Might be an AI creation. Sad that you can't believe much of anything any more.

Planting wildflowers along the highway, covering the middle and sides with colour, possibly fragrance, and something that does not need to be mowed, sounds like a great idea. I thought so too. Until I thought more about it.

Wildflowers will attract more insects, small animals and bigger animals to the busiest roads which will not be good for their continued health. Between animals becoming roadkill and people trying not to hit them, it could be dangerous for both.

Seeds from some will create havoc when they blow around. Others cause allergies for people which will be distracting for drivers.

Also, just because they do not need to be mowed, does not mean there is no maintenance at all. People would have to go along a lot of highway to keep plants from growing into the road ways. That would not be free: gas, wages, vehicles and maintenance of vehicles, equipment... Probably other things I haven't thought of yet.

You may think all that unused land could even grow something useful, harvestable even. Herbs could work better than wildflowers. But, still have some of the same issues.

Any plants chosen to grow this way would need to be hardy, drought resistant, grow over spring, summer, and fall (not be dormant and leave bare ground for most of the year - which would give space for all those so called weeds to re-seed and not look pretty), not grow very tall or spread too much. This is probably one reason plants we call weeds are left to grow along the highways.

I love the idea, but it isn't as simple as it seems.

People have ideas for real cars that can be driven in water, flown in the air and do just great on the ground too, just like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. If you have watched the movie, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang you have seen at least one flying and swimming car but as fiction.

• 1901 Gustave Whitehead claimed to have flown a powered aircraft, described as able to propel itself along roads to the site of the flying experiment.
• 1917 Glenn Curtiss built 'Autoplane' with a triplane wing, propeller, and twin tails.
• 1935 Constantinos Vlachos built a 'tri-phibian' vehicle with a circular wing.
• 1936 James G. Ray successfully flew an aircraft converted to a roadable prototype.
• 1937 Waldo Waterman developed the 'Arrowbile' from his tailless aircraft, 'Whatsit'.
• 1940 Jess Dixon flying automobile.
• 1942 Hafner Rotabuggy, roadable autogyro built by the British army.
• 1946 'Fulton FA-2 Airphibian' a flying car designed by Robert Edison Fulton Jr.
• 1947 'Convair Model 118' also known as the Hall Flying Automobile.
• 1949 Moulton Taylor introduced the 'Aerocar' a roadable plane.

Some of these early flying car prototypes were able to fly and drive successfully. Some ended badly with inventors, designers, pilots, and the craft killed/ lost during testing. Often the projects became too expensive to continue, even with good results.

Many of the experimental flying car projects are not known by the public. The list above is mainly US based. Other countries certainly had ideas, designs, and experiments too. So many other projects were not given media attention and disappeared into history.

I found a group online about keeping the old railroads running, not just one in particular but all of them around the world. It wasn't a hugely active site but I agreed with the idea. Not only do we already have (or still have some) of the original tracks but railways aren't just an alternative or romantic way to travel. The modern trains are fast and use less fossil fuels.

Today I found an online magazine about graffiti in Eastern Europe with a campaign #SavetheSteel and images of streetcars on coffee mugs. One reminds me of the streetcars as I remember them in Toronto when I was skipping school to go downtown for the day instead. Traveling by TTC bus, subway and sometimes the streetcars too. There were no streetcars in my area, only when I was right downtown in Toronto. #SavetheSteel from Concrete magazine.

I tried to find the railroad group I remember, but I don't know the exact name any more. I hope its in an old post somewhere. I haven't got all of them back online yet. Meanwhile, I did find a few other links worth keeping. I hope the Canadian group is more active than it looks. I'll send them a note.

• The Canadian Railway Preservation and Restoration Association
• The Canadian National Railways Historical Association
• Heritage Rail Alliance
• Ahead of the Torch

The S.S. Keewatin in Port McNicoll, Ontario.

If you are looking for a local ghost tour you don't need to drive as far as Toronto.

My sister-in-law's Father was a part of the group who keep this ship in good repair and run the tours and other public events around it. I haven't visited it yet so the photograph here is not my own.

Photo Source: Older than the titanic with more ghosts & spirits than anywhere in the world - Barrie 360