Non-eclipse

Monday, April 8^th, 2024 – Safeway

Starting our week, the morning was cool, but dry and remained dry until just after we returned home. Perfect. We removed a medium-sized, roadkill raccoon. But we also picked up money in the gutter.

A quarter, nice way to start the week.

Then again, we also found a urine bottle.

Not a good way to start the week.

Here’s a TrashWalking hint.

The snap-in sunshades are becoming popular as the weather warms and the clouds clear. Helpful Hint: Don’t roll down your window while driving.

Today is the day of the total eclipse. We were not in the direct path of the eclipse, but we did get about a quarter eclipse here in Bothell. At 11:29am, the maximum of the eclipse, we took a picture of it.

Magnificent!

We needed to dump something in the 7Eleven dumpster and ended up looking behind the building.

We found nineteen empty mini bottles. Someone likes to buy a bottle at the 7Eleven and toss the empty behind the store. Or is this the employee break room?

This is an odd coincidence.

Today we found two death-related items. A card from a woman’s memorial and a letter sent out by a lawyer as notification of death of a second person.

Then later in the day, we received notification of the passing of a long-time friend, wonderful lady, mother, wife, and enjoyer of life. She is now enjoying her eternal life with our Lord.

Tuesday, April 9^th, 2024 – Park-and-Ride

The weather for today’s walk was warm and dry, at first. About ten minutes into the walk, a light mist started and by the end it was heavy. We arrived home soaked. We found no money today and removed a roadkill rat.

At park-and-ride, we picked up a cap.

It’s a boring cap, and unfortunately, it’s the most interesting thing we saw this morning.

So, we’ll check on what accumulated in Chuck’s vest pocket.

On the left, a gift card with a zero balance. We could only hope. More game cards including the best hand we’ve had, a pair of kings.

At the top, some runover writing implements including a pen from Electrocom. Electrocom has been around in some form since 1946 and appears to provide some communications design and consulting for the healthcare business, but it’s hard to tell from the website.

The other labelled pen is from Morgan Stanley, a wealth management company. So did someone toss the pen out of disgust? It is the smallest of the writing implements.

Below the pens are a couple of car parts and a white object wrapped in plastic. Chuck had no idea. When Janet saw it, she said it was a tampon. Oh.

Okay, then there was a tube of lip oil. So, is this for women who talk so fast that their lips need lubrication? If your mind went somewhere else, you have a dirty mind.

Below is a missing puzzle piece. Somehow, finding one of these is satisfying. We have a puzzle piece that will frustrate and leave someone with an empty sense of achievement. Anyway, it makes us feel better, because we have been there ourselves.

Next, someone tossed their parking ticket.

It would be more of a threat if the license plate were legible, which isn’t on the printout. However, there is a QR code that, if followed shows clear views of the license plate.

Feel free to scan the QR code and pay the fine for the guy. We’re sure he will appreciate it.

At the top again, a Cinderella hair clip, a Dino Island sticker, and a strap for something. Another sticker of a pug dog with a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses, and a keychain fidget toy, too small for our fingers. And finally, a mystery note.

It’s a drawing of an alien. An anatomically correct alien, male, we surmise. But we can’t be sure because it is an alien, after all.

Wednesday, April 10^th, 2024 – Safeway & 100^th Ave NE

This morning was colder but dry. We found neither money nor roadkill, but we did get a little gardening done on the way.

Two years ago, as we passed a section of Juanita-Woodinville Way, we spotted an interesting plant. After doing some research, we found it was a Poison Hemlock, a King County noxious weed. We accessed the King County website that instructed us to report the infestation, which we did. We received a phone message that the weeds had been eradicated, and on our next trip, we noticed that the plants had been pulled up.

Last year along the same area, we again saw the weeds sprouting, and being good citizens, we reported them. That time we received a call from a King County employee stating that it takes time for him to pull the weeds and, it would be great if we could do it for him. We thought this strange, but on our next walk by the area, we pulled them up, which was very easy by the way.

So Spring has sprung and so did some new sprouts.

As we passed the area, we did some weeding.

We will deduct the cost of pulling the weeds from our King County taxes. This should be fun.

On Norway Hill, we picked up some discarded trash.

A Costco box that originally contained 120 K-Cup Coffee Pods, but now it held fourteen empty cans. A six-pack of Georgetown Bodhizafa IPA, one of our favorites, and a six-pack of Seattle Cider cans. There were also two energy drink cans, because you need a pick-me-up to drive home after all that alcohol.

Thursday, April 11^th, 2024 – 160^th to 124^th Street

The weather this morning was warmer and still dry, very much appreciated. We found no roadkill and found some money.

A quarter and two pennies, twenty-seven cents, and no drive-thrus were involved.

The uptick in drug finds continued with another hypodermic needle.

On Norway Hill, we saw two crows fighting.

We have not seen this before. We often see them squabble over some food, but there didn’t seem to be food involved. One crow was on the ground and the other kept attacking. Then another crow entered the picture, literally, and the kerfuffle ended with all of them flying into different nearby trees. It looked like a love triangle to us.

Friday, April 12^th, 2024 – 100^th Ave NE

We had a nice walk this morning, dry with a temperature of 47°F (8.3°C). We didn’t encounter any roadkill but found another sixteen cents.

And yes, a certain drive-thru was involved.

Also, early on in our walk we found a tool.

A 13 mm Dewalt combination wrench, a nice break from the sockets we usually find.

On Norway Hill, we saw a chair in the ditch.

Unlike most discarded furniture we’ve found, this one was in excellent condition. Chuck pulled it out of the ditch to place by the side of the road in case someone accidently lost it. Of course, Janet suggested checking the cushions for lost change. But, the only thing we found was a pencil.

It didn’t have an eraser, so it’s no better than a ballpoint pen for doing crossword puzzles.

Saturday, April 13^th, 2024 – Riverside Drive

Today was another great morning for TrashWalking. We removed roadkill from the freeway on-ramp. The stupid mole should’ve learned how to merge. We also found more money.

Three separate dimes. It’s amazing how folks toss more money as it gets lighter out.

We picked up four tools today.

In the upper left, a blade cover for Stihl chainsaw. We thought is was a valid tool, but the TW judges rejected it as an accessory. Then there was the spatula which was again rejected with the claim it was a cooking utensil. On the bottom-left was a heavy-duty locking carabiner that we were sure would be valid because bungee cords are considered valid tools. But again the judges rejected it as a single componenent of a strap-down device. So, here we are, left with a stupid 8 mm socket. And some stupid judges to boot.

Someone left us an almost full bottle of Fireball Whiskey.

And we could use it after dealing with the judges.

Then someone left us an almost full bottle of urine.

Which we didn’t need at all.

Martin & Company Guitar coaster.

A drink coaster made from a guitar sound hole cutout. We found a set of four for $40 on Etsy, so this one should be worth ten bucks.

We found an author’s manuscript.

When we opened the cover, we discovered a six-page novelette about a little girl whose computer started gliching [sic]. It was a riveting story about glitching computers and screaming mothers being chased by fire ants. But we don’t want to give the ending away, you’ll need to wait until it comes out in print.

That wraps up our week. Our take,

• 98 Cents. Couldn’t quite break a dollar.
• 23 Mini liquor bottles.
• 3 Roadkill including a raccoon.
• 3  Mikes Hard Lemonade cans.
• 3 Balls.
• 2 Tools, stupid judges.
• 2 Urine bottles.
• 1 Golf cap.
• 1 Unpaid parking ticket.
• 1 Uncensored alien.
• 1 Crow love triangle.
• 1 Non-eclipse.

Have a great week and rember, don’t judge a book by its cover.