When covered in snow, litter is hidden. Now that spring is here, the short dog-walking route I take is hideous and unsightly – and not just this year. I meant to purchase a trash gripper (my last one broke) at my last visit to Walmart but we were in kind of a hurry to get home so I failed to look for one. Once I get one, I will have to pick up the trash without my dog – a mini/medium Australian shepherd known for being “Velcro dogs,” following their owner(s) everywhere. She is quite well known on my road for her penchant for lunging from her leash at passing cars and/or twirling around and around as a car or truck approaches. Quite comical if you haven’t seen her.

Most of the litter I see along the route are bottles and cans. The roadside is on a slant and using a gripper will (hopefully) keep me from toppling over as I gather the garbage. My legs aren’t what they used to be.

I have written before about this topic but it was brought to mind this week from submitted photos of litter by Patty Colhoun and a suggestion from Ben Borkowski about getting a photo of his clean-up detail on Earth Day (see his photo in the print edition).

Why people litter is curious to me. Perhaps the beer drinkers want to get rid of the evidence as they drink while driving (a no-no). But the cans and bottles I see are not just beer containers. There are soda and liquid containers, along with other trash items. Use a garbage can!

I have to commend my neighbors who have planned a day for several years for picking up the garbage from one end of Back Narrows Road to the other end. It makes for a sightly walk and drive. I have also heard of other neighborhoods cleaning up their roadsides. Kudos to all who do.

To use an old saying, “Give a hoot, don’t pollute!”