Trash walking yields two bags full

It was a Marlboro morning.

For my morning walks, I have started carrying a couple of plastic bags and picking up trash. In the midst of this July heat wave, I got out early and chose a route that was mostly in the shade. Picked up 8 empty Marlboro packages, a lot of bits of plastic, some ugly luncheon remains, and the sponge from a small gas tank.

Surprisingly, only two Bud Light cans this morning. Gas prices spiked this week, so perhaps the high prices kept guys from their evening drive and drink outings on Mount Vernon’s back roads.

One person was particularly thoughtful. He put the remains of his lunch – a plastic bottle, chip bag, M&M container, and sandwich wrap, inside a crackers box – before tossing it all out the window. Made cleaning up his lunch a lot easier.

Came home with both plastic bags (one from Shaws and one from the IGA) full of trash, and a lengthy piece of plastic sheeting. Perhaps Lin can use that in her gardens.

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.