I learned that there are even micro plastics in laundry soap which I would never have guessed. And of course that ends up in our waterways and affects wildlife and us eventually. The biggest aha moment I had was related to using aerosols. They often cause eye, nose and throat irritation, which explains why my throat would feels scratchy whenever I used spray deodorant or dry shampoo. I’m glad I made the change away from them! I didn’t read up on it in time for this cleaning, but when I use my carpet cleaner again, I want to try out a natural recipe instead of the official soap. I saw in one of the articles that the soap is rated as very unsafe.

I didn’t spend time outside as consistently as I thought I would at the start of the challenge. But when I did spend time outside, I always felt connectedness in one way or another. Whether it was appreciating my neighbors and the way their tree gives shade to my yard to the point that I think of it as my tree too (the light filters through that tree so beautifully!). To my dog stopping to greet all people we pass by and we have a good chat. And appreciating my town and how walkable it is. And going to the park and seeing all the other people out and about also enjoying the day, often with their dogs too.

My dog Lily and I usually walk around the same parts of the neighborhood and I am pretty sure she has mapped out our immediate area to the point she would know how to come back home if she ever got loose. But with this challenge we widened our area and found a new route to our closest park. We also went to a new park where I saw beautiful old trees that I can tell are respected and well kept by the city because of how old they are. How often do you see old trees with mulch around them and the grass well tended when it is right next to woods? And we finally went to the biggest park near us and have been exploring its trails. Lily loves that one that most now and I admit I love it too for all the great views! I love that adventures we have together and how it helps us bond. I plan to keep it up by taking her to a huge preserve in another city that is maintained by a university. They have a section dedicated to pine trees and those are Lily’s favorite. So that is where we will go for our first trip there.