Phil injured his shoulder while hanging laundry room cabinets so he couldn't join me today, but I knew I'd see friends and make new friends, too, so off I went. A volunteer drove me a good ways down the targeted road and dropped me off with a safety vest, my trusty litter pole, and a bright orange trash bag. I met a few other volunteers already cleaning up litter. The couple pictured below own a local gas station/mini market. She shared that it made her sad to see all the beer cans because she suspected a lot of the construction workers who daily drive back and forth from Franklin to Highlands were among the culprits. They buy a lot of beer from her store each afternoon.
Phil and I signed up for Highlands' Plateau Pickup event several weeks ago. On this day each year dozens of volunteers come together to clean up the Gorge Road which winds down the mountain to Franklin, North Carolina. The amount of litter tossed from cars and trucks traveling up and down the mountain is frustrating. We live in the gorgeous western North Carolina mountains and we all strive to keep this area pristine for local residents and for thousands of yearly visitors. Phil injured his shoulder while hanging laundry room cabinets so he couldn't join me today, but I knew I'd see friends and make new friends, too, so off I went. A volunteer drove me a good ways down the targeted road and dropped me off with a safety vest, my trusty litter pole, and a bright orange trash bag. I met a few other volunteers already cleaning up litter. The couple pictured below own a local gas station/mini market. She shared that it made her sad to see all the beer cans because she suspected a lot of the construction workers who daily drive back and forth from Franklin to Highlands were among the culprits. They buy a lot of beer from her store each afternoon. After an hour or two I noticed I had covered a lot of ground, but it was quiet. I looked around and didn't see anyone. It's kind of scary walking on that road alone so I crossed the road and started picking up trash on the other side as I made my way back to town. After we finished cleaning the roadsides, the volunteers were treated to lunch. Thanks, Fressers Eatery for grilling hamburgers and hotdogs for us! Our mayor's truck was loaded down with some of the trash bags collected. I found my neighbors, Pam and Roger and John and Sally with their sister, Mary. These are some of my very favorite Mirror Lake neighbors and it was great to eat with them. We were given t-shirts as a thank you gift. A clean scenic road, a delicious lunch, meeting new friends, visiting with old friends, and a t-shirt... success! Sign us up for next year, please!
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Phil & SharonMarried 40 years and hoping to enjoy many more! Archives
December 2019
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