I went for a brisk walk on this lovely autumn morning. Although it was cloudy, it wasn’t cold and there was virtually no wind as I walked down the Earnhardt Road and Mulberry Lane and back. There wasn’t much traffic and, although I was striding purposely along the shoulder of the road, I had time to look around me – and to be appalled by some of what I saw.
At this time of year, as the brilliant reds, oranges and golds of autumn foliage are fading away and carpeting the ground in preparation for the season to follow, it should still be gorgeous out there. If one looks up – it still is!
Even on the ground, you can see evidence that Mother Nature is preparing for winter and sowing the seeds for next spring’s growth.
Animals have shed their summer coats and are beginning to “fuzz up” as well.
And then I looked down. I couldn’t bear to take photos of what I saw. All along both sides of the roads, littering the shoulders of the roads and filling the ditches, I saw the horrid evidence of human habitation. Everywhere I looked I saw garbage. There were booze bottles, beer cans, pop cans, soft drink cups from various fast food places, coffee cups, styrofoam packaging from some appliance or other, streams of plastic wrap, full garbage bags that either fell out of someone’s pickup truck or off the back of the local garbage hauler’s truck, cigarette packages and more. In several spots it looked like someone had stopped their vehicle and dumped their overflowing ashtrays full of butts, ash and crap on the side of the road – oblivious to the danger to wildlife and environmental hazards.
It broke my heart.
We live in one of the most beautiful provinces in the country – perhaps one of the most beautiful places on earth – and what do people do? Abuse it, strip it bare and leave their crap behind for others to clean up if ever. There is no respect for the rest of us or for what nature has given us to love and enjoy.
What we SHOULD see are fields prepared for winter, colourful leaves – some still on the trees, others carpeting the ground – perhaps some tracks from passing animals or even people. But what we shouldn’t see is crap.
Please, people, take your garbage home. Don’t open the window to your vehicle and just heave whatever you no longer want out onto the shoulders of the roads. Not only is it hideously unsightly, it’s dangerous.
Rant over.itter
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