My Haj to Mecca

 

Visit #1513, Sunday 12 January 25, 7:25-935AM, 2.4 miles, 62.0 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the high 20s/low 30s, sunny and comfortable.

Once a year around this time I visit the hillside you see in the photo. People park along the fence and toss their trash over the fence. I clean it up. I picked up most of my mileage today traipsing back and forth to the dumpster to drop off the trash bags.

Along the fence line, inside the park, I found this boundary marker. I wonder why the state put it there and if there are others between Hubbard Park and I-691. I know one thing; it tells me the state is responsible for the fence!

Among the many finds was this grocery list. Coincidentally, I was going grocery shopping after leaving Hubbard Park. Let's compare our grocery lists!

I ran out of milk so I couldn't make oatmeal (Substitute water?- yuk!), and without jam my PB&Js were boring.

I also didn't know there was such a thing as Cookie Butter; I was ready to call it out as a misspelling for cookie BATTER until I went grocery shopping and found some.

And it's Season of the Missing Glove 2024/25, Entry #5.

Should I start a Season of the Missing Shoe?

Done, it was time to move the collected bags to the dumpster at the parks maintenance area.

During the multiple trips I noticed the birdfeeder, which I reported being in a state of disrepair last year, has been removed. Again a coincidence since I first noticed it while cleaning the hillside last year. Is a replacement forthcoming? We'll have to keep an eye on this.

Passing by the caretaker's residence I spied something I hadn't noticed before- a mailbox.

Since the house hasn't been occupied in decades, I wonder whether there was any leftover mail in the box.

I guess I got my answer!

And finally, take note of the evergreen tree in the photo.

In January 2024 I reported finding Christmas lights still on the tree after all other Hubbard Park decorations were taken down.

When they remained through January into February 2024, I took them down myself.

While the tree doesn't look unloved like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, the lights must surely feel. forlorn.

I will leave them alone until next month. Any bid takers on whether they'll still be there in February?

With gambling growing exponentially in America, you can now bid on virtually anything, anytime so

why not Christmas lights?