| 651 | On the Streets | 2012-05-25 |
During some recent walks, dog walks, runs, and bike rides, these are a few interesting observations ...
Organic Garden
Over the winter I have been watching a small garden grow. It is in a front yard that I pass on one of my regular running routes. Then, a couple of weeks ago, a friend and I ran the route that passed the garden and a young woman was outside tending the garden. We stopped and talked to her for a second. I told her how I had watched it growing over the winter in the small greenhouse and as a planted garden this spring. She told us a little about the garden and then offered to allow us to pick from the garden. She explained, the garden yielded more than she could use and that it was organic. We thanked her for the offer and continued our run. We had never seen the woman before, but her kindness was refreshing.
Recycling
I realize that recycling is sometimes difficult. Most of the recycling do's and don't's are listed on the underside of the recycling can's lid, but for further information, the Nashville recycling program has very helpful web pages. I am sure that the recycling programs in other cities or counties have similar helps.
Recycling in our area was last Wednesday. As I ran I saw the recycling team emptying the street side cans. Our normal truck has a robotic arm and the driver never gets out of the truck. Whatever is in the can gets emptied into the truck. The substitute truck used a lift to pick up the cans but as the material was dumped, the workers could see what was in the can. The workers took the glass out of the truck and gave it back to the recyclers. Nashville does not offer street-side glass recycling.
I thought it was great that the workers took the time to remove the glass. I hope the recyclers took the glass to the recycling center and did not just throw it in the garbage instead. Recycling is part of our civic duty. We need to know and to follow the recycling guidelines as we strive for zero waste.
Moving
As the area colleges ended their year, there were many trucks in the area moving off campus students out of their houses and apartments. While riding in the neighborhood I saw some folks carrying arm loads of belongings toward a U-Haul type truck. As I rode closer, I looked in the back of the truck... it was piled about waist high. The thing I found unusual was they did not seem to have used a single box. Everything was literally heaped into the truck and in no order. The moving style was so odd to me, that I circled around just to look one more time. I just felt sorry for whoever they would enlist to help them unload that truck!
Schools out
Most of the area schools are finished (or are finishing) for the year. The students are elated that school is out for the summer. It might come as a surprise, but there is a group of people who are happier than the students for summer to finally arrive and the school year to end... yes, it is the teachers! My wife regularly works 12 hour days as a teacher, then on the weekends she still has more work to complete. Yes, the teachers also need a summer break.
Happy on the streets trails
other On the Streets from the Journal
On the Streets - Halloween - 723
On the Streets - Christmas - 744
On the Streets - Late December - 750
On the Streets - February - 774