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Post by hushnel on Jul 9, 2023 11:01:58 GMT -5
It all started about 6-8 weeks ago. At the age of 70 my brain told me to get off my butt and and get more exercise, than just my daily kicking around. Being pretty banged up from a life of reckless behavior, leaving me with two trick knees one of which is missing the patella, a partially paralyzed right arm from breaking my neck, a crushed left hand, the Doc told me I’ed never play music again, sent the Doc a link of me sitting in with Albert Castiglia at the Highdive in Gainesville about two months after my last appointment with him. I figureded that walking was about as benign as I could manage. So I started taking a walk around the block, which is 5 miles including only one dirt road that is just under 2 miles. I was picking up some stuff at one of the hardware stores, as I was heading to the cash register I saw a pick stick used for picking up trash. I carry it when walking, I also wear a florecent green and white stripped vest. I carry a bag made out of a 30 pound cat food bag, I used sturdy tall kitchen bags as the liner. At first I needed three to get the trash cleared up. Now I can usually get it all with one bag. Often two after a weekend. I’m interested in the various responce of the locals. No properties less that 5 acres, most of the homes are much larger, mine is 21.2, some up to a few hundred to a thousand acres. I’ve a couple shady spots I stop to rest, I carry water. So far I’ve noticed that the people driving past me have started waving, more recently a few have stopped to talk with me, the people driving past me are starting to smile and wave. No offers of water or tea, yet. Most of the family dogs have stopped barking at me. People are starting to wave. Two younger guys in their early 20s stopped to talk to me a few days ago. They thanked me for the cleaning, they mentioned they were players and invited me to join them at their next outdoor get together. Besides the picking, every few days, I use a closing jaw type device instead, that can pick up bottles etc. Yesterday my total yield was one tall kitchen bag. It was heavy though. One gentleman engaged me in conversation, then offered to add my trash to his trash can, he has trash pick up, the rest of us take our garbage to one of the local Suwannee Vally refuse locations, I’ve mentioned these in the past as it often turns into musical jam. |
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Post by LTB on Jul 9, 2023 11:28:41 GMT -5
What motivation you have Mike! What makes it really cool is that not only are you making friends but getting invites to Jam sessions. If the Nerve Stimulator test works for me and the Put one into my back I hope to get out and walk too!
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Post by Taildragger on Jul 9, 2023 11:49:25 GMT -5
Neighborhood Beautification!
Good on ya!
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Post by hushnel on Jul 10, 2023 8:58:42 GMT -5
LTB, your in my prayers brother.
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Post by oldnjplayer on Jul 10, 2023 10:09:42 GMT -5
The environmental clean up is awesome, but I am really impressed that you walk five miles a day. Yow, I struggle to do two, and I'm just a bit older than you with good knees.
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Post by tahitijack on Jul 10, 2023 10:25:06 GMT -5
After the fourth of July we spent the morning of the 5th on the beach picking up the crap left behind by out of towners. Got mist of it but needed Saturday to finish.
Some of us work to preserve our pier year round. Pier Pride as they say.
You are welcome to visit our sleepy little beach town but please take your stuff home when you leave.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Jul 10, 2023 10:44:22 GMT -5
Cool stuff Mike. I'm amazed by the amount of trash everywhere I look. Roadsides, parks, even my street. A local park has a lake with 2 docks. The trash accumulated in the shoreline growth is dispicable. I understand some may be little kid's stuff that blows off the dock when fishing, but man, the amount just saddens me. Just yesterday I said to my wife I should get one of those grabbers and pick up when we visit the park since apparently no one else does. But one would really need waders or a boat to get it all, and well, I'd be leary of the one gator I know that resides there.
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Post by hushnel on Jul 10, 2023 10:52:41 GMT -5
The first time I walked it two days in a row I could really feel it. I can do it every day now and feel very little discomfort. I got out early yesterday before the rain. I took my grabber rather than the pick. I don’t pick up the glass bottles every time I walk the route, yesterday was a pick up bottles day. It added so much weight that I had to stash them and pick them up with the Jeep when I got home. Other than the bottles, usual for weekend picking, I can nearly walk the circuit with very little trash.
I’m not picking today, I did Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s Raining today. Picking weekends gets most of the trash from the trash tossed out the window off moving cars and pickup trucks, very prevalent in these parts.
I’ve found some cool stuff as well, a perfectly clean and unused “Don’t Tread on Me” patch, and a huge bolt including the nut, weighs 5 pounds or more, no rust.
The trash jam at the dump is on Mondays and Wednesdays, I didn’t make it today, rain. My life is literally in the trash and I’m loving it “0)
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Post by hushnel on Jul 10, 2023 11:10:00 GMT -5
The environmental clean up is awesome, but I am really impressed that you walk five miles a day. Yow, I struggle to do two, and I'm just a bit older than you with good knees. My retirement plan was designed towards activity. We purchased a 21.2 acre farm with a Florida Cracker house built in the mid 1800s, and the 1600 sq foot concrete block workshop. I enjoy the rainy days, even at that I may knit or work on other hand crafts. |
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Post by Taildragger on Jul 10, 2023 11:12:15 GMT -5
Our dogs need daily exercise and the sensory stimulation walking a couple of miles provides. They keep me from getting lazy and skipping a day. Helps keep the bunch of us healthy.
