Unnatural disaster

We won't be getting anything from FEMA for the flood damage we got this year, and that's ok. We neither need nor want it. Real disasters like Hurricane Katrina are FEMA-worthy. I'd like some disaster relief for this, though. At least we got to keep his security deposit.

Hoarding, sorting, and classifying

Last fall I posted about the enterprising and surprisingly methodical individuals who built a looooong deck out over the river by the dam. Being enterprising but much less organized myself, I took pictures of the artistically sorted debris they had pulled from the water and arranged into- what? An apothecary of sorts? A playground?

Shoe trees?

Who did this? Really, who?

This is why I rarely (can't say never) drink out of disposable plastic bottles. Recycling, anyone?

I hope these give you a little taste of summer, if nothing else.

Dam debris photos

On Sunday, Brain and I went canoeing on the Milwaukee River, scraping bottom many times. I got a few photos (some of them are even beautiful, but not these). When I saw this article by Chris Liebenthal on the subject (worth reading), I figured I should probably post them. I don't know if you remember, but earlier this month, there was an offer- by volunteers- (article here) to remove the woody debris, thwarted by the need for an environmental pollutant assessment- which would cost $100,000, and was not in the budget. Huh. There is a lot of debris down by the dam. We were astounded. Look at all the plants growing in it! Did I say plants? I meant noxious weeds.

And, best of all, some enterprising individuals have even built a little cabin with a deck out to the river, using found wood (see below).

Open letter to my newly former next-door neighbor

There had been more- much more- including, apparently, a fish tank (gone).

You just moved out, my ex-next-door-neighbor. You left a ton of crap by the curb. Crap that was perfectly usable stuff (or had been at one time) left to go into a landfill, when you probably could have dropped it off at a thrift store. I have some of it now. I enjoyed chatting with others who were looking too. Some of the booty I am going to drop off at a thrift store myself; some I am going to sell. I don't know if I should bother to read "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" or any of your other self-help books, because it would appear as though they don't really help much.

Don't worry about that book from the Waukesha Public Library. I'll make sure it gets back there.

Really, though, I wanted to let you know that I shredded all of the personal financial documents that you left out (the ones that were still there when I got there, anyway. Who knows?). Names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, and your bank statements and medical stuff and your end-of-checkbook-thingies (I tried not to look as I overburdened my shredder. I really did.) All of these are all safely shredded for your safety and my own peace of mind.

You see, I was a victim of identity theft not all that long ago. Yes, somebody wanted to be me- imagine that! Really, they just wanted my checking account, which at the time contained enough money to buy a nice used car. It was a terrible thing.

It's funny how I never really got to know you when you lived there, but now that you have moved out, I feel a sort of bond with you that I never would have otherwise had if I hadn't been willing to dig through your trash.

Sincerely,

The River Otter

Gotcha!!

So, for a long time now I have been wanting one of those neat grabber things, with a little squeezy handle and the ability to pick up anything without having to bend over. Even a threaded needle, as I have been catching up on my mending (PUN!). E-Z Grabber. I fully endorse this product, even though my insurance did not cover it.

Well, I finally got myself one. Look how cheerfully yellow it is too! What a happy color for grabbing. Usually I want something for a long time before finally breaking down and buying it, and since my body broke down first, and then I reached my breaking point (oh do all these whiny puns SLAY ME!) I bought one from the always-helpful Ye Olde Pharmacy. It didn't break the bank. I love that place (and puns). They sell things no one else seems to have (for instance, I also got a non-aluminum deodorant crystal thing. Honest people in my life can help me test it out.) I mean it.



Speaking of sensory issues, my PT gave me some interesting advice: use sensory pleasures, such as funny pictures, petting the cat (yes, Jinxxx is in my lap right now, "helping" me type), and pleasant smells to trick yourself help the brain release chemicals that will alleviate pain. So, after getting the grabber thing, I went to Penzey's and bought allspice and cloves- two of my favorite and most pungent spices.- The clerk there was so helpful. She was an older lady. She saw me open the door with my cane and was imediately at my side, found exactly what I wanted justlikethat, put it all in her pockets to carry it for me, and was just incredibly kind (another glowing endorsement, I know). The store was a bit quiet and I told her my rationale for extra spice use. She told me she knew all about pain- indicating to me what I had already noticed- the ravages of rheumatoid arthritis- and yet she was so kind, so helpful, so pleasant.


