So, we’re into another week of COVID craziness here and the kiddos are looking at extended time off. It’s a fortunate thing that our wonderful school had the foresight to create some online learning videos, paired with the opportunity for messaging their teachers with questions, during certain times of the day. That being said, by the end of last week, cabin fever had set in and the isolation of social distancing was beginning to wear on this family.
The recent thaw of winter revealed humanity’s “best” behavior in the form of trash in the ditches. If you’d read my previous post, you’re aware that we don’t live in town and that we get some strange items dumped close to our doorsteps.
Wheelchairs aren’t the only thing that turn up on our beautiful countryside. In my nearly sixteen years here, I’ve seen countless beer bottles, coffee cups, flooring, an air conditioner, tires, televisions, a FULL- sized refrigerator, and once, a large, black plastic garbage bag that every crime show said I should NOT touch. Of course, I opened it. The contents, hold your breath, was potting soil. No, buddy just couldn’t dump out that “toxic” stuff and keep the bag. It’s a sad statement that people feel the need to use our neighborhood as a garbage dump.
This is not a rant, well, not all of it anyways, this is a post about teaching my kids social and environmental responsibility. Yes, this past weekend I took my offspring on a mission to clean up those ditches, I bought them each a ‘grabby-thing’ and they cheerfully went to town bagging recycling and garbage alike. When we were through, and after getting several compliments and thumbs up from neighbors and strangers driving by, there was a sense of pride and accomplishment among our trio.
My youngest, surprised and concerned, commented on just how much some people litter. I’m hoping that this experience has left an indelible impression on the value of good stewardship on their young minds. Here’s hoping for a more environmentally responsible generation. Below are just a few pics from our day.
Saving the world, one coffee cup at a time!
Braving the “fast flowing” depths of ‘Ditch Canyon’ to get that piece of plastic and check out the baby minnows.
Man Verses Nature, a discarded tire next to a beaver dam.
Hey folks, shingles belong on the roof, not in a marshland.
I’m sure that all of my readers are environmentally conscious, but if you know of anyone who considers the countryside as their personal landfill, please remind them that this world is ‘Borrowed from our children.’
Well done, sir! Give your young’uns a big thank you from the Internet!
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Will do, Mike. 🙂
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amen — nor are they dumping grounds for unwanted pets…
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Yes, that happens too, sadly.
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Unbelievable and sad that people think it’s OK to just dump stuff like that when there are actual places you can take them to for recycling. Thanks for teaching the children well:-)
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I agree, I hope the younger generation, “Get’s it right.”
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Good for you, and good for your kids! Bravo!!
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Thank you, Liz. 🙂
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You’re welcome, Mark!
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Mark, my hat is off to you! Teaching your children this valuable lesson is something they’ll never forget. I am constantly astounded at the ignorance of humanity when it comes to taking care of this beautiful planet.
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Thank you, Jan. You wouldn’t believe what people dump out here. Very frustrating. The kids felt like they were doing something really good.
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Because they were!
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What a great thing you’re doing, Mark! And you’re being a magnificent example to your kids. 👏🥰
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Thanks. I try, Vashti. 🙂
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A great idea, Mark. Well done to you. Somehow, I thought your job would be an essential service and that you would still be working. My kids are also home and we aren’t allowed out of the gate after tomorrow so it will be walking around the garden. for three weeks.
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I am still working, but I do shift work.
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Congratulations! Fly tipping is so annoying and potentially dangerous.
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Littering just shows how tone-deaf people are, Mark. Great lesson for the kids. The ones littering missed the lesson or were never taught. Good on ya, mate.
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Thanks John. I hate seeing litter anywhere, but especially where I live.
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Oh I totally agree. Anti litter campaigns have been going on for decades and still people throw stuff down.
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I think most people are aware and avoid this behavior, but there are some who will continue, no matter what. Living in a remote area, we are more likely to inherit the ‘big ticket’ items, like fridges and televisions.
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I think you are right about most people. The difference between the amount of effort to haul someting big to the country and taking it to a disposal site must be the charge to drop at the site.Maybe a free day at the site woud be beneficial.
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Actually, at our dump, if it has a cord you just have to drop it into the scrap metal bin. You can recycle tires for free there, too.
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Even harder to explain dumping on the road.
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They know someone will call the township and have it removed. I’ve done this several times.
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UGH
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Good post, Mark … using social distancing as a family to get out and do some good in these unsettling and tumultuous times. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks, i thought it would be a good use of this time, it was long overdue.
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Good pics, Mark.
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Thanks, Kevin.
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What a wonderful teaching moment! We have a guy that lives down the road that cleans our street almost every day. It’s sad that people view the Earth as a garbage can.
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I’m glad you have someone that does that, we need more like him.
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