LAST DAY ON HUDSON RUN!!!

 

I was up early and picking up trash on Hudson Run at 8:30.  I worked nonstop 7 hours!  I picked up 4,890 pieces of trash and filled 13 trash bags, but it's done.  I cleaned the whole road, both sides.

DOZENS of people stopped to thank me.  I was beyond tired, and I hope nobody could tell.  The Barberton Police drove by at least 6 times, and that slowed traffic.  I felt good knowing they were watching out for me.

I saw this mess of cushion stuffing!  Wow!  There were two cushion that had not exploded, so it could have been worse.

I cleaned up as much as I could.  I left a little for birds' nests!

I started at Second Street, went over the bridge, cleaned around this busy intersection, and I filled a 42 gallon trash bag before I even got to the hard part!

There was a train and all the cars stopped and stared at me.  That was uncomfortable!

Disposable gloves?  The name doesn't mean you can "dispose" of them anywhere!  How gross is this?

Searching for glass beer bottles was so hard, but I think I got them all.

I found a pallet, and I put the next trash bag on it.  Hopefully the guys picking up the bags will take it too.

There was a dead raccoon a little past the pallet.  I cleaned up all the trash around him.  I hated that!  Ick!

I was so happy to see the trash bags I left last night.  That meant I was almost half done with this part of Hudson Run.

I crossed the street, and was happy to have the safety of the guard rail, but it wasn't all that great.  I hopped over the guard rail, and realized it slanted to a drop off!  Wow!  Made my knees shake a little! 

Yes, it was safer than the other side, but not at all safe.  I don't know what the answer is.  It's SO HARD to pick up trash here. Even if the nice people who live around here want to keep their neighborhood clean, it's probably not going to happen.

The thirteen bags are on both sides of the road.  Putting all the bags together is not something that I could do.  It was too hard to cross the road.

There was way more trash on the "safe" side of the guard rail.

And when I was crossing the bridge again, I found this huge bolt on the road!  Look how big it is compared to a fork!  I don't think I've ever picked up a bolt that big.

I limped to my car and loaded up my stuff.  I wish I had thought to take my water with me.  I was so thirsty.   I never in a million years thought I'd be out 7 hours!  Wow!

As I was drinking my water, I heard a can.  Somebody threw a pop can out their car window.  I saw it, but I didn't go pick it up.  Shame on them!  They did that on purpose, knowing I had just picked up all the trash!

Another guy in a hot rod slowed down and said, "I don't know how much they're paying you, but it's not enough!"  I said, "Thank you!"  I wish I had told him that I was not getting paid at all.  That might have given him something to think about as he drove around looking for trouble. 

And I saw a college age student walking on the opposite side of the street. I yelled over, "Much better now, right?"  He said with a great big smile, "It sure is!  Thank you.  I really appreciate it."

I feel bad for anyone who had to walk down Hudson Run when it was all trashed up.