So I made an amazing hot beverage (recipe: hot water, allspice, cloves, pinch of brown sugar, tsp vanilla). It did seem to help. It certainly was tasty.


And I can't wait to use my grabber to clean up trash in Lincoln Park this summer, the original reason I wanted it in the first place. Look out, chip bags. Get out of town, blunt wrappers. I'm coming to get you.

River cleanup

We had our first annual MRPA/ Friends of Lincoln Park river cleanup today. Thank you thank you thank you!!! to all those who came and helped out. Seventeen (approximately) people showed up to pick up detritus from the park and the riverbank. Here's a picture Jay shot of me snuggling some of the garbage bags. I showered afterwards- don't worry.
I didn't find anything truly remarkable this time. Just the usual.

Lincoln Park river cleanup this Saturday

This Saturday, May 16, from 9:00 am-noon, we're having a river cleanup in Lincoln Park.
It's co-sponsored by the Milwaukee River Preservation Association and
Friends of Lincoln Park.

We'll meet across the street from Lincoln Park Golf Course parking lot at 0900 and will be cleaning up trash on the north side of the river between the bridge on Hampton and the bridge on Port Washington Road.

Solly's has offered to provide a discount on breakfast that day for volunteers- meet there (corner of Glendale Avenue and Port Washington Road) at 8am if you're interested in dining with us. Dress to work outside; bags and gloves will be provided.

Hope to see you there!

We were bored

So far, I've pretty much only talked about the good things about Milwaukee. I haven't mentioned any of the bizarre violence, the infant abandonments and deaths; that doesn't mean that I don't think about that stuff. I see it more closely than you probably realize.

One news tidbit that really caught me was the recent beating of a can collector by some teenage thugs in the central part of our city. It really bothers me for several reasons. The man, 76-year-old J.T. Downs, was just trying to make an honest living, and performing an essential service, especially since we've abandoned recycling in that part of the city. Mr. Downs was minding his own business two weeks ago, quietly picking up other people's party supplies when he was attacked by five youths who cited "boredom and peer pressure" as legitimate reasons to beat up an elderly man.

I think the larger reason this bothered me so badly was that the kid said they did it because they were bored. Did you do stuff like that when you were 13 years old, or 18 for that matter, and bored? I didn't. I read books. I had all kinds of nerdy hobbies. I spent a lot of time with my grandmother, in fact, who was much older than Mr. Downs at that time.

Suspect Leroy Bentley III also stated that he didn't want his peers to think he was "soft" - then cried when he heard that the man had lost his eye as a result of the beating, which made me feel a bit sympathetic at first- but he probably just realized that it would add to his own punishment.

One eye doesn't seem like that big of a deal- after all, Mr. Downs does still have the other one- but think about it: that means he has no peripheral vision on that side. He may miss half the cans, or spend twice the time to collect the same amount. His work will be that much more difficult.

River cleanup adventures

My general philosophy is that the best things in life just happen. So today, when the garden project that I showed up for (tools in hand) simply was not happening, I found myself signing up instead for a river cleanup (which was actually the original plan, but that's a whole other story) and getting into a canoe to paddle away with a man I had never met before. He not only turned out to not be a rapist/strangler, but was a pleasant and interesting companion who didn't mind stopping several times for photos, and from the same city (in a different hemisphere, no less) than a good friend of mine whom I meet weekly for - German alert!- kaffeeklatch. Between the two of us, we collected several bags worth of garbage. There were countless citizen volunteers out from KMGB, UEC, COA, and the Riverkeeper, enjoying the sunshine and just making the river, streets, and park a heck of a lot nicer looking.

Here's an "after" picture taken just south of the curve in North Avenue. The "before" picture would have been strewn with our detritus of human living. I am sure you can imagine it.

