Ford Fusion Earth Day

It was almost two years ago that we went on a weekend family vacation in Prince Edward County as a partner with Ford Canada to promote the Ford Flex. At the time we owned a used Toyota Corolla with a few key features, such as a sticky ignition, manual locks, a broken air conditioner, and a stereo with missing buttons. So it goes without saying that driving a brand-spanking-new vehicle with every available futuristic piece of technology was quite a luxury at the time.

A couple weekends ago, in honour of Earth Day, we partnered again with Ford, but this time to promote their Ford Fusion Energi. To be honest, Patricio and I often battle with ourselves over even owning a car, but at this time in our lives, it's a necessity to have easy access to a car - and we've daydreamed of owning an electric or hybrid car to at least somewhat reduce our carbon footprint while we require a vehicle for work and other obligations. Getting to experience a hybrid vehicle, even if just for a weekend, was a real treat for us. We were able to drive to some of our favourite hiking spots and local gardens gas-free (electric!), and for longer drives, we switched to the fuel-efficient gas engine. A perfect fit for Earth Day for us city-dwellers who, unfortunately, need a car to get to most forests and hiking trails.

On top of the environmental benefits, we got to enjoy the luxury of features that are completely foreign to us in our old used car - like Reverse Sensing System (rear park assist), voice-activated navigation, touchscreen controls, a push button/keyless ignition system, and a shockingly quiet engine (so quiet that Patricio wasn't sure that the car was on when he first pushed the ignition button). Ramona was quite disappointed that "our new car" was gone on Monday - and, to be honest, so were we.





As if Earth knew that it was her big day, this was the first weekend that truly felt like spring in Ontario. We were finally able to shed the cumbersome layers, feel the warm sunshine on our faces, and experience the world waking up all around us - little blue and yellow flowers bursting up from the earth, bees buzzing from bud to bud, birds proudly singing, and lively fish filling the streams. It was so freeing to hike bare-legged in a dress, and so rewarding to see Ramona enthusiastically climbing over tree roots and rocks, unhindered by a bulky coat and clumsy boots, full of wonder and curiosity. The whole weekend, as my sister-in-law said to me, was life-giving. That first warm weather wakes up something inside of me that seemed to fall dormant all winter long.





Both evenings of the weekend we ended up at our favourite place - anywhere along the shore of Lake Ontario, throwing rocks and watching the last light dance on the water.





This post is in partnership with Ford Canada for Earth Day - however, all thoughts, feelings, and run-on sentences expressed here are my own.

Sources:
Grey Knit Sweater Dress - Mini and Kind
Popcorn sweater - Over the Ocean
Rabbit bonnet - Tortoise and the Hare Clothing