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Post by slacker 🐨 on Jul 10, 2023 11:25:04 GMT -5
It's cool that you do that.
It's sad that there's that much to pick up
I could not walk that now that my "good" hip is going bad.
The litter in Punta Cana last winter was insane...almost like carpet it was so bad. You could fill a huge garbage bag in less than a block.
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I’m picky
Jul 10, 2023 12:18:27 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by Auf Kiltre on Jul 10, 2023 12:18:27 GMT -5
Deliberate littering is an act of misanthropy, no different than arson or vandalism IMO. I wonder if picking up trash is still employed in court ordered community service. You certainly don't see any evidence of it here. Down the block is a big pile grass clippings in the middle of the road that probably fell from a maintence crew's trailer. If that was in front of my house, especially if it came from my yard, I'd be out there with a shovel and broom. Kudos to those who take the initiative to make up for the shortcomings of others. If I had a wheelbarrow I'd roll it down there and clean it up myself. Maybe I need to improvise.
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Post by hushnel on Jul 10, 2023 12:45:43 GMT -5
My brother does the walk the dog thing, he also works out in his weight room. He’s 18 months younger than me. We have two sisters. All of us take care of our selves. I’m the only one that doesn’t have a dog, though I do have a farm cat. Smokey is the guardian of the old cracker house, no rats or other small critters.
The day job was tough on me.
I freaked out at work, I was calibrating a standard medical scale. It neared 280 lbs when I stepped on it. I had already stopped consuming alcohol and pot, that was 30 years ago. I’ve been conscious of my health ever since. I let the job get to me, I corrected that years before retirement.
I’m still having a tough time getting in a band. The reason is just insane. I’ve just about given up, I can say my classical finger picking is really getting tight. I’ve got Chan Chan by the Buena Vista Social club just about nailed.
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Post by Ragtop on Jul 10, 2023 12:49:49 GMT -5
We live in a sprawling neighborhood with big lots and dirt roads. Our road is kinda off to the side, with practically zero car traffic, so we get lots of dog walkers. More dogs than cars, for sure.
Some of the dog walkers bag up their dog's poop, but most do not. Not a problem, as I walk my dog up there a couple times a day and don't pick it up. But once a week or so, I go up there and clean up all the poop. Not a big deal, takes about 15-20 minutes. Just did it this morning, in fact.
I have this amazing poop picker-upper that works great. Got it from TSC. I swear, I could pick up dimes off the road with it. So if I ever find a dog that craps dimes, I'm ready!
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I’m picky
Jul 11, 2023 5:42:46 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by LTB on Jul 11, 2023 5:42:46 GMT -5
LTB, your in my prayers brother. Thank you Mike! Much Appreciated 🤗 |
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Post by hushnel on Jul 13, 2023 15:02:18 GMT -5
Just got back from picking the rural route. Got most of the bottles together. Some eluded me. I need to get or make up some some smallish spotting flags, so I can find them all, when I’m picking them up with the Jeep.
Noticed more waving, a good looking woman rolled her window down and waved.
As a social experiment it’s getting interesting. I’m averaging just around three hours from start to finish. A couple of dogs have stopped barking at me.
I mowed an acre or two before I got to the trash picking. I’ve found that drinking a bit of water before your thirsty works a lot better holding of exhaustion and fatigue.
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009
Wholenote
Take me to your leader!
Posts: 524
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Post by 009 on Jul 13, 2023 15:57:09 GMT -5
If you know a utility worker/inspector, see if he can give you a few of those small flags that these guys use to mark gas lines, etc., before construction (digging) begins. My street was full of them a couple of months ago, just before it was repaved; I would have sent you some....
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009
Wholenote
Take me to your leader!
Posts: 524
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Post by 009 on Jul 14, 2023 7:36:19 GMT -5
You probably know this, but I wanted to know the names of these flags. I checked Lowes and they mostly call them "marking flags," and they cost a lot more there than at Home Depot. HD generalizes these as "stake flags." They have a small package of 10 flags for $3 ("irrigation flags"), and packages of 100 for $10 ("stake flags"). www.homedepot.com/s/stake%20flag?NCNI-5 |
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Post by hushnel on Jul 14, 2023 14:05:58 GMT -5
I did a quick check and found 100 for around $10. I’ll have them this weekend. I took Wednesday and today off picking this week. I’ve got more grass to mow, put new blades on the mower this morning, just doing that this morning was 2,201 steps.
I’ll hit it again tomorrow and Sunday.
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Post by hushnel on Jul 22, 2023 14:50:29 GMT -5
The loop is so clean now I can walk it without the picking tools. Even last weeks Saturday and Sunday trash was very light. Yesterday I walked the loop and picked less than a small Gerocery bag in the 5 mile loop.
Got waves from most of the traffic. I think I’ll go for a walk. It’s about three hours, then again tomorrow.
