My Christmas Gift To You

 Visit #1457, Saturday 23 December 23, 12:30-4:10PM, 4.9 miles, litter < l. 0 lbs.

Temps in the high 30s, cloudy.

Visit #1458, Sunday 24 December 23, 11:30AM-2:15PM, 5.3 miles, 10.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 40s, cloudy.

Rain with high winds passed through the area on Monday. I had no doubt I would find fallen trees and branches so I packed my chainsaw by default.

My Christmas gift to you dear Hubbard Park hiker are clear trails, although I still have a few trails to inspect in the coming weeks.

I'm just gonna post almost all the photos; many of the fallen trees and branches before and after, some in mid-removal. I posted them to give you an idea of the magnitude of storm damage. Hang on...

Here you can see the remainder of the vine hanging in the air.

Hard to tell from the photo below, but those are off-road motocyclists on the trail in the background. I don't know how they are accessing the trails since the gate at the end of Merimere Reservoir is secure.

Now for the fun stuff!

Season of the Missing Glove 2023/24, entries #2 and 3.

Up at West Peak I found a large bag of what I believe to be litter collected by some unknown person(s).

It weighed 27lbs.! It was likely strategically placed so parks employees would find it. They won't, because I put it in my van and drove it away.

The employees at the water department are STILL not getting the hint and taking away the found board I placed at the water treatment plant OVER THREE WEEKS AGO. Each week I place it against the fence and the following week I find it cast aside, like this week when I hung my first trash bag on the fence.

So I upped my game this week. Let's see if the knuckle draggers get the memo and take it away after I've slid it under the fence. Anyone want to place a bet?!

At the Halfway House I found Juan was practicing his rock carving skills.

While I didn't need practice to remove it.

I found and removed some graffiti from the I-691 walkbridge.

Merry Christmas!

In Before The Lock

 I was in Hubbard Park this morning before sunrise (which was supposed to be 7:11AM, IF there were sun.)

Apologies for some of the blurry photos; it was still dark and thus long exposure times.

Visit #1456, Sunday 17 December 2, 6:50-10:15AM, 4.9 miles, 4.5 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 40s, cloudy with rain developing.

Last week while I was in Hubbard Park I noticed someone had newly attached a padlock to the fencing surrounding the walkbridge over I-691. I started early this morning because I would be using boltcutters, and anyone driving on I-691 seeing someone using boltcutters on the fencing might be inclined to call the gendarmes, causing a kerfuffle. I was trying to avoid a kerfuffle.

Reaching the entrance to the walkbridge, I found this new graffiti on a post. This seems to be a popular spot to put stickers and whatnot as I've found things here many times in the past.

I gave the post a proper exfoliation.

I stepped on to the walkbridge and discovered in the intervening week another FIVE locks were added. My boltcutters and my arms got a small workout.

Even this lock's hardened, shaped shackle succumbed to my wishes.

Hiking up to the wooden walkbridge where I dispatched a fallen tree last week, prying hands couldn't leave the cut pieces where they lay, and rolled them downslope.

I hiked up toward Castle Craig then followed a trail down to Merimere Reservoir. Along the way I found a newly fallen tree, which I hope to remove next week.

Reaching the trail's end and walking the road around the reservoir and back to the park, I noticed some graffiti on a sign posted at the north gate. I was going to ignore it but changed my mind.

Here it is after I applied the first spray of remover, smeared by my rag.

A few rounds of solution and a rag and, done.

The clouds and forecasted rain must have kept people away from the park. It was amazingly quiet as I walked.

I dropped off my bag of litter for the week.

Walking back to my car, I found a microfleece blanket in good condition. If it still looks good after washing, I'll drop it off at Goodwill.

Just as I returned to the parking lot, it started to drizzle. In before the lock!

The Big Johnson

This week I had to haul out the big guns.

Visit #1455, Saturday 9 December 23, 8:00-10:45AM, 5.1 miles, 4.3 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the comfortable 40s rising to the 50s, sunny with increasing clouds.

