Picking Up Some Dog Trash

The dogs have been back pulling their favorite toys from the youngest of the Blue Jay Barrens archaeological sites.  I usually just gather up their litter and put it back near the edge of the junk pile.  I finally got tired of picking up the same items each month, so I took a paper feed sack back to gather up those pieces that are continually relocated.  I just can’t understand why those stray dogs put so much effort into dragging this stuff around.

This seems to be the dog’s all time favorite bit of debris.  I’ve found the shoe as far as 200 feet from the pile.  The last dog managed to make two pieces out of it. 

There are several fresh doggie tooth marks in the heel.  This must be a good tasting piece of plastic.

Plastic bottles are another favorite.  Most of the plastic has turned brittle over the years.  The dogs chew the bottles into small bits that can be aggravating to collect.

This aluminum casing from an old radio tube was carried away, but not chewed.  A previous owner of this property worked in a TV and Radio repair shop.  He regularly brought home old TV sets and radio chassis.  Some of this stuff was dumped over the hill and the rest was left sitting around the barn yard.

The dogs couldn’t get the cap off of this whiskey bottle.  It doesn’t look like the contents are all that appetizing.  I used to have a dog that could have chewed up this bottle and eaten the broken glass.  He was like the old stereotype goat that would eat tin cans.  His droppings used to sparkle in the sunlight.

Raised letters warn that “Federal law forbids sale or reuse of this bottle”.  That warning was required on liquor bottles from the end of Prohibition until 1964.  I guess the dogs weren’t aware that they could wind up in Leavenworth for turning the bottle into a toy.

Giant Black Snake

I was working my way up a steep slope, looking for anything interesting, when I spotted the coiled body of a huge black snake. I had only seen a snake of this size once before, so I proceeded with caution in an attempt not to scare it away.

I chose a low approach and managed to get within a few feet of the snake. It was huge, with a look of age about it. It hadn’t moved since I spotted it, so there must be something holding its attention. I carefully rose up to find the head.

Well, it’s not often you just find a segment of a snake. Apparently my initial assumption of identity had been incorrect.

I was correct about one thing, though. I had indeed seen a snake once before that exactly matched the size of this specimen. In fact, this very piece of pressure hose had years ago fooled me into thinking it was an enormous snake. That event had taken place a hundred yards away on the other side of the hill. What was my snake mimic doing here?

The grass that had been trapped beneath the hose was still green and fresh, so it had not been covered long. I have a feeling that my dog friends have once again been pulling items out of my archaeological sites and scattering them about the prairie. At least this bit of trash hadn’t been chewed to bits.

I released the snake into its preferred habitat. This is where I originally saw it many years ago. Hopefully, it’ll stay put.

Tractor Invasion

I found the large prairie being overrun with tractors. I guess it wasn’t a great threat, but it did get me thinking about a time in the past when tractors were used for plowing, planting and harvesting this field. Before that it would have been mule power. It makes me wonder what would have been here if the land had remained undisturbed during the last 200 years.

Though they were abundant, these tractors were pretty well behaved. They look like part of a pajama pattern. I’m sure you know what it really is.

I’m beginning to wonder if my perception is off. First I mistake a bit of the local flora for a discarded volleyball and now I spot a bit of trash in the prairie and think it’s an expanding batch of milkweed seeds.

It’s just 2011 balloon number 4. The rain of discarded helium balloons has remained fairly constant for the last 25 years. I guess ceremonial balloon releases are not impacted by changes in the economy. There are several local children who would have been thrilled at a tractor themed birthday party. Perhaps that’s where this came from. Was this a single balloon that escaped the grip of a child or was it part of a mass release? I guess the lesson being taught is that it’s OK to litter as long as the trash is being thrown into the sky and not directly onto the ground.

Christmas in April

I must admit to having had strongly conflicting emotions when I found this piece of trash in the woods. When I first saw it from a distance, I had my typical negative emotions towards litter. However, when I caught sight of the picture, I experienced the sudden flush of joy that a child gets when confronted by Christmas. The litter suddenly had value and was no longer trash. With the folded scrap secure in my pack, I carried along a little bit of Christmas on the rest of my walk.

