photography – Page 63 – Lorin Duckman Today

Paul’s Back on Cherry

So, Paul’s back on Cherry Street. Too bad. “Someone swiped my change…. Cops beat me up. Things getting bleak and strange here. They want me to sit 9 feet from the store, next to the gutter…. I tried to put a quarter in a meter to stop someone from getting a ticket, but they wouldn’t let me.”

I have to get him some pants.

All May Sleep Behind City Hall in Burlington

One sleeps under a tree. One sleeps under a window. No one bothered them.

Burlington Parks and Rec Join Community to Cleanup Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain has the highest levels ever. Debris marks the landscape, keeping the beaches and bike path off limits. Parks and Rec organized a cleanup. Not well publicized, so it was not well attended. Bright beautiful sun. Some might say that the weather and Lake Champlain make Burlington what it is. Maybe. It could also be that the people care about their environment, maybe to a fault. And when they give up four hours on a Saturday morning to pick up garbage, you have to feel better about your community.

Mayor didn’t say anything publicly, you know, like, “thanks.” And lots of people just rode by, walked by, or jogged by without comment. I mean, like, “don’t you care?” Marathoners showed up, but not many. They’re too busy training, hoping someone will clear a path so they can run. A person approached me. “What’s this?” “It’s a cleanup.” “I didn’t hear about it.” Then she walked away.

Cleanup_First-3 — Zack Describes The Pickup

Lots of wood to pick up. Some had nails. Some can be used to make furniture or heat homes. Zack had a list telling us what to pickup and what to leave.

Bigger pieces on the bike path. Smaller ones in plastic bags.

No real plan. Just take a stretch of affected shore and pickup the debris.

Good exercise, lifting and bending. Picked up the stuff.

Cleanup_First-7 — No branch too big or too small

The twigs and garbage didn’t fit nicely together. Lots of trips back and forth.

: Community

Kid out for a bike ride stopped by to help. No better lesson about the value of community. I didn’t know anyone, except to know they care about where they live in the same way I do. Tell that to the kid!

Lake Champlain Remains On Land

Sharon Sits in the Parking Lot at Perkins Pier

The Lake overflows, ebbs, and overflows, again. We may be prevented from doing what we do due to the high water level. But we cannot blame the Lake. Hey, most of the world doesn’t have water to drink up, wash in, or play on. Lake Champlain does what it does without asking our permission and without regard to our needs. It demands our respect and our stewardship. While we cannot tell it what to do, we can make it sick and unhealthy. Too often, we take the Lake’s power and beauty for granted. Very sad.

Just Wednesday in Burlington

No permits needed, yet.

Erectly.

Mike is still here. And maybe Paul can play the guitar?

Bill appears happy.

Echo’s lot has drawn water which stands still, yet.