BEST BLOG POST EVER!

 

Today was a great day to pick up trash in Dayton, Tennessee!  My son works at Suburban, and he was able to get permission from his boss for me to park in the company parking lot so I could finish cleaning Broadway.  That helped me so much.  

I had just started out and a man came walking up to me.  He said, "You're Mike's Mom?"  I said, "How did you know that?"  He said, "Trash cart!"  

The idea that my son is talking about me to his coworkers filled me with pride!  I smiled the rest of the afternoon! 

I said goodbye, and he told me to be careful.  I know there's a lot of traffic on Broadway. 

All those years of picking up trash on entrance and exit ramps in Akron taught me to be careful, especially when there's not much room between me and cars racing by.

I found this water bottle with miles of fishing line wrapped around it.  Do you think somebody tried to use it as a fishing reel?  

I've never picked up anything like this before.  Ick!

I arrived at the spot I really wanted to clean at the same time the train arrived.  I think this is my favorite picture!  What are the chances a train would be roaring by at the very moment I started picking up this mess?

And it was a mess.  I filled my trash bag and had to start on another one. 

People sit at the tracks waiting for the train to go by, and throw out the bottles and cans in their car.  I hope all the people who watched me pick up this garbage today realized that somebody has to pick it up.  It won't go away by itself. 

What a difference!  I drive by this area every day, and I will feel so good knowing that I did this.

I picked up 1,147 pieces of trash today.  I think that's the most in one day so far.

I headed back to Suburban, and I had to cross Broadway at this big intersection, and I saw it . . .  

A nail!  I rolled my trash cart back on the grass and waited until there were no cars coming, and I picked it up. I have no idea how I saw that tiny nail.  I guess after picking up thousands of nails, screws and bolts in Akron, it's just natural for me to see them.

What a great day!  All the areas I wanted to clean are done, so now I'll find another area to work on.  I heard there are several people in Dayton picking up trash like me.  I hope I get to meet them.

I've been in Tennessee six weeks and what a great decision it was to move here.  I happened to arrive at the Suburban parking lot at the very same time my son was leaving work.  We talked for a little while, and I gave him a big hug.  I'm so happy here!