Most Popular Post

Sunday 4 August 2019

Bits and bobs 2

Spring was cold and wet this year. Crops were planted late because of the cold wet soil but everything is growing well now. We’ve been eating from the garden for a few weeks. Lettuce, kale, broccoli and herbs have been available for weeks. Tomatoes are beginning to ripen and the beans soon will be ready too. Cucumbers and peppers will be a bit longer.


Rhodesia at http://photodiarydps.blogspot.com/ commented that 14 C was too cold for her for a picnic. We find that temperature, 57 F perfect for a picnic, especially if the wind isn’t high. It is easy to layer clothes for comfort and having the right clothing and gear with you makes for great picnics in the spring, even when the temperature is closer to zero. It all comes down to what you are accustomed to and this is normal for us. I prefer the cooler temperatures to the heat and humidity.


The government of Prince Edward Island has banned single use plastic bags at the check-out. I have always carried reusable bags in the car but they didn’t always make it into the grocery store. Nowwe need to take them everywhere or pay for paper bags at the check-out. I haven’t seen one paper bag in use since the ban came in a month ago. People are applauding the government for this step. It is in keeping with the composting and recycling which has been in place here for going on twenty years. At our house, we have little garbage every week and would like to reduce it further. One of the grocery stores, a New Brunswick company which has grocery stores nation wide, is eliminating the single use bags across the country. They are also eliminating the plastic produce bags for reusable ones as well. There is change happening, slowly but surely. The days of our disposable society are numbered. Maybe.


27 comments:

PerthDailyPhoto said...

I must admit I love a 14C myself Marie, could be because we don't get many of them 😉 Plastic bags were banned here a few years ago, but like yourself I haven't used a plastic bag for about ten years.

Tabor said...

I use canvas bags for my groceries. I just bought some smaller net bags for my fruit and veggie purchases. I hate the hard-cased "clam shells" and would love to see those erased.

DJan said...

I think 14-17°C is perfect for a picnic. I also don't like the heat and humidity that much of the middle of the US endures in midsummer. We got to 27 yesterday, and it was too hot. I wilt in that much heat. We have been using reusable bags for years now, and I carry them with me in my little purse/backpack. It's a small step, but as more and more people join in, we can make a difference. :-)

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

I've always like the cooler days for walking though I never do a proper picnic - a couple of sandwiches and a swig from my water-bottle is enough for me. I've not used plastic bags for some years though doing away with packaging altogether has been more difficult.

Laurel Wood said...

Your fresh veggies from the garden sound so good. John loves kale, mostly just raw in a salad. How do you prepare yours?
Great idea with eliminating the single use plastic bags.
We had a bit of a picnic yesterday on the back patio....the clouds made it tolerable to be outdoors!

Anvilcloud said...

I don't quite get the war against plastic bags when we fill our cloth bags with all sorts of plastic containers.

Linda said...

At 57° this California girl is in my warm jacket and, perhaps, slightly cranky.

Well done PEI for the ban. We sort of have it. Kind of half in and half out but I take my reusables everywhere.

Secondary Roads said...

Like you on the island, we in west Michigan were late in getting our garden in. Also like you we are enjoying the fruits thereof. Picked our first green beans the other day. Zucchini is living up to its reputation--"Either you have too much, or you didn't plant any at all."

Celia said...

Your picnic sounds lovely. And those veggies!! Growing up on the Washington Coast we picnicked in the cool weather and even rain at times. The little local parks had shelters. I really miss those cool days.

eileeninmd said...

Hello,

In the winter I would welcome 57° much better than the 30's. We have been enjoying the home grown tomatoes and some local cantaloupes. Banning the plastic bags is a great idea, our government environmental actions are going backwards. Enjoy your day, have a happy new week!

Rose said...

I agree about if you are dressed right, that would not be a bad temp at all...and it is perfect for physical work.

Shammickite said...

Hooray Hooray Hooray for PEI for banning those plastic bags. The grocery stores here in Ontario still provide plastic bags but they have to be paid for, only 5cents I think, but I wish they would either be banned or make them more expensive, like $1.00! I always carry reusable bags wherever i go, but I am appalled at how many people ask for the plastic bags.

