Monday, December 12th, 2022 – Safeway
Another week toward winter solstice but the weather stayed about the same, 39°F (4°C) with just a small amount of rain, nothing to write home about. Again, we found no money but removed a roadkill rat from the road. We would have preferred the money since we don’t know the price a dead rat on the open market.
On Saturday, there was a wine-and-beer walk in downtown Bothell that we attended. The next day, as we were parking in the lot we clean up on Saturday, we saw some crows.
They were having a hay day picking through the rubbish in the overflowing bins. There was one upset white seagull atop the bin squawking, probably “No Fair!” but the crows didn’t pay him any mind. Later, the crows were gone, but the trash remained. They need bigger bins and to teach the crows to pick up after themselves. Or at least hire a couple of seagulls to clean up.
Someone left a couple of books by the side of the road.
They were young adult books, so looked interesting to us. One was Happy Birthday Bad Kitty, Seven bucks on Amazon. “It’s Bad Kitty’s birthday, and she’s wishing for a special gift. If she doesn’t get it, well . . . things won’t be pretty for her guests…“ This sounds like the intro to a feline horror film to us.
The other was Lulu Walks the Dogs. Nine bucks on Amazon. “Feisty Lulu sets out to make some dough in this illustrated chapter book with “plenty of appeal… this is standalone sequel to “Lulu and the Brontosaurus.” We are waiting for the next sequel, Lulu and the T-Rex. It should be deliciously funny.
We found an abandoned steam roller.
We don’t know why it was abandoned, but it will be a perfect stocking stuffer for someone we know and love.
We found another tossed phone.
This one was most likely a “burner phone” used to shield one’s identity for some reason. It is a TracFone BLU View 2 that costs thirty dollars and used for a prepaid period. When you are done with whatever use, just toss it out the window. The back cover and battery were missing, but the SIM card was still in it. We could put it in our phone to see what number it is. We could get in on a large drug deal. Or arrested for making harassing phone calls, who knows?
Tuesday, December 13th, 2022 – Park-and-Ride
The temperature this morning dipped to 33°F (0.6°C) which is still above our walking temperature. However, we bundled up and wore our new electrically-heated gloves and were reasonably comfortable. No money nor roadkill which, unfortunately, is becoming the norm.
We did find a t-shirt in the middle of Juanita-Woodinville Way.
It was frozen, so we bent it to fit in our bag and checked it out later when it thawed. It was a black Hanes shirt that had a hole in it and got tossed in the garbage.
In front of the Northshore Community Church on NE 145th Street we found another urine-filled bottle.
The pastor should think about reducing the length of his sermons.
Then, up Simonds Road, the remains of a lunch.
Some scraps of food wrappers, three AAA batteries and an empty Passion Orange Guava container. Oh, and yes, another urine bottle. Well, what do you expect after drinking a half-gallon of Passion Orange Guava juice. So, what does “passion” have to do with juice? We didn’t find any condoms nearby. There are the batteries, perhaps a vibrator was involved.
Wednesday, December 14th, 2022 – Safeway and 100th Ave NE
This morning was like being in Hawaii, a balmy 38°F (3.3°C). As we suited up, Chuck suited up normally while Janet layered and wore her heated gloves. Janet chose wisely. We found no money and no roadkill, but we did find some animal parts.
A reindeer car antler and one of those giant spiders from Australia. Or it may have been a fake, but either way it was creepy carrying it in our recycle bag most of our walk.
More condoms at the bottom of the Tolt Pipeline.
Three condoms sealed and unused. “Dang, where are they? I had them here, really. Wait, we don’t need them, I will be careful.” Famous last words.
Today, we found the back cover for the burner phone from Monday.
Still no battery, though. We should check out batteries for these. We might still get in on a drug deal.
We found a parking pass for a substitute at Juanita High School.
This might be fun for a day. We could teach some kids a lesson or two. Then again, it could go the other way and we are not sure we need any more life lessons.
We found some reading glasses for a one-eyed scholar.
Finally, a McLitterer in training. A littered happy meal.
That’s nice, the parents are teaching the kid to McLitter. He left the Happy Meal toy, a Hasbro Jenga game. Or perhaps he is not allowed to keep the toy until he completes McLitterer Training.
Thursday, December 15th, 2022 – 160th to 124th Street
The temperature dropped to 30°F (-1°C) this morning. We suited up in full cold weather gear including a wool vest and battery-heated gloves. Chuck was not warm, but comfortable. Janet was not warm and not comfortable.
We completed our Thursday walk that included the stretch of road near the freeway offramp that we missed two weeks in a row due to the snow. A lot of trash had accumulated including wine cans.
Fourteen cans of 14 Hands wine. That must have been quite a party which probably explains this.
Two condoms along the same stretch of road. They were frozen which, hopefully, happened after the fact. Or act. Doing the math, we picked up a total of 196 hands. We feel we deserve a hand for that. Another one.
We found a tool.
Another 10mm socket to add to the socket jar. 10mm is a very common size and it’s a bit rusty, but it is a deep socket. We probably only have four or five others in our socket jar.