A decorated Christmas tree. Maybe not traditional for Christmas, but a Serviceberry in bloom certainly appears to be adorned with ornaments. The showy white flowers of these small understory trees become quite noticeable in the springtime woodland.

A present under the tree. The Eastern Box Turtles dig in for protection on cool spring nights. It’s not unusual to see them decorated with dried mud picked up from their temporary quarters.

A Christmas plant. Downy Rattlesnake Plantain is one of the most beautiful plants in the woods. The dark green leaves with their white veins are so attractive that it seems a distraction to put a bloom atop the plant.

A Christmas song. Neither a partridge nor a pear tree, but a beautiful song. Field sparrows have taken to the low trees around the field to advertise their claiming of a territory and availability as a mate. The melodious song is one of those good things that comes from a small package.

Living Down Wind

I have to begin with a cautionary statement. Some people may be disturbed by the following images. I certainly am. I got close to my south-western property line and found some little gifts from the neighbors delivered to me by the prevailing wind. I’m at peace with the ancient junk left by past generations, but I despise contemporary trash that someone thoughtlessly let escape.

A giant snake skin? That would have been exciting. At least this plastic was low enough in the tree for me to reach and still fresh and pliable. I hate to find old brittle plastic that crumbles at the touch. I’ve spent a lot of time picking tiny plastic bits off the ground. I usually walk this line in October to check the fence, cut back trees and pick up trash. Most trashy bits don’t disintegrate too much in a year’s time.

Here is an old plastic grocery bag. This item was specially designed to be carried long distances by the wind. At least it’s still serviceable and will hold the other trash I’ve collected.

Styrofoam meat trays are great at snuggling close to the ground and smothering little plants. I’ve purposely left a buffer strip of trees along the property line to capture traveling debris like this. Better to have the trash concentrated in one strip than scattered all over Blue Jay Barrens.

A spun fiber fabric that I often see used in new building construction. Well, everyone knows that once an area is designated a construction site, you can just throw your scrap material any old direction and not worry about it.

Archeological Sites

As is common in this part of the State, I inherited a couple of old family dump sites when I purchased Blue Jay Barrens. I knew from the beginning that these dumps did not fit the image I had of what Blue Jay Barrens should be, but there were so many urgent things needing done that I didn’t have time to deal with this type of clean-up. Besides, the dumps were old and, except for the aesthetic aspect, were not causing any trouble.

I found a way to get rid of the dumps quickly, completely and without sweat. I’ve learned that the best way to change something is to redefine it. Instead of dump sites full of trash, I now identify these as archeological sites filled with historical artifacts. To make this more than a bit of verbal deception, along with the redefinition must come a change of perception. I had to begin looking at the dump sites as another thing that had to be explored and understood. Oh, I’ll eventually remove all of this stuff, but as I do it, I’ll be thinking about the lives of the people who used this land and how they brought it to the state it was in when I arrived.

These sites support a good population of native vegetation. The hazard is getting tangled in old fence wire or stepping on shards of broken glass or jagged metal.

The previous owner worked for a time in a radio and television repair shop. He brought a lot of his work home with him and some ended up here. I’ve disposed of several dozen TV picture tubes and hundreds of radio tubes.

Some more appliance parts along with automotive supplies.

The old rocking horse was put out to pasture. Looks like it was rode hard and put away broke.

Remnants of the old swing set in the foreground. Farther back you can see the remains of several units from a stacked battery of cages for raising poultry. I understand that there was a brief interest in raising pheasants a couple of generations ago.

Gas brooders used in the pheasant operation. The brooder is seen sitting upside down. When used, a small gas flame from a burner in the center of the hood would produce warmth for the young chicks. The chicks entered through the open ports located around the edge of the brooder. The rectangular framework seen sitting on top of the brooder is the frame from a bench seat out of an old pickup truck. Do you think I could sell this on E-bay?

Some general household trash. I’m particularly impressed by the glass with the 1960’s pattern.

You never know when you’ll need a barrel full of used concrete. I’m concerned that when I do clean up some of this stuff, the bare ground that will be exposed from beneath objects like this will provide a suitable seed bed for some exotic weeds. I’d rather have the trash than the weeds.

Some privycy please.

I know why this trash can ended up here. No one knew what it was supposed to be used for.