the tumbling tumblewe…litter, apr. 19

bosque trail head

This sign also needs to include the words, “PLEASE CLEAN UP AFTER YOUR SELF.”

On a recent trip to New Mexico, I was struck by the amount of litter hung up in the tumbleweeds. The land is pretty open there so litter blows freely along with the tumbleweeds. It gets hung up along fence rows and among the cacti.

My sister and I walked the bosque a few times. This is where she takes frequent walks with her dog, Blue. My brother-in-law made her a very clever walking stick with a retractable sharp metal poker on the end. She uses this to pick up litter. I’ve asked him to make one for me. Below follows a sampling of the litter I spotted…oh, and a picture of Blue.

litter on a stick

A sampling of litter picked up on a typical walk on the bosque using my sister’s special walking stick.

wrapper in willows

A wrapper among the willows.

litter in rio grande

cup in rio grande

bottle on the bosque

blue plastic

slotted spoon on bosque

plastic bottle on bosque

broken plastic cup

chip bag in cactus

Spotted this in the parking lot at my dad’s place.

pizza box on a hill

Plenty of litter around my niece’s practice soccer field.

litter in bushes

can in hand

My sister picks up a can in the stands of the soccer practice field.

candy wrapper

litter in parking lot

Litter and tumbleweed gathered by the curb near the restaurant where we ate.

ice cream sampler

An ice cream sampler sits atop a wall on the plaza in Santa Fe. (This goes in the “putting litter where one darned well pleases” category.)

Blue

Blue is the sweetest desert dog.