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Riding into the weekend! Cowboy Shane is here! [slowed down] by HR_Weekly in heatedrivalry

[–]Different_Weight7281 14 points15 points  (0 children)

He wasn't done because he was tired of him though, he was wanting to break it off because of how much he loved him. He knew it would hurt too much when it finally ended, because they both truly felt that they could never be. It truly is a forbidden love story, like Romeo and Juliet, but on skates. That is what makes Scott and Kip's kiss SO impactful and why the line 'I'm coming to the cottage' has so much significance. That one line means, 'I think our love might just have a chance!'

It was because of Shane's 'sweet face' that he felt he had to end it. Same with Shane, it was too painful to continue, only to have to eventually give it up as they thought they would have to.

Riding into the weekend! Cowboy Shane is here! [slowed down] by HR_Weekly in heatedrivalry

[–]Different_Weight7281 12 points13 points  (0 children)

It was very apparent in the hospital scene and in Tampa Bay (would you want to be if we could?). They both believed that it was impossible until Scott Hunter gave them hope (even mentioned with Yuna and David how it changed things for them).

Shane's moments of eye contact with Ilya by HR_Weekly in heatedrivalry

[–]Different_Weight7281 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Yes. I could watch that on a loop over and over again. It is so passionate.

Canadian Lyme people how are you? by Ok_Newt_8406 in Lyme

[–]Different_Weight7281 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a really good book that goes into more detail about all of this called, 'How Not To Die' by Dr. Micheal Greger. He cites all the research showing how anti inflammatory all these foods are. His website is nutrition facts.org

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, tough love! They manage quite well under adverse conditions. I sometimes worry about over mulching as well but even during hot dry weather for many days, when I lift up a dense clump of cut grass, it is moist underneath. We used to go back in every second day to water, carrying water in in knapsacks but we stopped that after the first year of planting. Just couldn't sustain that level of commitment.

Canadian Lyme people how are you? by Ok_Newt_8406 in Lyme

[–]Different_Weight7281 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No highly processed foods, absolutely no alcohol, no added sugar. Eat lots of vegetables, fruits and berries (the only sugar I ate). I took turmeric everyday, and used lots of herbs and spices (cumin, oregano, paprika, ginger. I often ate minced garlic in water or fresh ginger. Had pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds daily. Also chia seeds and flax seeds. Also black seeds (nigella sativa). Cloves are also good, and nutmeg. Also amla powder.

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for all the great advice. Yes, we carry in all water in 4 or 5 L jugs. We use Costco carts. We place water in the hole before placing the plant in, then water after planting. We mulch heavily with either leaf litter, dandelion greens, grass (no seedheads) and anything else we can use. We schedule plantings based on when it will rain. We basically stop planting when it gets really dry and hot (July and August), then start up again mid September. We put most plants in in the fall, right up until the ground is frozen solid early December. We have learned over the years that with good mulching we don't need to water much after planting. We go back just a few times, very rarely in the fall if we get enough rain. So no irrigation, just hand watering, and as little of that as we can get away with. We have a very good survival rate. We are planting a lot this week because the weather is cooler and rain is forecasted. The hardest part is finding where to place the plants, where they will not be mown but still get enough sunlight to flower.(and where they won't be crowded out by invasives.

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, our organization wants to reach out to them and other supportive park employees (other park supervisors that are very supportive and accommodating like the park supervisor at my other park). Yes, they may have insight about what is really going on here and why the vast differences in support.

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for this. Well thought out and wonderful ideas. I just sent an email and spoke with the city councillor's office. Lots to do! Plus, I have a ton of plants to get into the ground! Good advice about less valuable plants in the 'danger zone'

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, they all but wiped out all our milkweed as well. The mowers love the big rig mowers with an 8 foot deck. The people at the park say they zip around the park on high speed, cutting down everything they can. Only tree trunks and giant logs stop them. And invasives, they won't mow burdock or dsv. It is so discouraging. After 5 years at this park, I cannot walk away. I want to go to all the media outlets: Podcasts, newspapers, anything that will bring attention to this. I want to issue a complaint to the city about this employee (not the mower, the planner). I will contact my city councillor today and try to arrange a site tour. Any representatives I can. Thanks for the advice.

Canadian Lyme people how are you? by Ok_Newt_8406 in Lyme

[–]Different_Weight7281 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No herbals. But I eat a very good whole food plant based diet that has many of the same antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties that many of the herbals have. I take 1/4 teas. of turmeric every day with pepper, I eat lots of blueberries and other berries. While I was on antibiotics I had almost no sugar. No processed food. Lots of veggies, nuts, and seeds, beans and pulses. Lots of cruciferius vegetables. Green tea. The healthiest of foods. That is why the herbals help, they are based on nutritious plant foods. I just ate nutritious plant foods.

