Whither Winter?

Last week's snowstorm, which left me stuck in airports in Chicago and in Washington D.C., is now but a memory.

Visit #1230, Sunday 26 January 20, 8:05-9:40AM, 3.1 miles, 15.4lbs. of litter.
Temps in the 30's and partly sunny.

I was on-call this week so I stayed close to the park in case I needed to leave for a service call.

Readers of this blog may recall the trail map which was refurbished, but reinstalled upside down. After the orientation being corrected, the text, "U R here" marked not only the wrong location where the map viewer was standing, the text was upside down.

Fortunately, someone erased the upside down label. This week, I labeled the map correctly. No phonetic spellings from this guy; I'm ejumacated!

The label wouldn't stick to the wood by itself, nor would some double-sided tape I had on hand,  so I improvised a solution with silicone caulk. I may return next week and mark the Halfway House and Castle Craig.

I headed west on trails parallel to I-691. Reaching the end at West Main Street, I turned around and headed back to the park.

I tried out one of my Christmas gifts; insulated rubber coated gloves. They worked wonderfully. Thanks, Santa (you know who you are)!

The entire trail didn't take much time, so I chose to walk around the perimeter of Mirror Lake and pick up litter.

Ever wonder how ducks and geese can walk on ice and not be bothered by the cold surface? Read the answer HERE. Think about this next time you're sleeping with your significant other and they stick their cold feet against YOU. It will make you wish you married a duck instead.

After walking around the perimeter of Mirror Lake, I continued up the Soap Box Derby track, around the retention ponds, and back toward the park.

Reaching the gate, I noticed the bollard which was replaced last July, has been vandalized. At that time I speculated that was going to happen. Notice the loosened bolts. I'll notify the parks department and hopefully they will be able to provide a more permanent solution.

I passed the gate and returned to the parking lot to drop off my bag of trash for the week.

A friend told me late in 2019 that the Farmer's Almanac predicted a harsh winter. We're still waiting...

He's Baaaack...

Getting back was the hard part.

Visit #1229, Sunday 19 January 20, 1:10-2:25PM, 2.4miles, 0.5lbs. of trash.
Temps in the low 40's, cloudy and breezy, post snowstorm.

As reported in my last blog post, I was going to miss a week's entry because I would be in Chicago for training. Well, I almost missed this week's entry, too.

The snowstorm on Saturday which dropped 6" on Meriden dropped a similar amount in Chicago on Friday, the day I was to fly home, to Bradley Airport. I was stuck at O'Hare airport on Friday night when my flight was canceled.

On Saturday, I was rerouted to Washington D.C., where I was stuck at Reagan Airport for Saturday night as I was too late to meet my connecting flight to Bradley Airport.

So I arrived back home early Sunday afternoon with little sleep and a lot of post-trip chores, one of which was to check out the trails in Hubbard Park.

I had no agenda planned, and the snow cover meant I likely wouldn't find much trash. But on the drive over to the park, I saw what today's schedule would include.

Someone had vandalized the two flags displayed on the walkbridge over I-691. I would remove the slashed flags and dispose of them properly.

As I hiked over to the walkbridge I got a clear idea as to how many people were using the trail bypass I created around a fallen tree. It seems MOST hikers, but not all, were able to figure out the revised route.

I hiked over to the bridge and cut the flags down.

I turned around, returned to the park, and picked up very little trash. While disposing of it, I found a pair of knit gloves on the fence post. I'll wash them and get 'em to Goodwill.

Feels good to be home and back into a familiar routine.

Run From The Paparazzi!

Visit #1228, Saturday 4 January 20, 1:15-4:45PM, 5.0 miles, 13.7lbs. of litter.
Temps in the 40's, cloudy with drizzle.

Last week's blog apparently got peoples' attention!

In it, I posted the weight of all the bags of litter I collected. 2019 was the first year I was able to keep track of such a statistic. I suspected to most people reading my blog, a bag of trash is nothing. But; assign a weight to it and tally up a year's worth and now people are getting a frying pan to the forehead.

That's what I think caught the eyes of the Meriden Record Journal, which published an article about my year end total.

Then came all the e-mails and phone calls of congratulations.

I was speaking to a relative who called to congratulate me, and I jokingly remarked I had women sending me e-mails, wanting to have my baby!

Kathy asked me; "Do you know why?"

I told her of course I knew why-"because I was some altruistic do-gooder!"

"Nope; it's because you're a man that KNOWS HOW TO CLEAN, and that's the holy grail of a husband!"

Well, that burst my bubble.

Among my e-mail in-box well wishers was a local TV station, which wanted to arrange to meet in Hubbard Park for an interview and to film me in action. We tentatively set a date and time of 4PM on Saturday.

Considering the late time, and the lack of sunshine on Saturday, it wouldn't leave me much time to get REAL work in, so I smartly arrived hours early to recon some trails that would afford good filming opportunities, and pick up trash.

Despite the raw drizzle, I hiked up the Soap Box Derby track an up to the South end of Merimere Reservoir, where I picked up the trails.

It is there that I found Season of the Missing Glove #14.

Oh, and for my one blog reader who gets a nauseous kick out of it, here's Condom #1 of 2020.
I'll keep it small.

Closer to the Halfway House, I found this thermal bag FILLED with Genessee beer cans, some of which WERE UNOPENED. Any alcoholic or beer party has got to be pretty poop-faced to leave beer unconsumed! I had to empty the cans to make the load light enough to carry. Also, cheap beer = cheap party, or at least low quality party partners. Which is why I, and you dear reader, weren't invited. Be thankful.

That just about max'd out my trash bag but when I went to transfer all the goods to a 30 gallon bag, I discovered I failed to replenish my stock.

That REALLY changed my agenda. I had to carry Bag #1 and opened up Bag #2 and shortened my planned route.

I coverred all the trails below Castle Craig, then hiked over I-691 and back to the park, with over an hour to spare before the TV crew showed up.

Which they didn't. No promised phone call or e-mail to confirm. The paparazzi snubbed their noses at me...

I gave them an extra 15 minutes, until I felt like a "fer sher" stood up date, and with quickly waning daylight, returned to the areas I left for filming/cleaning, and picked up all the litter.

Finally, I regret to inform you there will  be NO BLOG entry next week as I'll be away. To get your weekly fix, please read an older blog entry or, if you're really inclined, cover for me in Hubbard Park, take some photos, and I promise to post when I return, and give you a thank you gift, too!

Stay warm-I'll be in Chicago where I may not be so toasty.