Wet Clothes and Waders

 The journey of this pair of waders started about two weeks ago on Fisherman's Point on the north bank of Bassett Creek where the creek meets the Mississippi River.  I was so tempted to take these hip waders home. They would definitely fit me.  Think of all the trash one could haul in by just being able to wade out a few feet in the river.   I came to my senses and left them.

On the south side of Bassett Creek, I had been waiting patiently for the river to go down so I could haul in this pile of clothes that had been snagged on a tree branch for the last many months.  When I finally dragged them out they must have weighed about 80 pounds.  I left them for a few hours hoping they would perhaps dry out a little and be easier to manage. There is still a tent including poles that is partially submerged and hopelessly tangled around a tree stump.  Someday I'll try to hack it out of there.

Later in the day I hauled the clothes up to the top of the new stairs that were built last fall.  I didn't have the energy to continue on to the trash can so I just left them.  There used to be a trash can closer to this location but Park and Rec has not put out yet.  I figured the maintenance folks would see my pile soon enough.  When I walked by a few days later the clothes were gone.  I continued up river to see about those waders.  Gone too.

Further up stream along the stretch, as always, there was lots to pick up.  And quite a few shoes.  I started to count them just for something to do.  There were the lone flip flops, the boot, the white shoe, the loafer.  Maybe 12 in total.

A few days later I was picking up trash again just south of Bassett Creek on a hidden beach I call Middle Beach.  There were those waders again and yet another mess of clothes in the muck.  I hauled some of them out.  So now the waders are mine, all mine I thought to myself.

Fast forward to this morning.  Fueled by coffee and cookies I stuffed those waders with sticks and stones so they can stand up by themselves.  Add a nice but dirty XL Columbia Jacket with a channel 9 news logo on it.  Create a makeshift head with materials on hand.  Now I just need a hat and a pair of sunglasses.  I'll have no trouble finding those sometime soon and who knows maybe someone else will add to my creation.

Spring Flood Finds

There's no getting those pants clean.  I fished them out of the river at Middle Beach just south of Bassett Creek on my leisurely walk from downtown to Ole Olson Park this afternoon. I left them to dry a little in the sun and then picked them up on my return trip. I've had some productive days picking up trash in the last month in spite of snow and now high water. With spring flooding here comes the flotilla of possessions from folks temporarily living on the river upstream.

Tarps, clothes, sleeping bags and miscellaneous junk gets snagged on trees along the shore.   I worked on some of that today, but I'll wait until the water recedes for most of it.  Or maybe the folks who come out for Earth Day on May 12th will find this spot and finish it off.

There were three or so plastic bags submerged in the water near shore that I dragged out.  I was hoping for money, but when I emptied them out I found all kinds of scrap metal including silverware and wire.  Ah, the efforts of someone along the river getting ready to sell scrap to Northern Metal.  Well, I dumped everything in the Park and Rec trash barrels except the copper wire.  I wonder what that's worth.  Probably not enough to buy myself a beer over at Pryes Brewery on the way back.  Perhaps someone could make an art project with that nice shiny wire.

When I finally arrived at Ole Olson I was hotter than heck and spring felt like we had gone straight to summer.  A group had already been there doing their cleanup thing.  Good work bringing those carts up from the river.  Time to slog home....and I did stop at Pryes Brewery to try their new Dublin Dry Stout. Yum!

Shipwreck at First Bridge Beach

It's going to be another hot day here and the storm from a couple of days ago took out our air conditioner.  So off for an early morning walk before it gets too muggy.  I spotted this little tableau at the beach at First Bridge Park near the Hennepin Avenue Bridge.  I always appreciate folks who leave a little scene like this for me to discover on one of my walks along the river.  There is a story here.  There was a man and a small child.  He didn't make it, but the mermaid took the child to the shore who raised it on sushi.  Many years later....

Further along the river at Middle Beach the storm created a big snag of tree trash mixed in with garbage.  The great thing is most of it is easily accessible from the shore.

I'm just going to spend twenty minutes here which is about what I can put in one big bag.

There is always some interesting stuff in the mix of trash.  Cute clog.  That's a handle from a water ski rope.  I'll be back up here next week.  Hope the mermaid is still there next time.

Working the Snag

I was working "The Snag" this morning.  That's a spot on the south end of Middle Beach with some big downed trees where trash collects after spring flooding.

I found the usual stuff plus that odd bulbous looking plastic thing in the center of the photo.  It was stuck pretty tight under a log in the water.  It's got a tube running out of the bottom end of the thing.  Medical device of some sort?

There is plenty of stuff that is trapped under all the tree debris.

I can see why someone threw this shirt out.  I looks too much like old prison issue.

I often find old metal things that have been trashed in the river.  It's too heavy to bring up and I'm pretty sure Park and Rec don't want it in their trash can.

It's not everything but it's a start.

End of the Season

Pondering the last six months of trash picking.

   Love nature, get some exercise, soak up the vitamin D.

See something fun.

See something unfortunate.

Look a little closer at things.

Watch water levels change.

Reaching a goal.

And finally, finding another giant litter snag.

Can I get to that before winter?  Absolutely!  

Beach Chair

Bassett Creek Outlet

I've spent a little time on all of the beach areas in my "adopt a river" mile this week.  I thought I had wandered into someone's camp for a minute and was going to leave when I realized it was just an abandoned broken chair.  When stuff like this gets left down here the spring flooding will sweep it up and take it downstream along with other garbage and debris from downed trees.  I took the chair bag and left the chair in a spot where I could grab it later.  It is now sitting next to that stove top that I don't know what to do with.

With low water levels so much trash in the mud is exposed and easy to be picked up.

As the summer is quickly coming to an end I am starting to contemplate what I need to do before it turns cold.  There is still a mess on the south side of Bassett Creek.  I think I will eventually be able to scoot down the hill and pull that trash out but for now it is too muddy.  The traffic of people using the park will start to decrease soon.  Once my mile is clean, the question is how to get people to pick up after themselves.

Middle Beach Litter Pool

Just over this log at the end of Middle Beach we found a nice litter pool waiting for us this morning.

That laundry basket came in handy for trash collecting

Victor Leavy, your basketball ended up here in case you were wondering what happened to it.  It didn't look like it could be salvaged.

Handguns and funyuns were just some of the junk from this morning.

And just about done.  Does that shadow make me look fat?