Schock was driving on Lac Le Jeune Road just past the huge old tree where the Osprey used to nest when a big, beautiful, very healthy wolf crossed the road into the clearing. Apparently a wolf was spotted this winter in the area of Park Drive East. Last year a resident of Walloper Lake saw an entire pack of wolves. 

Do you have stories about wolf sightings? Any photos to share?

Canadian Lynx or Bobcat?

The poll is over, and we just about came out even:

17 people voted
52% said Canadian Lynx (lynx canadensis)
47% said Bobcat (lynx rufus)

After the poll came down I had feedback from folks that they had changed their minds. They concluded that it was in fact a Bobcat. So if I had left the poll active it probably would have changed! Here's the original photo from Hana Struss if you'd like a closer look. 

I took some pictures of very fresh tracks by our mailbox early Saturday. The cat is still making the early morning rounds!

Ice off?

Geez - April 19th! Guess I'll have to take up ice fishing! May be the latest ice-off ever.

Bob      

Clean the Air - Wood Stove Exchange Program

Some of you may have noticed this in the April 12 issue of The Daily News. The details are available on the TNRD website. Here's the gist:

Let's clear the air. Trade in your old wood stove or insert for a new EPA certified Clean Burn product and receive a 15% discount. The offer is available at participating retailers until April 30th. For more information visit kamloops.ca or call 828-3757.

Participating Retailers: Alpine Comforts, Ferguson Equipment, the Fireplace Centre, and the Fireplace Gallery.

The Daily News notice adds:

New technology wood stoves burn 1/3 less wood and reduce air pollution up to 90%.

Thanks to Carolyn Phillips for suggesting this blog-worthy notice!

We Bring Democracy to the Fish

Hi all, 

Jeff Perry here.   My first post and who knows depending on reactions...a poem:

It is unacceptable that fish prey on each other.

For their comfort and safety, we will liberate them

into fishfarms with secure, durable boundaries

that exclude predators.  Our care will provide

for their liberty, health, happiness, and nutrition.

Of course all creatures need to feel useful.

At maturity the fish will discover their purposes.

Donald Hall, from White Apples and the Taste of Stone

Red Dot Campaign

This works!

Would you like to stop receiving junk mail? Visit the Red Dot Campaign website and follow one or more of the steps listed under Take Action.

Carolyn Phillips reports that after filling out the form supplied on the Red Dot Campaign website she stopped receiving all unaddressed print advertising.

Get your freshwater fishing licence online

Perry W posted a comment to Bob's post about getting ready for the fishing season that deserves a more prominent place on our blog. You can now purchase your freshwater fishing licence online! http://www.fishing.gov.bc.ca/

The first time you will need to fill out a form to request an online angler number. After that you can log in using that number every year. After following the steps you simply print your own licence, and you can also save a copy to your computer. This is handy if that important piece of paper gets soggy during the fishing season.

Like most government websites it states that you need the Internet Explorer browser to do this transaction. Firefox worked fine for me, and probably most other browsers are okay, too.

The 2008-2009 Freshwater Fishing Regulations are also available online, and conveniently broken down by region.