From Tampons to Tennis Balls
I never know what I'm going to find along the roadside26 total reviews
Comment from Bill Schott
You need to put in for your Good Citizen badge, Mr. Botts. I am glad it was just debris you came across and not a corpse or two, which typically pop up when a breakup comes around.
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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You need to put in for your Good Citizen badge, Mr. Botts. I am glad it was just debris you came across and not a corpse or two, which typically pop up when a breakup comes around.
Comment Written 29-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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Hi Bill,
thanks so much for your entertaining and generous review. I appreciate the extra star. There isn't enough snow to cover a body right now, but I suppose there will probably be a few bodies show up sometime this spring. Actually, about two months ago, down close to Hoonah where I used to live, a seine boat went down off of Point Couverden. It's a terrible spot when the weather is bad. Three bodies of water all converge there, Icy Strait, Lynn Canal and Chatham Strait. The boat was top heavy anyway, because of a top house above the regular cabin, and they also have a big boom with a roller for pulling in the seine nets. I guess the captain was trying one last time to catch his halibut quota before the end of the season. It runs in my mind either five or six men died, the whole crew. Most have never been recovered, but a few weeks after the accident, some friends from Hoonah were walking along the beach down by Spasski Harbor and two of the bodies had washed up onto the beach. It was tragic.
Thanks again, have a blessed day.
Tom
Comment from DonandVicki
I would imagine that you would find some interesting stuff along the roadside, I found Twenty dollars once, never found a full whisky bottle, mostly empty ones, lots of them. I suppose if you are the type of person to throw out a full one, you would throw out just about anything.
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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I would imagine that you would find some interesting stuff along the roadside, I found Twenty dollars once, never found a full whisky bottle, mostly empty ones, lots of them. I suppose if you are the type of person to throw out a full one, you would throw out just about anything.
Comment Written 28-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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Hello Don and Vicki,
thanks for the entertaining review. I think you have a point there. It was a surprise to me when I found the little bucket to see that it had product inside still. You just never know what you're going to find along side the road.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
Comment from Faith Williams
Your title drew me in as I had no idea what your story might be about. Then I laughed at your opening line because it does sound like a category from Jeopardy, where every question starts with 'T'.
Did you send all the cold weather to Pennsylvania? Because we certainly had some frigid days, well below average. If so, you can have them back.
I always enjoy your writing. Thanks for sharing.
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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Your title drew me in as I had no idea what your story might be about. Then I laughed at your opening line because it does sound like a category from Jeopardy, where every question starts with 'T'.
Did you send all the cold weather to Pennsylvania? Because we certainly had some frigid days, well below average. If so, you can have them back.
I always enjoy your writing. Thanks for sharing.
Comment Written 28-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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Hello Faith,
thanks so much for the encouraging review. We did have about two weeks of rain. So much so that flooding occurred in some areas, and all the snow melted. Now it's back to normal again with temps down in the teens and I think we're in for some sub-zero temps soon. I grew up in Ohio, and we used to get some cold, snowy winters, and I thought Pennsylvania did too. I think people are getting used to the mild winters, and when we get a normal one, it makes the news.
Have a blessed evening gal.
Tom
Comment from Jim Wile
I enjoyed this story of your experience as a volunteer trash picker. It really is hard to imagine the mentality of those who throw their trash out the window of their car. Didn't their mothers teach them better than that?
I also know what you mean about the Lays Potato Chip aspect of it and when you get going doing it, it's hard to stop, and you hate to miss anything. Someone dumped a bunch of garbage at the entry to our neighborhood which also extended onto the property next to us. I started out just picking up what was on our neighborhood's property, but then I realized the stuff on the next property was just as unsightly, so I ended up picking that up too. It was hard to stop!
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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I enjoyed this story of your experience as a volunteer trash picker. It really is hard to imagine the mentality of those who throw their trash out the window of their car. Didn't their mothers teach them better than that?
