"There’s plenty more trash on the road,” said Mike after his bike ride one day. “I think we should do another pick-up. We’ll hook the trailer to the 4-wheeler and use it as a base of operation.”
Today was the day. After breakfast, the two of us set out to pick up trash along Curfman and Miller Roads. You may recall that the last time we picked up 65 cans. This time we were prepared with plenty of sacks and two 5-gallon paint buckets. We decided it would be okay for the dogs to run along with us. It’s five miles from our place to the end of Miller Road, but there are at least two ponds where they could -- and did -- refresh themselves.
After some initial confusion on my part, our pick-up system began in earnest. We played leapfrog with the 4-wheeler, emptying the aluminum cans and other trash we picked up into sacks in the trailer. The dogs stayed with Mike.
While we were working on Miller Road, one of Kyle Meacham’s farm helpers passed us in his big John Deere tractor. Later, Mike met him again as he [the farmer] was working a field. The farmer stopped his tractor, got down, and came over to shake Mike’s hand and thank him for what we were doing. He said he thought the roadside trash was terrible -- that he he didn’t throw trash on the r
oad himself but allowed that not everyone will pick it up. He said we were awesome. I guess that was the affirmation we needed. We finished Miller Road, then accommodated our speed to the dogs and brought them back to our place. After a brief respite, we chain
ed Duke, told Nellie to stay, and set out again. If you know the area, we took Curfman Road past Beldings to Cemetery Road and Cemetery Road to the highway, the highway back to Curfman Road at the grain bins. We did that mile stretch of Curfman Road on foot, playing leapfrog with the 4-wheeler again. By the time we finished it was 1:00 and we were hot, thirsty, hungry, and tired. [Two deer stopped briefly to gaze at us, making it possible for me to catch this shot.]We gathered one big garbage sack of aluminum cans and two big garbage sacks of trash. I found three bottle caps (all Coors) but only kept two. There were many more bottles than caps. All in all, we put 16 miles on the 4-wheeler. And I am filthy!!!!
Good job!!! But you should be wearing gloves! Have you boiled your fingers yet??
ReplyDeleteHa ha! Mom looks like a drunkard bending over like that with a bottle in hand. ha ha! That cracks me up!
ReplyDeleteToo bad there are so many JERKS out there littering. Grr!
I started out with some nice leather gloves but didn't have them on when Mike took the picture. And yes -- I boiled my fingers.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be bending over with such confidence if I were drunk!
I think it's the same few jerks doing it over and over and over. I still think it's the kids because the stuff looks like kid stuff. But some of the farmers also do it. I believe they think it will be plowed under eventually, but I don't like that thought either. Some of the trash was fresh and new while some of it was older -- and some of it was older still. And when they grade the road, some of it disappears or gets very dirty and mutilated.