Day 245

Happy birthday Sir Edmund Percival Hillary!  He would have been 92 today.  Did you know Sir Edmund and I are kindred spirits?  We have so much in common!  He conquered high peaks, I conquer mounds of garbage.  He served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force; my brother served in the USAF.  Sir Hillary unsuccessfully attempted to climb Cho Oyu, 6th highest mountain in the world on the border of Tibet and Nepal; I also have not summitted Cho Oyu.  Sir Hillary was shy, tall (6'5") and harrassed by peers in school.  That describes me perfectly.  Sir Hillary has a coat of arms with the motto:  "Nothing Venture, Nothing Win."  I totally agree with that.  Sir Hillary has written 12 books that we know of.  I have also written several books, but until they get published,  you have to call them manuscripts.  Perhaps one day I shall be knighted "Sir Garbage."

Now for a few highlights from the last 45 days of the 245 that I have been pickin.  On the advice of one who knows me well, I have decided that perhaps "ciggies" would be preferable to my constantly-used blog term "butts."  So in the future, ciggies it will be!  And speaking of those little mostly-white, sometimes tan cylindrical unused remainders, I have picked up 300 or more in 5 of the last 45 days.  Whew!  My total is now 15,521.  I found quite a few outside the Mountaineer Restaurant this morning.  I'm sure the old guys watching me from their table inside were hoping my picker did not come into contct with their Escalade.

People have been so friendly lately.  Ken waved from his truck on his way to work at the post office this morning.  After dispatching all the trash in front of B&B Food Mart yesterday, Bob, who owns the place, came walking down the sidewalk to thank me.  While shaking my hand he observed that I was "doing a great service for the community."  Then he quickly asked, "Are you getting paid?"  (Lots of people ask me that.)  "Well, say 'hi' to Lee."

Shell Gas and Carwash is right next door.  I love pickin down there in the rocks, 'cause once I found a five dollar bill.  The owner came out unexpectedly one morning to also shake my hand.  He introduced himself and said he often sees me pickin and wanted to say "thank you."  Then he told me to be careful on the rocks.  What?  Do I look old or something?

One fine June morning a man called to me across the street from the municipal building.  "Is that a Nifty Nabber?" he asked.  "Yes, it is.  How did you know that?"  He said he had one just like it, but a different color green.  Now here was a man who obviously appreciated fine equipment.  "Only mine has little suction cups on the end that keep falling off.  Yours is better," he observed.  We went on to discuss the fine points of our Nifty Nabbers when I noticed his wife was giving him that this-is-really-boring look.  I was hoping he was going to tell me that he was the Founder, President and CEO of the Nifty Nabber Corporation and offer me a lifetime supply of nabbers.  (They don't last forever, you know!)

A short time later, pickin in the NW corner of the First National Bank parking lot where it appeared the wind had deposited the contents of a nearby dumpster, I was startled by a car lock beep and turned to see a daper bank dude walking to his car.  "That looks like a dirty job," he commented.  "Ah, but I've hit the mother load," I retorted.  What I really wanted to say was, "And how can you stand parking your pretty little BMW in this filth every day?"  But I held my peace.  After all, I might need a loan sometime.

One final word about Sir Edmund Hillary, his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norgay and the well-known fact that I am technologically challenged.  Perhaps Norgay and I could have been kindred spirits as well.  Do you know why there is a picture of Norgay on top of Everest, but no picture of Hillary himself?  Because Norgay didn't know how to use a camera.

Always,
Winter