We don't have garbage service here. We have to haul our own to a transfer station with big roll-on/roll-off containers.
And the broccoli was in a kitchen garbage bag, and the bag was in a plastic trash container in my garage to keep the bears from getting in it. I don't know if bears like broccoli or if the stench of spoiled broccoli would attract them, but nevertheless, it was time to haul my garbage.
Those big containers are an 18-mile round-trip drive from me in one direction, or 25 in the other. I decided to combine the trash haul with picking up litter at a site near Cooper Landing. So, I loaded up the trash in Behemoth — that's what I call my F-150 pickup, which is too big for me — grabbed my camera with the big lens and some Gatorade, and away we went.
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The very poisonous baneberry. |
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Red Baneberry |
Trash dumped, I thought I'd tidy up all the pullouts on the way home. I did one and realized I was tired of picking up after litterers, but went to a site near Mile 40. I cleaned up two big pullouts and part of the highway before I discovered I was really, really tired of it.
Sight-seeing. That's what I'd do. A day off from litter and some nice scenery. However, to reach my destination, I had to go by Wildman's in Cooper Landing, which is a many-purpose store that gets a lot of customers. Espresso drinks, sandwiches, general groceries and merchandise, liquor store, and ice cream, both regular and soft-serve.
Ice cream it was in a home-made waffle cone that was so tender I wound up eating Bordeaux cherry ice cream from a wad of paper towels.
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Bordeaux cherry in a waffle cone. Mjust be almost a pint of ice cream in a single scoop. |
I finished the ice cream by the time I reached an 18-mile scenic loop called Skilak Lake Road.
Once I reached mile one, I pulled over to the left side and slowly drove along with my window open and holding my phone out so Merlin ID could pick up the sounds of any birds. This is a gravel road with a slow speed limit and people are used to sight-seers stopping anywhere.
It heard only a robin, so that was a bust. But the fireweed blooms were outrageous. This country was savaged by a lightning-caused wildfire in 2019 and the fireweed explosion the next summer was beyond compare. It's still doing nicely.
At an overlook near the top of the hill, I stopped and was approached by a tourist from Pennsylvania. He nodded at the safety vest I was still wearing and asked if I worked here.
No, I told him, I was picking up litter. Then he said he and his companions were just talking about how clean the roads were on the Kenai Peninsula.
"I only cover 40 miles, " I said.
"Then there must be a lot of others like you out there!"
Music to my heart!
On I went, driving toward the west entrance/exit. Didn't see much, other than a common loon that disappeared before I could get the camera ready, a couple ducks that were too far away to ID, and a few LBBs (Little Brown Bird) flyovers.
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Where did that loon go? |
No bears.
It occurred to me as I neared the end of the drive that I hadn't seen any litter. Then, a few things started to appear--a crushed soda bottle, a plastic cup, a piece of paper.
I pulled into the welcome sign at the entrance and walked back to get them. Holy smokes! There was a lot of litter around the signs. As I began to get it, there were six mosquitoes on the back of my hand!
Some other time, mosquitoes!
Out on the highway and heading home, I saw a cow moose with her little calf. Made the whole excursion worthwhile.
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Curious baby |
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Mom's portrait. |