It's Always Fun Til Someone Gets A Blue Dot

Wandering, as I like to do, through one of Toronto's many ravines, I came across some trees marked with blue dots.

Does it designate a hiking trail?

Unfortunately no - these trees are being eaten alive by the Emerald Ash Borer.

These bug eyed green - er - bugs (or beetles) bore inside the ash trees and lay their little bug eyed babies.

And the city has almost one million ash trees!  Or used to.  And we are very likely to lose the rest of them.

The city is treating some of the trees with an injection to kill the Emerald Ash Borer ($300 a pop).  Successfully injected trees are marked with a green dot (I didn't see any).

 Blue dots mean, we tried our best, and we're watching you, but....

 ...chances are you're doomed.

Doomed!

Huge sections of trees are being cut down.

Orange dot trees mean we're through watching you - and you're next!

There were also some interesting orange markings intermittently along the trail itself.

I was disappointed when I found out these only meant; Watch Out Dummy - Don't trip.

Sheesh.  Ouch.

Still it was a nice afternoon for a hike.

Except now I just couldn't make eye contact with any of those Blue Dot fellows.