Doo-Bag

Not just for picking up Dog Poop…

On my walk this morning the air felt quite thick with moisture. This summer, we’ve had intermittent sun interrupted by days of wet with mostly cloudy and long periods of even more rain. I call them doldrum days.

Although I am grateful we have not gotten the deluges and floods as some countries or parts of the US, my gardens are complaining here on my tiny corner of the earth.

But the weather is not what I’m writing about today… well, at least not directly, or maybe I am inadvertently. You can draw your own conclusions.

I hadn’t walked very far when my eye was drawn to a piece of ephemera—trash—we can call it what we want, but human waste that seems to fly out of windows of vehicles—all of their own accord I recon—just happens. Sometime it does happen by accident that someone will drop a needed return train pass, or some other personal item they may be soon hunting for in short order. (I’d love to come across a dropped winning lottery ticket…)

Reminds me of a joke; “…Nope, that’s not it. Nope, that’s not it. Nope, that’s not it…” (smile if you get it or have heard some version of it. 😉

Well, I just so happened to have an unused green doggie-doo bag in my pocket along with a paper towel. (Holdover from days of having a dog once upon a time).

Within the half hour of my mile-plus walkabout I had it filled.

If someone were to drive around this town of South Berwick, off the busy main road and onto the quiet side streets where I walk, they’d see—for the most part—well kept homes and nicely manicured lawns, albeit a little over grown due to the rains and lack of being able to mow. I did see where some homeowners had attempted to chance a trim by evidence of clots of grass thrown by a mulching blade of a mower. I stepped around these areas on the sidewalks. To be fair, I think there is a street sweeping machine that goes around intermittently, however, it doesn’t drive into the areas that are just off the sides of the paved streets.

Driving and looking around is one thing; walking consciously and seeing what’s at your feet is quite another.

I cared not what people may have thought of this woman walking around with a dog-doo bag without a canine at her side. By the time the bag was filled with what “People-did” I was back at my car. (Note to self—carry a bigger bag next time.)

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Later that same day…

I had a lightbulb moment on my drive back home. I would take something I felt was gross and offensive and tun it into Art. (I know, it’s really not a new concept. All the original thoughts are taken it seems.)

Back at the house I went into the basement and filled up a bucket in the utility sink with hot water and soap and washed and rinsed every piece of trash from the doggie bag—even the two cigarette butts—and laid them out on an old towel to dry.

Neil came down to ask if I was going for a walk, because my purse and umbrella was on the kitchen sink. (It was, by that time, almost 8 am.)

“No, I just got back.” I said, without looking up.

He peered into the bucket.

“Stuff I found on my walk.” I answered without him asking.

He simply went back upstairs to get on with his own day. He’s learned to leave me to it when he sees I’m on a mission.

So now it is just after 5 pm. I did take an hour around noon to pick and process a basket of Calendula flowers from the raised garden bed.

We had just enough sun for a minute for them to turn their faces wide open.

Otherwise, I have been creating and playing full on in my studio with the contents of the little green bag of “shit”.

I bought a “Gelli Plate” and have been teaching myself via ‘YouTube University’ how to use it.

So without further ado…

As for the “ephemera”… after immortalizing them, they are now in the proper trash bin—doggie bag and all.