Superfund Sight

I took this picture of the Omega Hills North landfill earlier this year, just outside the northwest corner of Milwaukee County. Gross! This was an EPA Superfund site at one time, now deleted from the National Priorities List- not because the hazard is gone, but "because it is being addressed under authorities other than Superfund." Oh, and there is a fence around it (which doesn't prevent the critters from getting in, or the trash from being blown out on windy days). Here is another view of what I used to (I swear) think was "rolling hills." However, there is a brighter side. In this though-provoking article from the Washington Post, Brigid Schulte tells us,
"Along with the stock market and the foreclosure rate, a less-heralded barometer has signaled the arrival of hard times: the landfill.
In a wasteful society that typically puts 254 million tons of unwanted stuff at the curb to be thrown away each year, landfill managers said they knew something was amiss in the economy when they saw trash levels start steadily dropping last year. Some are reporting declines of up to 30 percent.

'The trash man is the first one to know about a recession because we see it first,' said Richard Weber, manager of the Loudoun County, Va., landfill.


The most lasting change to the waste stream — manufacturers cutting down on packaging — was under way before the recession, and will stick because it saves companies money, said Chaz Miller, director of state programs for the National Solid Wastes Management Association.


Wal-Mart has promised to cut packaging by 5 percent. Amazon, McDonald's, Heinz and Coca-Cola all have redesigned products and packaging to reduce waste. Cadbury has come out with chocolate eco-eggs to reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging every year by more than 200 tons." (Emphasis mine- 200 tons, just from chocolate eggs?)


In short, we are learning that a good way to save money is by simply not buying more consumer items, which has the added benefit of reducing our consumptive waste generation. What else can we do, though? Repurposing items- for instance, if you have items (like blankets or towels) that are too tattered to give to a thrift shop, could an animal shelter use them? Can you use some old promotional tote bags for grocery shopping instead of buying the new "green" ones that are fashionable? (Believe me, thrift stores generally have a bountiful supply. I acquired mine in such a manner. They are easy to make, too, if you have some extra fabric lying around. Our grandmothers in the first American Depression had a mantra: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." But then, many people have lost these necessary skills.

The "trash hatch."

My photo, late October, 2007
A commenter on fellow blogger Erik Helm's site referred to the Estabrook Dam as the "trash hatch." It is true that Milwaukee County hasn't cleaned up the floaters since, I believe, 2005 (could it have been 2004?) They used to use heavy machinery to get rid of the trash and logs that build up behind the dam and spillway. There is something larger at work, though- the fact that we as a society not only keep creating this kind of crap (fast food containers, plastic bottles, and all other detritus), but once we have created it and used it once, we neglect to get it to where it is supposed to go (away, I assume. My mom lives just past The Dump on the county line, another visual reminder of this aspect of modern life). Getting rid of the dam will get rid of its ability to block this junk, but it will just continue down the stream to Lake Michigan, where it will harm wildlife just the same.


I had a conversation once with another thoughtful individual: I described to him how I had witnessed, time and time again, people enjoying, say, a bag of chips or a candy bar- and as soon as the last morsel was consumed, the person simply dropped the wrapper. In the street. Or on the sidewalk in front of my house. (This was at our prior home). We asked the city to put a trash receptacle on the corner, which they did. Yet, the behavior continued, despite this convenience that we had facilitated. So, after I described this daily scenario, I asked my friend why? Why do people do this?


"Because," he said, "they lack hope."


Even still- people that do (presumably) have hope continue to create just as much garbage- so much that escapees will inevitably find themselves on the street, washing into the storm drains, which lead down to the river- as most things do.

River cleanups- call to action

Photo taken by me, 2007, on the river near the dolomite falls in Estabrook Park.

The Milwaukee Riverkeeper is sponsoring the Earth Day river cleanups on Saturday, April 18th, from 9am to noon. I will participate, most likely in Lincoln Park, my neighborhood park. I URGE AND ENCOURAGE all Estabrook Dam supporters to participate as well. Here is a list of sites.
http://milwaukeeriverkeeper.org/2009cleanup/2009cleanup.htm
I note that Kletzsch Park, Estabrook park and the UWM Park and Ride on Humboldt are listed also, as well as a canoe-in cleanup off Brown Deer Road- fun!
When you register, feel free to let the Riverkeeper staff know you are an Estabrook Dam supporter. They need to know that we care about the river beyond "our own backyards."
See you there!