Replacements

 The weather took a turn toward winter this week.

Visit #1275, Sunday 1 November 20, 10:10AM-1:10PM, 5.4 miles, 15.4 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 40's, rain showers predicted for later in the afternoon.

An early season, albeit minor snowfall visited Meriden on Friday. An inch or two fell, enough to hide any litter to be found, so I waited until Sunday, giving Saturday's reasonable temperatures an opportunity to melt the ground cover. Sunday's even milder temps completed the task.

A few weeks ago I reported the flags on the walkbridge over I-691 had been replaced after a long absence, and learned from the Record-Journal the background behind the flags.

The flags replaced by the family were looking ragged and I planned to remove them this week. But as I drove to Hubbard Park I noticed the flags were already removed. I don't expect the family will continue Lawrence Harrison's tradition and replace the flags.

The Season of the Missing Glove 2020/21 has begun! In this case, it's a pair. Someone will no doubt be buying a replacement pair.

Up near West Peak, I removed a small tree which had fallen across the trail.

Reaching West Peak, I followed the road, finding another fallen tree. In this case I trimmed it back.

I couldn't do anything about the next tree I encountered on the road.

I'll contact the Parks Department and tell them about this. Further on as I walked the road back to the park, I could see there were other fallen trees which the Parks Department had already removed.

Find of the Week was this t-shirt, laid out exactly as you see it.

Here'a a closer look.

To understand more about the rap world, of which these two happy looking rappers are a part of, read "Notorious C.O.P.", The Inside Story of the Tupac, Biggie, and Jam Master Jay Investigations by NYPD's first "Hip-Hop" Cop,  by Derrick Parker. I did. Ever see a rapper smiling? I haven't...

Somewhere after picking up the t-shirt, while picking up litter, I lost my beloved hedge clippers, seen in this archive photo. It was too late for me to retrace my steps in the hope of finding it. I may try to do so next week.

After I finished at Hubbard Park, I drove to the hardware store and bought a replacement pair, just in case I'm never reunited with my orange pair. These are too useful to be without.

Walking by the I-691 underpass, I found some new graffiti, over graffiti I'd previously painted over with the gray paint you see. I'll return next week and cover this up. I wonder whether this is some response to the Black Lives Matter movement?

I was within a quarter mile of finishing when the rain started. I consider that a win.