Ode to Wild Blueberries

Photo by fotyma

When I was a kid, we would pick them on annual walks around the lake, filling huge plastic buckets. Later, I found them at farmers markets, their appearance hinting at the turn of the seasons. Recently, I have hunted for them on hillsides, swatting at flies and mosquitoes, still determined to get my share of the blue goodness. Whether eaten by the handful or drowned in heavy cream, they explode with a satisfying crunch, releasing a sometimes tart, sometimes sweet, but always intense flavor. Their cultivated cousins pale in comparison, trying to make up in bulk what they lack in summer richness.

A YEARs-LONG CREATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE CLIMATE THROUGH 100-WORD STORIES • WEEK 34

Chantal Bilodeau
Sorty McSortface

Photo by JesperSohof

Rarely do news about the state of our planet make me laugh out loud but Sorty McSortface got a good chuckle out of me. An AI-powered robot, Sorty works in a recycling facility and pulls juice cartons and plastic bottles from a conveyor belt for reprocessing. Seems simple enough but hey, he does it better and faster than anyone else and that is something. Nevermind the unseriousness of his name, Sorty is our ticket to the future right before the actual future where we’ve become smart enough to bypass recycling altogether. So, a little respect, OK?

Inspiration: The Future of Recycling Is Sorty McSortface

A YEARs-LONG CREATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE CLIMATE THROUGH 100-WORD STORIES • WEEK 33

Chantal Bilodeau
Small Gesture

Photo by Chantal Bilodeau

“Are you OK?” I text several friends. Thankfully, they’re all safe but two had to evacuate. I’m agitated all day without being able to pinpoint exactly why. Out of concern for them, yes. The photos are apocalyptic: Smoke-filled skies and fires everywhere. But probably out of fear for myself, too. Things will definitely get worse before they get better. And sooner or later, disaster is bound to find me. Will I be OK? I want to show care but the gesture feels too small, inadequate. “Are you OK?” I mean, really… Is anyone OK these days?

A YEARs-LONG CREATIVE EXPLORATION OF THE CLIMATE THROUGH 100-WORD STORIES • WEEK 32

Chantal Bilodeau