I also know what you mean about the Lays Potato Chip aspect of it and when you get going doing it, it's hard to stop, and you hate to miss anything. Someone dumped a bunch of garbage at the entry to our neighborhood which also extended onto the property next to us. I started out just picking up what was on our neighborhood's property, but then I realized the stuff on the next property was just as unsightly, so I ended up picking that up too. It was hard to stop!
Comment Written 28-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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Hi Jim,
I see you understand. I'm upset that some people have so little regard for the area and their neighbors, but I do really enjoy getting out when the weather is good and picking up what others toss. It usually only looks good for a few weeks, but that gives me an excuse to go out again.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
Comment from F. William Lester
Yes, I'm sorry to say your title did draw my curiosity. I think the words you're looking for as to why they toss their trash out are lazy and inconsiderate. Kudos to you for doing the dirty work. 46 degrees in Alaska? A heatwave. It's been cold and dry down here and we haven't had a lick of snow (well, maybe a half inch total in two storms). Thanks for sharing this and thanks for your work above and beyond the call of duty. Be well.
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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Yes, I'm sorry to say your title did draw my curiosity. I think the words you're looking for as to why they toss their trash out are lazy and inconsiderate. Kudos to you for doing the dirty work. 46 degrees in Alaska? A heatwave. It's been cold and dry down here and we haven't had a lick of snow (well, maybe a half inch total in two storms). Thanks for sharing this and thanks for your work above and beyond the call of duty. Be well.
Comment Written 28-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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Hello William,
yes, we had some unseasonably warm weather for January. It rained for almost two weeks, which was normal for Southeast Alaska, but not further north in Southcentral. That's all changed now though. Yesterday we awoke to snow and blowing wind, and it's in the teens tonight. I think we're going to be getting a stretch of sub zero temps soon.
I have to agree with you, the folks who toss trash out the car windows are at the least inconsiderate. I believe it's largely young people, judging by the number of fast food containers and one ounce booze bottles. It would be nice to record all the offenders and dump the trash in their front yards.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
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Thanks, Tom. Stay warm. Frank
Comment from Carol Hillebrenner
As always, you can make anything funny, including picking up trash. Your title was especially a grabber. Just curious. Is there recycling in Alaska? We were in Banff last summer and have never seen such determined neatness. My husband and I used to take our kids around in a canoe and have them pick up trash in the lake. We are getting your fifty-degree temps today after some bitterly cold weather.
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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As always, you can make anything funny, including picking up trash. Your title was especially a grabber. Just curious. Is there recycling in Alaska? We were in Banff last summer and have never seen such determined neatness. My husband and I used to take our kids around in a canoe and have them pick up trash in the lake. We are getting your fifty-degree temps today after some bitterly cold weather.
Comment Written 28-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 29-Jan-2025
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Hello Carol,
there is a recycling center right close by in Palmer, but you have to pay three dollars to use it. I've used it before, especially when we first moved here and wanted to recycle all the boxes.
We've returned to the cold temps we would normally have this time of year. We even got a little snow yesterday.
I'd love to visit Banff. I may have to make a special trip there while I can still get around in a car. It's nice to hear from you gal, as always.
Have a blessed evening.
Tom
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We were supposed to stay in Jasper, but half the town burned and dozens of miles of forest in the end of July. It was very sad to just drive up there and see all the burned forest.
Comment from Iza Deleanu
I subscribe to your joy of warm days in the middle of the winter, and of course we need to clean. Thank you for sharing and good luck with your writings
reply by the author on 27-Jan-2025
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I subscribe to your joy of warm days in the middle of the winter, and of course we need to clean. Thank you for sharing and good luck with your writings
Comment Written 27-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 27-Jan-2025
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Hello Iza,
thanks so much for the fine review and comments gal. Today we woke to snow and strong, cold winds, and roads that were glaze ice. Travel was shaky at best. It was nice to enjoy the break in the weather though.
Have a blessed evening gal.
