I have written about this before as has John, but it just must be written again. This past weekend our good friend Rick Adams and a hand full of Fur Peace Ranch staff and a few good friends headed out to pick up the trash on our Fur Peace Ranch Adopted Highway. It’s a small stretch of road on Route 681 that enters into Meigs County. It’s the back way to the Ranch on a beautiful winding country road that hugs the rolling hills. When we started doing this some six years ago, the amount of the first trash pick up was staggering. Eighty Five (85) bags of trash. Some Verizon phone company garbage, a water heater, prescriptions, take out bags from the local carry out, cigarettes, diapers and more all thrown into the grass and trees just outside and to the edge of this winding road. It’s seems so hard to imagine that in this era of “green” living that folks would discard their trash on the road side. Regardless of if we are living in the age of green or not . It’s just wrong. We cannot do anything about the people out there that don’t think it’s wrong. It shows such lack of pride…. all I can do is show by example. I am not from here but I love this land and me and my staff and our friends will continue to do this. I actually enjoy the time spent with good friends. No matter if it is over trash duty or not. It is service work and anyone who wants to do service work on behalf of the land...well, I’ll stand side by side with them. I think they feel the same way.

I will say this...over the years the amount of trash picked up is less and less. This past weekend we only had about 12 bags of trash, a muffler, a cooler and a tire tube and some building material. Still, as grateful as we were, there should be no trash. But the real story here…..the lesson that keeps revealing itself to me is that I am in this world to do good work. I am not here to complain about others. I am no one’s judge or jury. I actually had a really good time this week. I must have laughed 100 times! I love the people I work with and looking on the bright side of picking up what others have so carelessly thrown out of the cars...I think...is essential. I am looking forward to five bags of trash on our next scheduled pick up.