Trash Day Blues

"Trying" was exactly the word for today. Rather than belabor the details, suffice to say that it involved an unplugged freezer, some really bad meat and a Friday trashman I desparately needed to connect with. Oh, and some flies. Although we are in a pretty thickly settled suburban neighborhood, we are plagued with wildlife who are clever enough to raid the wooden trash shed on a nightly basis.

There was a referendum to ban animal traps several years back, which predictably and roundly passed in this most indigo of New England states. Animal rights activists had everyone sobbing into their LL Bean Microfleece sleeves about those poor, poor bunnies. Of course, the cayotes, raccoons and larger game that have suddenly started taking over our backyards like organized Los Angeles street gangs are not quite what we had pictured. Having Wile E. Coyote sniffing my back door screen after polishing off the short ribs that wouldn't go down the disposal is frankly disconcerting. Only this evening the emergency reverse 911 phone in Holden MA was used for the first time after a BLACK BEAR was seen doing a little weekend shopping on the town's main street. Moral of the story? Next time vote with your reasoning, not your feelings!! Admittedly the encroachment of urban sprawl has affected this as well, and animal traps are not the complete answer. But we do have to live on this planet too.