Sunday, January 26, 2020

Cemetery Cleanup


I meant to change yesterday's post title before I hit publish -- I started with nothing to say and then wound up saying a lot! Oh well.

Yesterday Olga and I did several circuits of the cemetery. I've been seeing a lot of trash lying around there on our past few visits, so I made an effort to do a bit of cleanup while we walked.


This rusty metal container went into the trash bins. (It features characters from the Japanese anime "Digimon" series -- don't ask how long it took me to figure that out.) Also an old blanket, a zippered sleeping bag or cushion covering of some kind, a big piece of foam rubber, a torn-up dog toy and a discarded water bottle. The food processor was already gone, thank goodness.


We encountered one of the cemetery's wild inhabitants at the entrance to its lair. Olga isn't interested in mice. They're too small to bother with.

Anyway, we had a good walk, and otherwise I stayed home -- vacuumed, watered plants, finished my book, tried to catch up on my New Yorkers. I cleaned out some stuff and took it to the charity shop -- including the sombrero, which we not only never used but never even had the opportunity to consider using.

Last night, we watched more "Schitt's Creek." I think I'm slowly convincing Dave to give it more time.

19 comments:

gz said...

It's the same the world over... luckily less where we are at present in NZ, but people just dump rubbish as if it's not their problem. Thereby making it everybody's problem

Frances said...

How lovely to see the little mouse!

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Sad to learn that you have parted with your sombrero. However, someone else will have the pleasure of wearing it instead of holding an umbrella during one of London's rare rain showers.

Penelope said...

It is always good to clear out old possessions so you can collect new old possessions.

Ms. Moon said...

Ha-ha! I like what Penelope said.
Why are mice so darling if they're not in our houses? I think we have touched on this topic before.
Dracula's grave seems sadly untended.

Penelope said...

Please don't fail to watch Lewis Black's "A mouse in the house" on YouTube. 11/16/19

Blondi Blathers said...

I do think the secret to appreciating some TV series is giving them enough time. Otherwise you don't "get" the jokes and allusions that those who've become familiar with the characters and storylines do grasp. For instance, I've never cracked a smile at Mr. Bean. Do I lack a sense of humour? Or has my interest just not been snagged long enough to give him a chance? I've never chuckled at The Big Bang Theory, and surely this is because I haven't watched even one episode all the way through (they don’t hold my attention) and don't "get" the in-jokes or something. I used to mock my mother for her faithful viewing of Coronation Street, till I watched a few episodes right through and began to know the characters and catch the wit. Schitt's Creek might be an acquired taste, too.-Kate

Edna B said...

I think it's great that you cleaned up a bit of the rubbish left in the cemetery. That's a nice photo of Olga. Cemeteries are so peaceful, it's a shame that people don't take better care of them. That's a cute photo of the little mouse. I don't mine them as long as they are not in my house. You have a wonderful day, hugs, Edna B.

Red said...

Excellent shot of the mouse. Usually they skitter away at top speed.

Sharon said...

It might be a good idea to stay out of the cemetery at night given that "guest" in your last shot. :-)
That is so thoughtful of you to do a little spring cleaning in the cemetery. That tiny little mouse looks kind of cute. They always look cute to me as long as they are not in the house.

ellen abbott said...

zippered bag of some sort, foam rubber...sounds like you tossed some homeless persons bed. humans can be so trashy. maybe it's leftover in our DNA from when we lived in caves and shelters and just threw all the trash and waste into the midden out front.

37paddington said...

That first shot is grand. You're a good citizen, Steve Reed.

Linda Sue said...

I think that you may set a trend, cleaning up the environment...IF people can observe you doing so.while wear a shirt emblazoned with bright words on it "THIS is how it is done!" Might catch on!
The mouse is adorable.

Vivian Swift said...

David Seders is a one-man litter removal army in his English village, and he was rewarded with an invitation to Her Majesty's Summer garden party at Buckingham Palace. So....

But WTF?? People ditch whole sleeping bags and food processors in a cemetery? That's just rude.

e said...

Food processors? Sleeping bags? The sleeping bag I can understand if a homeless person was sleeping in the open there but the rest is as Ms. Swift says, rude...Thank you for being a good global citizen. I can't believe you never used the sombrero dish...

jenny_o said...

Somebody else will love that sombrero dish, too. And now you have your shelf space back :)

Those are some big items of garbage you cleaned up. Their removal would make a big difference right away.

I love the mouse photo! How on earth did you capture it without the mouse darting away? For that matter, how on earth did you SEE it in the first place? I'm glad Olga doesn't chase them. Although you might disagree, considering the history of mice in your flat :D

The Bug said...

I love the little mouse! I’m ready to read a short story all about its adventures :)

Catalyst said...

I always wondered where Dracula was buried. (someone obviously has a sense of humor)

Steve Reed said...

GZ: It's amazing, isn't it? I just don't understand people sometimes.

Frances: It was very cute!

YP: It wasn't a wearing sombrero. It was a serving sombrero.

Penelope: LOL! That's true! That's basically what it's all about, isn't it? I'll look for that Lewis Black video.

Ms Moon: Mice are cute even when they're IN the house, but that doesn't mean I want them here.

Blondi: That's definitely true, especially with soap operas like Corry. I used to watch "All My Children" when I was in high school, and I learned the appeal of watching a show each day and seeing the story evolve (VERY slowly!). I'm surprised you don't like "The Big Bang Theory" though. We used to watch that one all the time, and it seemed to have such universal appeal.

Edna: They've actually been working on sprucing up this cemetery. I think they just hadn't gotten around to cleaning up some of this debris.

Red: He posed for us, didn't he?

Sharon: Ha! Who knew he was buried here?! LOL

Ellen: If this was bedding, it was VERY old -- all wet and rotten. Also scattered in different places. The blanket even had tree roots growing through it!

37P: It's a beautiful chapel. I wish I could go in, but it's always locked up tight.

Linda Sue: Wouldn't that be nice?!

Vivian: I wonder if Sedaris would have received that invitation if he weren't Sedaris? I can see the appeal of picking up trash. There are ridiculous quantities of it out there.

E: I think some people just haul their stuff to the first open space they can find and drop it.

Jenny-O: I saw the mouse only because it ran through the grass ahead of us, and paused at the entrance to its den. I thought sure it would scamper inside before I could snap the picture!

Bug: Ha! You'll have to write it, I think. :)

Catalyst: Just another Romanian moving to London!