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Post by hushnel on Jul 31, 2023 10:30:17 GMT -5
I’ve walked the route 5 days in a row, including yesterday. No pain in my legs at all. I’ve been hitting it pretty hard. I was taking a water break watching the baling machine rolling up the hay. Really cool machines. The hay cutter the roller then the bale lifter, the hay barns are all packed. As I’m watching this guy walks over to me and we start talking, I offered him water ala “Stranger in a Strange Land”. He asked me were I live and mentioned how clean the roads were getting. He, was a little surprised that I had been in the neighborhood for the last 11 years. Gave him a short history of South Miami and working in Bio-Medical engineering for 30 years.
He gave me his business card with his number and address and invited me to stop buy. I’ll do some research and find out who he is. He owns a few thousand acres. He asked me about the picking. I told him that initially I was walking the 5 mile loop for exercise a couple days a week, but all the road side trash was pissing me off and was inspired by a traditional trash picker at the Ace Hardware store.
I have a much better picker now, very efficient, lite and perfect for the job. Initially I made up a litter bag out of a 30 pound feed bag. Then came across a trash ring that a standard kitchen trash bag fits into with a fairly quick change out.
Well I’ve got grass to mow, got to get to it.
The effort has gone from 2 to full 3 bags of trash to 1/4 bag of trash.
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Post by LTB on Jul 31, 2023 13:52:42 GMT -5
Sounds peaceful and full of new experiences each time Mike
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Post by hushnel on Aug 1, 2023 8:09:21 GMT -5
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Post by LTB on Aug 1, 2023 18:40:20 GMT -5
pretty cool! I have a deal that has pinchers on the end and a button on handle that had since 2010 after triple bypass to pick up stuff off the floor such as remote control so I didn’t have to keep calling someone. |
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I’m picky
Aug 1, 2023 19:11:22 GMT -5
via mobile
LTB likes this
Post by Mfitz804 on Aug 1, 2023 19:11:22 GMT -5
Basically a giant garbage tweezer. That’s a great idea, and probably more efficient for some things than one of those pointy ones.
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Post by hushnel on Aug 2, 2023 13:39:29 GMT -5
I started with with a pole and-hardened steel nail: it works fine, you can stab a stack of trash, from paper, to cans, plastic and styrofoam, glass bottles need the gripping claw, which works well picking up nearly everything. The EJG 36" Long Trash & Garbage PickerGrabber, Lightweight Aluminium picker does it all, it’s lightweight, effortless even picking up bottles and broken glass. This kitchen bag holder/frame works really well. www.amazon.com/Bag-Ringer-Handy-001-Opener/dp/B007AKA1JSI use the “MOSISO 56 inch Shoulder Strap”,for the bag ring, the strap is multi functional. |
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Post by LTB on Aug 2, 2023 19:36:36 GMT -5
Do you ever find anything worth keeping or is it all Trash?
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Post by hushnel on Aug 3, 2023 12:29:31 GMT -5
I found a large bolt and nut, weighs about 3-4 lbs, a perfectly clean “Don’t Tread On Me” patch. When I finished up this morning, just at the edge of my property I rescued a Tortoise on the road trying to claw through my fence, I picked him up and placed him at the edge of my wilderness area.
Getting a lot more conversation. I did the loop in 2 hours today. What I picked today wouldn’t fill a sock. A couple people stopped and talked to me. I moved another tortoise off the road today, second one in the last two days.
A neighbor’s dog came up to me barking, I walked over to him, told him
he‘s a good boy, he followed me, he came up to me, I petted him then told him to go home and he did.
Spoke with an older guy at the end of my road, for close to an hour, he pointed out the rattlesnake crossing, he tells me it’s 8 foot or longer, good to walk the middle of the road on these dirt roads, they don’t kill them as long as they stay out of the chicken’s coop.
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Post by hushnel on Aug 16, 2023 14:27:15 GMT -5
I got home yesterday from the Atlanta Jam. Val and I walked every day at the camp ground the 7 days we stayed. We Usually walked a couple of miles a days up to 4 miles a couple of times.
I didn’t do Justice playing bass with the fist, guys, tunes I didn’t know: Got a chance to play again, still un unfamiliar but more 1,4,5 ish.
I really enjoyed the jam.
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Post by hushnel on Aug 27, 2023 11:32:45 GMT -5
Last week I picked the road that takes us out of the community circle. It’s close to 4 miles round trip. On my way back to the farm a woman offered me water. We spoke for a while, it came out that I was a musician. She asked me if I knew her grandfather. I used to visit Pete when I drove by and Pete was sitting by his mobile home with his dog. A year or so ago I noticed I wasn’t seeing him sitting outside. I was afraid he passed. I didn’t know any of his family or what their relations were. She confirmed that he had passed. I only had one opportunity to sit in with Pete, in Gainesville Fl. I knew him from the short visits , I never mentioned to Pete that I played with him once. I did have an opportunity to have Pete to sign the surf green Tele bass I made at the farm, I made this bass to take up to Wooten Woods for the week long bass education with Victor Wooten, Future man, Anthony Wellington, Chuck Rainey, Steve Bailey, and Dave Welsh. barsnbands.net/listings/bands/1096/ |
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