First day of Trash Picking in the New Year

 I was back out picking up trash along the river yesterday.  First trash walk for 2018. Snow is melting.  Weather is approaching 50 degrees. Technically it's spring but that means nothing in Minnesota.  There will certainly be more snow.  Recently, my brother-in-law Bob showed me a Facebook article about folks in Sweden who jog and pick up trash.  They call it plogging.  https://mashable.com/2018/02/13/plogging-fitness-trend/#9YwcPXibUmqx  I'm only half Swedish and I don't jog. I really only meander and contemplate life while I pick up trash.   I still get all the benefits with walking, reaching, bending, and lifting.  I've got a few aches today.

I'm still working the area in between the Plymouth and Broadway bridges.  "The Stretch" is what I call it and why go anywhere else.  This may be the most neglected strip of park property in the Twin Cities.  There is no scheduled Park and Rec Earth Day cleanup here in April.  I don't think anybody has wanted to work this area.  But really with Pryes Brewery now located across the street on West River Road, it could be the perfect spot for a group to pick up trash and then meet for a beer.  I'll have the Dublin Dry Stout please.  https://www.pryesbrewing.com/

 

 In addition to the usual single serving chip bags, candy wrappers, cans and bottles, there was a ton of plastic sheeting material from pallets and large chunks of Styrofoam that blows in from all the industrial businesses that are located across the road.  It would be great if some of those employees had an opportunity to leave work a little early and stop by the park to clean up.

I came across two burn piles along the river.  That's not a campfire.  That's a spot where somebody is stripping copper for easy cash and sending pollutants into the river.  By the way, there is a pair of ducks that would like to start a family nearby.

Speaking of birds, I came across the remains of this large headless one.  Definitely 20 plus pounds. Is this a snow goose or maybe a swan? I wonder how many plastic bits were in its stomach.  As I was looking at these remains, I noticed a family further down the river throwing something in the water where I had just cleaned up. Up went a puff of something in the air.  As I was coming up off the river to the trash can, I saw them carrying an urn back to their car.  There goes Grandpa heading over the St. Anthony Falls to the hereafter.  For myself, I am starting to think that the mushroom suit might be a cool way to dispose of whatever is left of me. Do we have that option yet in Minnesota?  https://grist.org/living/mushroom-burial-suit-turns-dead-bodies-into-clean-compost/

There are always a few of these needles to be found.  Put them in a bottle and cap it off. Safety first.

Someone has been having fun under the Plymouth Bridge recently.  How warm does the air temperature have to be for the city to repaint this?

Final photo for the day before I head home. This decaying fish (an eagle's lunch?) along the shore reminded me of that big trash pool the size of Texas floating out in the Pacific and the problem it is causing for aquatic life.  https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/great-pacific-garbage-patch-full-ocean-plastic-keeps-growing-n859276    Personal responsibility and the work we do in our own communities is only a part of it.  So how are we going to solve that problem?  Will it eventually wash up on Venice Beach in California?

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.

Far Beach

Looking upstream

Looking toward downtown

I call this beach Far Beach because it is the farthest beach from home when I do my trash walking.  That is the Plymouth Bridge in the photo on the left.  All the land in this stretch (about one mile) from downtown to the Plymouth Bridge is wonderful park land.  I think this beach is starting to look pretty good.  There is still plenty to do but I feel progress is being made.  

My escort says enough is enough, time to get home!  I love that tree.

We were watching the big fish in the river last night vacuum up cigarette butts in the river and then vomit them back up.  Maybe those fish are smarter than humans!  Better than watching TV.