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!