Cleaning in the Weeds

I've had a busy couple of days here walking from downtown Minneapolis to the Broadway Bridge and beyond.  I wanted to get out some of my aggression by picking up Styrofoam bits along the stretch after listening to Trump tell the world that the USA would be leaving the Paris Climate Agreement.

First I want to thank the City of Minneapolis and Park and Rec for their removal of this graffiti at First Bridge Park.  I used the online city graffiti complaint page to ask for this to be covered over because it is neither artistic nor interesting.  The online method is pretty painless.  Take a picture, give the location (street address or intersection) and wait a couple of weeks.  (I did pick up that trash there on the steps.) 

I made a little cardboard dust pan to sweep up this mess.  I left 3 pennies behind.

Goat's Beard are blooming along the walking path.

I found this stuff in the weeds near the ramp where the water skiers do their summer shows.  That can opener is an old model.  The engine additive has probably already caused some pollutants to get into the river.

Artifacts...we are just supposed to leave them alone.  I think it depends on what it is.

There is always so much Styrofoam along this section of the Mississippi River.  The small bits are such trouble to gather up.

Sometimes I find interesting stuff along the way.  That's a bag of weed just below the beer can.  About 2 cups worth.  What's the street value of that?  Since I was almost to the Park and Rec Office I walked it over there.  The Park and Rec Police office in that same building.  They were not that eager to have me turn it over to them.  They said I should have called 911.  Such a bother.  I should have just dumped it in the weeds and recycled the bag.  Anyway, if you are missing your pot, try the lost and found at Park and Rec.

What's Burning?

A couple of weeks back I was walking north of the Plymouth bridge along the park path and was struck by the thought that all the trash in this area is just waiting to wash into downtown Minneapolis next spring.  It will flood and when it does this will all end up in one of those litter snags downtown.
 

 

The mile long stretch of beach between the Plymouth Bridge and the Broadway Bridge has plenty of trash but it is quite easy to get to.  No fallen trees to climb over.  No ravines to climb into.  So I walked up there today and started working.

The wild asters are still looking good even though it has gotten pretty cold.

I found a big black bag to use.  That's an old fire extinguisher on top.  I picked up the usual stuff plus one flip flop and one child's snow shoe.  Occasionally I find hypodermic needles on the beach and there was one there today.

People do make fires along the river.  Those aren't cigars in that fire pit. I met a guy about a month ago at the grand opening of the Mississippi Watershed Stormwater Park.  He told me that sometimes people who want to extract the copper from wire (or whatever) will burn the plastic (or insulation?) in fire pits along the river and then cool it in the water.  I probably have the details wrong but pollution is the result.

  

There was a lot of weird looking stuff around and in the fire pit.

Sometimes I find things that I like to keep.  I'm up to about $1.85 now for my efforts.