Comment from Debbie D'Arcy
Well done, Tom, for engaging in such a worthwhile activity! My husband would be very impressed. I used to lose him for hours. He would even take on people throwing rubbish out of parked cars, until one day the culprit started getting out of the car and was twice my husband's size. So my husband told him not to worry and picked it up himself!! But I must say, I never heard him make that comparison to Lays Potato Chips. You really must have it bad:)) Thank you for sharing another of your lovely, entertaining stories, Tom. I always end up smiling:) Debbie
reply by the author on 27-Jan-2025
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Well done, Tom, for engaging in such a worthwhile activity! My husband would be very impressed. I used to lose him for hours. He would even take on people throwing rubbish out of parked cars, until one day the culprit started getting out of the car and was twice my husband's size. So my husband told him not to worry and picked it up himself!! But I must say, I never heard him make that comparison to Lays Potato Chips. You really must have it bad:)) Thank you for sharing another of your lovely, entertaining stories, Tom. I always end up smiling:) Debbie
Comment Written 27-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 27-Jan-2025
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Hello Debbie,
thanks so much for the wonderful review gal. I don't know why I enjoy it so much. I've always liked finding things, I guess I don't have to look too hard to find the trash, unfortunately.
Have a blessed evening gal.
Tom
Comment from barbara.wilkey
You did a wonderful service cleaning up this trash. I don't understand why people would be so careless as to through that stuff out a car window, but they do. I'm wondering if it's worse today. People don't seem to care any more. Thank you for sharing.
reply by the author on 27-Jan-2025
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You did a wonderful service cleaning up this trash. I don't understand why people would be so careless as to through that stuff out a car window, but they do. I'm wondering if it's worse today. People don't seem to care any more. Thank you for sharing.
Comment Written 27-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 27-Jan-2025
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Hi Barbara,
I think there is a definite change in the way Americans think about things. On the one hand, the environmentalists have places like California so tied up with regulations, they can't even remove brush, so they end up burning up entire cities. On the other hand, people here in Alaska seem to think that it's alright to destroy the landscape by tossing garbage out the window. There is a mentality here that no one is going to tell me what to do. Without common sense regulations and enforcement, we descend into chaos. We need to find a balance somehow.
Have a blessed evening gal.
Tom
Comment from Robert Zimmerman
Hey Tom.
With that heat wave in Alaska, you managed to find some very fine entertainment for one day. I watched a driver one day throw a trash bag out the window. It was a little one, but it was full of trash. This is a mystery. I find it interesting that many earthlings don't realize that they live on earth and all the trash they throw out the window has to be dealt with. I guess they just believe they're not the ones that have to do it so they'll make it easy on themselves. You did well describing all the debris that you found along the way. Even though it required you to do some follow up, the story is very entertaining, and enlightening.
Robert
reply by the author on 27-Jan-2025
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Hey Tom.
With that heat wave in Alaska, you managed to find some very fine entertainment for one day. I watched a driver one day throw a trash bag out the window. It was a little one, but it was full of trash. This is a mystery. I find it interesting that many earthlings don't realize that they live on earth and all the trash they throw out the window has to be dealt with. I guess they just believe they're not the ones that have to do it so they'll make it easy on themselves. You did well describing all the debris that you found along the way. Even though it required you to do some follow up, the story is very entertaining, and enlightening.
Robert
Comment Written 27-Jan-2025
reply by the author on 27-Jan-2025
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Hi Robert,
it's especially aggregious that we live in a state where so many people love to hunt and fish and hang out in the wild outdoors, and yet some totally disregard the fact that they are ruining the area they play in. Plastic in particular is hard on wildlife, and so much of it ends up in out waters.
Have a blessed evening my friend.
Tom
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Hey Tom.
We live in a world where everyone lives in their own world. Between social media and troubled civilizations, every person is trying to get a little control over their out of control world. The don't think much past their last thought.
Thanks, friend.
Robert
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Unfortunately, I think you're right Robert.
