Between You and.Me <4p uJa By RUTH COLES So at long last spring has really sprung! For me the most beautiful tîme of the year. Other seasons have their own beauty, especially autumn, a lovely time of the year but still our Canadian Spring has so much to offer. A renewal, a rebirth for every living thing, hope for the weary and hopefully renewed strength for the sick. The ear- th, our earth, the sun and bright light brings strength to all of us. For children a time to grow and renew themselves after long months of T.V. and school work. Too many hours in- doors and too much unnecessary, useless food being con- sumed while being idle. Very shortly an abundance of our own home grown food compatible to our way of life. Food grown in our "own backyard" seems to me to be what we need, that is food grown in Ontario. The season is not a long one but we have ways and means of coping with this. In California, they have several crops a year of most things but I did not find the populace any healthier or stronger than our own. They too have the colds and so called 'flu bugs' just as we have but they are unable to justify it all by blaming the weather as we do! This is our soil weathered as it is by various types of weather, ice and snow, warm spring rains and hot summer sun. Over the years putting pollution aside for the moment our land has been saturated and washed by our own native chemicals and minerals from many miles away as it is driven down from the north to the south. This reminds me of something rather awesome. My gran- dson found a large "stone", about six inches thick or deep; my half which he gave me, about eleven long and six inches wide. He threw it down when he picked it up on the beach and it cracked in two. At first he thought it was obsidian, a natural glass but he was wrong. One of his public school chums who is now studying geology at university told us at first glance that it was anthracite, a hard glossy coal which many of us used in our fireplaces a few years ago. A wonder- ful fuel for a fireplace as it came in large chunks and when hot, cracked and split in layers some wide others rather slim. To give us proof this young chap slivered a piece of the coal and put it under a match and sure enough we had a fire, the anthracite was burning. This stone, my part of it, is in the shape of a fat fish, a perfectly shaped head, eyes, nose and mouth. They "eyes" are a glossy, glassy black and one would be hard pressed not to think this had been a fish or some other water creature. But the most exciting part of it all is that this chap says it no doubt came from the Lindsay area many thousands of years ago during or after the ice age. The greyness and smoothness of the exterior of this "rock" was caused by years of being washed by the waters of Lake Ontario. From now on we will carry a rock pocket book and see what we can come up with. At Brock University they have samples from the Whitby shores of the lake all enclosed by glass with many other pieces from Ontario. As often as I have looked the names of the stones escape me but this weekend I will write all the information down as I expect to pay another visit. Along our shores we have many pieces of slate with im- pressions of fossils inside which can be seen after the rock has been cracked open. Often in the past few years we see iron filings on the sand, a rusty red colour on the beach. A passing geoligist told us about this as he passed by as our knowledge about this type of thing is woefully lacking. When they were building the Metro Zoo we had some of the men pass through our area looking for driftwood for fish WHITBY tanks and other decorative purposes. They were very careful to ask if we minded strangers on such a search and we assured them they were most welcome. They told us each piece would have a plaque with Whitby on it but when at the zoo I always forget to look. I shall try to remember the next time. There must be many treasures to be found by the lakeside. For anyone interested in a search there is a park near the harbour and miles of beach to walk along. Swimming can be a delight in Lake Ontario contrary to public opinion. It all depends on the wind, it is as simple as that. Of course it must be summertime and not a cold, miserable one. I have lived by the lake for over 30 years in the summer and for 20 winters as part of the whole. Years ago we seemed to have hot summers and the water warmed up much sooner. My children's holidays started early in June, school was out and we hurriedly came to the lake. For many years we took the temperature and found 78 degrees Fahrenheit was the highest temperature and it lasted for some time. However, it felt soupy and not much to our liking. But back to the wind, a story people who are unused to water are inclined to dispute. A north wind in a few minutes can chill the water down 10 or 15 degrees until your feet feel numb and they tingle. Hence the bad name for swimming in the lake. An east, south or west wind brings warm water in and really heats the surface which needless to say is blown away to the south when the wind comes from the north. When I think of the many hours I have spent out there on the water, on a raft or a FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1981, PAGE 11 chair reading a book or just sunning I feel indignant when strangers downgrade our lake. It's the same old story, some people know it ail just like the ones who travel and come back knowing more than several generations of natives may have learned about their own country. There is pollution in some parts of the lake and there has been for many, many years. However this does not apply to ail of it and I have found there are less colds, less 'flu' and tummy upsets than in other parts of the country by lakes. 1, too, have spent time by the Muskoka Lakes, Georgian Bay and others but each to his own and I know that I am prejudiced a good bit. The only thing I can say is that Lake Ontario was a pleasant surprise for me notwithstanding that awful north wind. With the expectations common to childhood I wish I could hear someone say, "Here are adequate funds, do ail you can to the harbour." A fairy tale, yes, but how wonderful it would be. Remove ail the unsightly "things" and there are many along the water's edge on brock St. and then begin. We have ail the new slips and wonderful looking boats now we need some extras. Add to the grasslands which I know will come, add some trees and landscaping, places to sit and eat a picnic lunch. Really strictly enforced rules about cleanliness, litter and so on would be an asset. A place to eat, architecturally pleasing and a motel too, both I would hope charming places to see and to be. In- teresting lighting so that sailors and boatsmen could see it and say, "no other place than Whitby." At least we know things are being done with as much haste as is possible and for the moment that is great. idas tiuarantees The Top Guns at Midas Guarantee your Midas Muffler for as 1220 Dundas St. E., Whitby 668-1065 the . tue et for 12:2L., . 1