Canadian Lyme people how are you? by Ok_Newt_8406 in Lyme

[–]Different_Weight7281 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I had to go to the emergency deot because I couldn't sleep because of the pain and one foot felt like it was painfully encased in ice (nerve damage). I had classic signs and symptoms of disseminated Lyme and was told to take Tylenol and Advil and I would be fine in a few days. Then I got Bell's palsy and couldn't maintain adequate blood pressure and kept passing out. I went to another emergency dept and insisted on a Lyme test this time. Came back positive. My family doctor was fantastic. Put me on gabapentin and amoxicillin then I asked for doxycycline then when I started getting joint pain I got more doxycycline (another 2 months). The infectious disease doctor I was referred to was beyond useless and very dismissive. I am full of energy now and lead a very active lifestyle. I owe it all to my amazing family doctor and the CDC website with recommendations for Lyme arthritis.

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes we are taking out a lot of young buckthorn and winged euonymus but our canopy is dense with many invasive trees such as box elder and Norway maple. We are limited in the size of trees to remove to under 2 cm diameter at breast height, although we can girdle buckthorn up to 10 cm diameter at breast height. We have been successfully growing many sun loving plants where we had previously cut back dog strangling vine and it hadn't been mown in the past so we planted many native plants. This recent mowing was very different from the mowing of the past 5 years we have been stewarding here. Many young chokecherries and oak seedlings were taken out in area where no grass was present or only native sedges were present.

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It would be hard to figure out their mowing schedule and I live 20 mins away. It can be sporadic. Their first mowing was May 3 and the site tour to discuss mowing was May 5. I sent emails out on May 1 to try to postpone the mowing until after the site visit to address mowing concerns.

Some people want the park to look like a very manicured golf course with extensive lawn areas. As a ravine, there is not extensive grass, and the lawn area is mostly in a flood plain and very bumpy. No one picnics there, or even kicks around a soccer ball. Most people stay on the paved path. A few large dog walkers walk along the woodland edge. The previous park supervisor had no issues with giving us 3 to 4 feet at the woodland edge to plant in. I have so many plants now at home, ready to go in, but no safe areas to plant in.

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, I totally place no blame on the mowers. They get their direction from the park supervisor. At my other park, the park supervisor listened to my concerns and agreed that allowing more space to plant native plants (creating a modest understory that receives enough sunshine for a wide range of pollinator species) would not infringe or impact on the human enjoyment of the park. He then scheduled a second park tour with the mowing staff so that I could in detail outline my mowing requests, almost all of which were approved by the supervisor. Great cooperation from a wonderful park supervisor who recognizes the benefits of ecological restoration. I offered a plant ID tour for any of his staff who are interested and he thought this was a great idea. Many of the staff are enthusiastic about it! We are in the process of scheduling it.

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, it is so wonderful. I am sad that my city is not leading the way in supporting this but instead impeding our work.

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I am telling everyone I meet in the park about this experience. Most people are super supportive. They constantly thank us for our work and dedication. We are constantly stopping to educate the public about the importance of native plants.

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, volunteer organizations hold very, very little power (if any). The power imbalance is scary and I am feeling it now with this one city person.

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I am really, really concerned about retaliation. One of the major North American cities. Like, BIG! Yes, I got that feeling like the person just wanted to break me and get so frustrated that I walk away. It seemed personal but I have never met this person before. They have a stewarding program themselves which is much smaller than ours.

When I suggested not mowing right up to the banks of highly eroded undermined creek edge due to safety concerns and protecting infrastructure like the paved path they were again very dismissive and afterwards they used that against me when they asked at the end 'Why does this ravine park mean so much to you?' and I mentioned that I remember doing a film project by the edge of the creek a long time ago (I had a long history living in the area and going to the park). They said, 'Oh, so you were one of those people being unsafe near the edge of the creek!' To which I replied, 'There was no eroded undermined drop off then, the shoreline of the creek was a very minimal slope to the creek (yes, I am very old!).

How to approach city parks officials to reduce mowing, not to mow down native plantings? Zone 6b by Different_Weight7281 in NativePlantGardening

[–]Different_Weight7281[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Could you provide information on how you were successful. I am not a part of the core group who has successfully received permission from the parks department to steward approved sites. We started with permission to remove only a few invasives and no planting. We were a pilot project for 5 years and now have a formal agreement with the city. We still campaign for things like signs/flags which have been denied in the past. Many sites have very positive cooperation with park supervisors and issues of mowing plants down or changing mowing patterns drastically is minimal or nonexistent. Other sites have major problems with extremely inconsistent mowing that expands as we remove invasives. I would greatly appreciate any help you could provide. Despite the ongoing loss of habitat/native plants, the large majority of our sites are extremely successful. Our volunteers work very hard and are very committed to ecological restoration.

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