First, this week I'd like to welcome three newly elected city councilors to my blog's distribution list- Chad Cardillo, Joe Scaramuzzo, and Michael Zakrzewski. A few weeks reading my blog and they may regret having ever run for office. 😉

Last week I reported finding a large, newly fallen tree near the wooden walkbridge. My chainsaw's 16" bar and safety chain, while capable of handling the tree, would require much extra work. So this week I put my chainsaw on a regimen of steroids ( a 20" bar and aggressively profiled chain) so I could go mondo ape-poop on it and not spend all day making chips and sawdust.

Despite the early hour and the December calendar, it was quite comfortable outside.

Let's open up that trail.

Don't worry; that one wayward log was moved in-line with the others to maintain that trail "Feng Shui".

While imposing my will on that fallen tree, a passing hiker informed me of another tree that needed tending to, so off I went in search of it.

Is that it?! I was disappointed in the lack of a challenge. I removed it anyway.

I hiked up to the road heading toward Castle Craig, then walked the road down toward Merimere Reservoir, picking up litter along the way.

My Find of the Week-

It's the second consecutive week I've found underwear in Hubbard Park, although I'm not sure what it means. They say things run in "threes" so should I expect to find another pair next week?

Walking on the road around Merimere Reservoir and passing by Echo Point, I see that a wreath has been added to the holiday display there.

Continuing that "second consecutive week" vein, last week I reported placing a wayward sign against the fence of the water treatment plant assuming the water department staff would dispose of it.

I guess I was overestimating the abilities of the staff for this week I found the sign was merely cast aside.

You put one quarter in, you get ONE turn of the wheel.

Let's try this again.

I'll be putting the Big Johnson away until the next formidable foe comes along.

Once Upon A Daytime Dreary

Visit #1454, Saturday 2 December 23, 8:20-10:55AM, 5.3 miles, 8.4 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 40s, raw. Rain ended last night leaving dense fog and cloudiness.

This week's blog title is a riff on Edgar Allen Poe's poem, The Raven, as this is what I kept

thinking of while hiking in such gloomy conditions.

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,..."

While I was neither weak nor weary, it would have better matched the weather if I was.

Hiking up the road toward Merimere Reservoir I found this broken ceramic plate.

I occasionally find such plates of various incarnations in Hubbard Park, with personal thoughts or messages on them. It must be a thing. I must be out of touch.

This sign was found further up the road and had been there for many weeks, when the road around Merimere Reservoir was in fact closed for a reason I can't recall right now. For several weeks I'd been meaning to remove the sign from the roadside and just now had the opportunity.

I relocated it to the water treatment plant where hopefully the employees will dispose of it properly.

The dreariness continued as I walked.

Although it could have been drowsiness had I been under the influence of the empty contents of this found container.

Last week, while returning to the parking lot on the road, I observed a couple passing a joint between themselves. I've often thought of the wisdom of this practice. Could it lead to mouth sores, or even Covid?

On a lighter more seasonal note, the Christmas Tree at Echo Point has been decorated for the holiday season. Stop by and enjoy it!

Just around the corner at the spillway was some graffiti I recalled seeing a few weeks ago.

This would be the first opportunity to use my new steel wire brush. My previous brass bristle brush had worn out from use. I purcchased a steel brush this time hopefully for its more aggressive properties. It passed the interview.

    "Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;

And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor..."

Once upon the Blue Trail and off-trail picking up some litter, I spied this:

I had long ago heard of a Berlin/Meriden boundary marker being in the woods somewhere in Hubbard Park. While I had previously chanced upon an easier to locate marker, I thought for sure this other one would be deep in the middle of nowhere. I presume it stood upright at some time in the past. Looking at a map of Meriden's boundaries, might I wonder if there might be a third marker.

"Nevermore" (perhaps)

Well, no ravens were perching anywhere, but I DID find a pair of briefs perched on a log.

If you want a REAL laugh, re-read "The Raven", replacing all mentions of the bird with the word "briefs"! Go ahead and see if you can keep a straight face!

The trail peaked near Castle Craig. I hiked down and toward I-691 where I came upon my Find of the Week.

This large tree went roots up right near the wooden walkbridge. Looks like next week will be a Power Tool Weekend®!

Back at the parking lot,

"Then this ebony (glove) beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,..."

Black as a raven, it's Season of the Missing Glove 2023/24, #1. Let the counting begin!