Orono Land Trust is sponsoring a Geocaching 101 day! August 16, 11:00 -1:30pm. Meet at Gould’s Landing on Pushaw Lake, outer Essex St. in Orono.
There will be experienced Geocachers available to help out those new to the activity.
Bring a lunch. There is also a small boat landing for canoes/ kayaks, as well as a beach and covered picnic tables. Bring your own GPS, or if you don’t have one, you are welcome to join in with a group that does.
For more information, click here.
“The Orono Land Trust recently published a comprehensive map of the walking trails from the shores of the Pushaw Lake to the Penobscot River in Veazie.” (Bangor Daily News, July 30, 2009)
Visit the Orono and Veazie town halls and public libraries for this map. You may also see individual trail maps at their site.
Discover some great local trails for hiking, biking, skiing, snowshoeing, geocaching, birding, and bicycling!
All Maine residents will get one day’s free access on Saturday, August 1 to all Maine state parks and historic sites!
Maine has 47 state parks and historic sites under the Bureau of Parks and Lands, which is offering this free day as a way of saying Thank You.
More than 2.2 million people visit the parks and sites each year, bringing in about $100 million in revenue.
For more information, visit the Parks and Lands site.
Acadia National Park is holding a Family Fun Day on Sunday, July 12 from 2-5pm at Sieur de Monts,! No park admission! Just show up at Sieur de Monts!
Taken from their website:
Celebrate summer in Acadia! Join Friends of Acadia and park rangers for special field-day activities that are designed to help kids connect with nature and develop a sense of stewardship for Acadia National Park.
For more information or to register, contact Terry Begley at 207-288-3340.
Family Fun Day is an Acadia Quest eligible event.
Acadia Quest is a series of outdoor youth- and family-oriented experiences in Acadia National Park that encourage young people and their families to explore, learn about, and protect national parks and other conserved lands.
Want to compete in Acadia Quest and be eligible for the grand prize drawings?
Learn more about Acadia Quest!
Fabric softeners are really expensive. Fabric softeners and dryer sheets are also not good for your dryer, your clothes, or your health.
They leave a coating your clothes, which makes them soft. This coating makes your laundry, such as towels and wash clothes less absorbent. It also contains many harmful chemicals that can irritate your skin and lungs.
Dryer sheets also coat your lint screen and dryer hose, making the dryer more susceptible to fire and increased wear and tear. To check your lint screen for this dangerous buildup, simply remove it and run water through it. If the water beads up, you have a waxy buildup. Take a scrub brush to gently clean it.
“Make” your own fabric softener!
I have begun using white distilled vinegar in a Downy Ball. Yes. Vinegar. It rinses the clothes fabulously clean, and DOES NOT leave your laundry smelling like pickles! Try adding drops of some essential oil to your Downy Ball if you would like a lightly scented load of laundry. I’m currently using Grapefruit.
According to this site, using 1/4 cup (or the amount called for on your Downy Ball) of white distilled vinegar to the final rinse will:
Another popular alternative to commercial fabric softeners is to use 1/2 cup of baking soda in the laundry. Add it right in with your detergent (hopefully home made!). It’s environmentally friendly, better for your health, and much more cost effective.
What about static?
Personally, I don’t have much static in my clothes. And what little I do have I can tolerate quite well. To eliminate this static without using the harsh, expensive chemicals found in fabric softeners/ dryer sheets, simply ball up a sheet of aluminum foil and toss it in the dryer. This can be reused and reused. And, if you’re like me, you can often get aluminum foil for free - making this the best!
I’d love to hear from you! Tell me how you are re-vamping your laundry to be more cost effective, healthier, and environmentally friendly!