Bill said...

14C is a nice temp for a picnic. I hate hot and humid weather, it makes me cranky. :) Plastic bags here costs .28 cent a piece. You don't see many people with those bags these days. We stopped buying anything that comes in plastic. Milk containers were the first to go and punnets. It made a huge difference. After 32 weeks we finally put our recycle container out to be picked up. I was shocked at the big impact it had on us.

Elephant's Child said...

14C is fine (preferably without wind). I have been working in the garden in very similar temperatures this week. Our single use plastic bags were banned a few years ago and I don't miss them. At all.

Rhodesia said...

Having the right clothing is obviously the answer. We do not have the same winter clothing as you have n Canada! Most of our clothes are mainly summer wear. Thanks for linking to my blog. Have a good week, Diane

Joanne Noragon said...

I recently added reusable produce bags to my repertoire of tote bags.

Natalia said...

I like this kind of temperature,I don't like the heat☺ Have a lovely day☺

John's Island said...

Hi Marie, Stopping by to say hello and let you know how much I enjoy Island Musings. Thank you for your comment to enjoy my blog break. Although I’m not publishing new posts, at this time, I am keeping an eye on a few of my favorite blogs, and yours is one of those. The last time I left you a comment was on July 22 on Camping. Since then you have been working hard! :-) I’ve just taken a look at Berries and Jam, At the beach house in southeast King’s, Beach dog, Blue sky, Roses through time, and Bits and bobs 2. I have been accused of being effusive, but, by golly, I truly believe you publish one of the best blogs I’ve found in the last few years. I enjoy your topics, your descriptions are excellent, and your photography is well done. I still can’t say enough about your header ... what a great photo. I should mention your uncluttered format which, to me, is so appealing. In this Bits and bobs 2 post, as often happens, I see that we are on the same page when it comes to what’s good and not-so-good. “I prefer the cooler temperatures to the heat and humidity.” I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for sharing your blog! John

Debbie said...

i will picnic in almost any temperature over 50 degrees!!!

awesome changes!! it is not law here yet but it is something we have done for years!!!

William Kendall said...

It's the right thing to do.

Danielle L Zecher said...

That sounds a little chilly for a picnic for me, but hubby would love it. He's always jealous whenever I tell him about your weather.

That's great about the plastic bag being banned. They're still a huge thing here. We've been working to reduce our garbage output at home. There's still room for improvement, but we're definitely making progress.

Angela said...

57 degrees seems fine for a picnic, I would go but surely dressed in layers. I applaud the efforts of the government in PEI about the use of disposable plastic bags!!

Catarina said...

I have not seen those paper bags for a couple of decades except the little ones for mushrooms.
I have cloth bags in the trunk of the car... sometimes I forget to take one with me if I am planning to buy one or two items, for instance.

Here we pay 5 cents per bag.

:)

Barbara said...

Good for PEI. No plastic and maybe soon no paper. Love it. As for temperature, 57F sounds good to me. My inside body temperature is high with this diabetes. I'm not sure why. I'll have to research it one day. I know that I like my skin to be cool to the touch and that requires a ridiculous amount of AC to be used. I would love to be in a situation that only required me to put on more clothes or take off a few.

Mage said...

I live at the beach in Southern California. 57 is a little nippy for a picnic here. 67 or 70 are perfect. Even if the wind cuts a little we can duck behind a wall or something.

Retired Knitter said...

I live in an area that still uses disposable bags, but my husband and I purchased come really wonderful bags and we use them regularly - but you are right - getting them into the store is the real challenge. I finally decided to keep them in the back seat rather than in the trunk of the car - it increased the percentage of times we used them! I am very hopeful - for the sake of our wild life friends - that the days of disposable this and that - will be gone - in my lifetime!!!

Down by the sea said...

Since England started charging for bags in 2015 the consumption has dropped by 90%. We need to change to more environmentally way of living some examples from our childhood could be followed e.g. using soap rather that shower gel. Sarah x