We picked up a McLitterers’ McMess.
We have picked up over fifty of these before at a rate of two or three per week. Now it’s one every two or three months. Two clean breakfast platters and two McCafe teacups. Normally we find a smaller bag with plastic utensils, two syrups, and five or six pats of butter, all unopened, but the birds must have got them. Yes, the utensils too. The next day the syrups appeared.
Friday, December 16th, 2022 – 100th Ave NE
The morning temperature dropped to 28°F (-2°C). Chuck walked our normal Friday route, but Janet declined. Janet is smarter than Chuck.
As a reward for walking, Chuck found a tool.
A fish tape for running cables in walls. It could be handy, but it was either run over or frozen or both and did not spin. We will check it out when it thaws in the garage. It still counts for a tool, though.
Chuck found another cap at a bus stop.
Along with some food wrappers and a couple of beer cans, which may explain why the cap was lost. The cap looks a bit rough, but again, it may just be frozen. We will see if it is worth saving when it thaws.
On Simonds Road, someone lost a sixteen-foot length of PVC pipe.
Chuck pulled it out of the gutter and left it on the grass. Hopefully someone will pipe up and claim it, but that is probably just a pipe dream.
What morning would be complete without a bottle of urine?
Yesterday when we reached the top of Norway Hill the sunrise had already occurred. Today, the sunrise was still about ten minutes out, but Chuck took a picture anyway.
Nice, but not spectacular.
Coming down the hill, Chuck met a large coyote coming up.
Chuck stopped. The coyote stopped. Time stopped. A coyote howled in the distance. Wait, no, that last part didn’t happen. After about five seconds the coyote ran up the bank and into the woods. Chuck wasn’t worried about the coyote, we have encountered them before, and they always try to avoid us. Maybe we should try to corner one.
What the…
Near our house, someone dumped a large bag of trash. Chuck carried it the rest of the way home and put it in the garbage can of the house across the street. What are neighbors for anyway?
It’s Friday, time to check out what has accumulated in Chuck’s vest pocket.
Very little, really. A discarded plastic bag with a product card in it. Chuck would not have saved it except he recognized the company, Commscope, a provider of equipment to the Cable Industry. Nearly eight years ago, Chuck retired from a company named Arris that has since been acquired by Commscope.
Chuck was interested in what might have been in the package. The only product description was FHD-HJ1C-0150F. After spending several minutes of quality time searching the Internet, the item was a “Fiber Optic Drop Cable Assembly, hardened full-size to SC/APC, universal flat dielectric” 150 feet long. Chuck is still wondering what it was.
A slightly rusty binder ring, a long tire flattener and a new type of wire connector to replace wire nuts.
It looks a lot easier to use than a traditional wire nut and more expensive at about fifteen cents apiece. A traditional wire nut is about three cents.
Then there was another Washington State Lottery scratch-and-lose card.
But wait. The winning numbers are six and eighteen. This card has a six worth one dollar, and the fool tossed it. We can buy six of the new wire connectors!
Saturday, December 17th, 2022 – Riverside Drive
Today was slightly warmer at 30°F (-1°C) but there was some fog that was causing ice to form on some sidewalks and roads. Toward the end of our walk as the temperature began to rise, it got very slick.
We removed a large roadkill rat from the street but found some money.
One dime, the first this week. Looking back at the last two months, we seem be finding some money every third week. At this rate, it will be a long time before we can retire from Trash Walking.
We did find some tools, though.
An 8mm socket in good condition, two wire brushes with half the bristles missing, and a disposable grape harvesting knife. From the looks of the blade, they have been harvesting some tough fruit, but we don’t need that kind of knife anyway. But that just may be sour grapes.
A couple of run-over things.
A hubcap and a basketball. Wonder which one made the most noise when it was smashed?
Another lost knit cap.
It will be washed and taken to Goodwill along with the one from earlier this week.
Mail theft is getting out of hand.
This mailbox did not have a chance. It serves a cul-de-sac but is not in the cul-de-sac. It is on Riverside Drive away from the houses. Not very convenient for the residents but very convenient for the postman. And for thieves, we might add.
Under the freeway behind some bushes. we found some trash.
There was a large plastic bag with bread, peanut butter, homemade jam, and other items. Next to the bag was a donut box with a jelly roll in it. Also, they defecated in the box and yes, those are sprinkles.
This guy was fast. Next to the stop light at the freeway offramp, a condom wrapper.
The light is long, but not that long.
That wraps up another walking week. Our take this week,
- 10 Cents.
- 16 Mikes Hard Lemonade cans.
- 14 14-Hands Wine cans.
- 7 Dog poop bags and a human poop box.
- 5 Condoms, three unused.
- 3 Balls.
- 3 Urine water bottles.
- 2 McMesses, one adult and one child.
- 1 Scratch-and-Win card.
- 1 Murder of crows.
- 1 Burner phone minus battery.
- 1 Giant spider.
- 1 Timid coyote.
Have a great week and remember to double-check your scratch-and-lose cards.
Trash Walking 