Me and The Men In Blue

Sewer Line Trail
Originally uploaded by sisudave.

I have been remiss in posting anything lately, so will have to rectify that. It has been a hot dry summer, but the last couple days have been much more comfortable so guess the worst of it is behind us now. Yesterday we went out on this sewer line. It runs parallel to the rock creek trail, but on the other side of the creek. The sewer line serves as an access to the trail at several points as a steel foot-bridge was built over the creek to allow more people to approach it from different areas of town. We gained access by going to the bottom of a hill at an apartment complex and drove around their dumpster. We don't perform any maintenance here since the trail was completed and we initially got rid of the Kudzu except now we go in annually to spray any new Kudzu sprouting up for the season so as to keep it in check. Metro performs whatever maintenance is necessary but they , too, only seem to bush-hog it once a year, clean up any trees and branches that fall across path and spray vegetation on the side to maintain a clear area. The path was pretty clear, very rutty and rocky but easy going as we started off. About a half mile down the trail the weeds were pretty thick and about knee high so couldn't really tell condition of ground under us. Just ahead I noticed a puddle of water, but Klaus put the medal to the pedal and we drove through that easily. Another 50 or so feet the tires were spinning and we found ourselves stuck in mud. When we climbed out of the truck, my first impression was that we were never going to get out of there and I didn't relish the idea of trudging through those thick weeds about a half mile either way to get out of there. (Snakes were dancing through my mind). Then I thought also that Klaus would never get anybody out there to tow his truck out of the mud unless he could impose on the Metro folks to bring in some of their equipment. We didn't have anything in the back of the pick-up except the 30 gallon spray tank. I watched for awhile as Klaus grabbed his hammer and started putting pieces of sticks from the woods under the back tires, before I joined him, just thinking all the while this is futile, but after awhile we had succeeded in building "bridges" out of the little pieces of sticks. My only contribution to the thought process was to slide the tank to the rear of the pick-up cab which we did, and, Klaus actually opened the tailgate and we set it on that, plus I climbed up onto the back of the truck to add a litlle more weight. After about 3 attempts we managed to get free of the mud and gunned the pick-up backwards down the trail to safe ground. The whole experience probably lasted an hour and I was physically drained by the emotion of it all.

But we pressed on with our chores and headed over to the trail to conquer a patch of Kudzu on the regular trail that we must have missed substanially as there were still some huge ropes climbing up into the trees. So we hacked our way back through the brush with are clippers and loppers and spent the next couple of hours scrambling through the brush trying to cut off as much as possible from where it was anchored into the ground and growing up the taller vegetation and trees. We worked back to the creek but could see that a substanial part of it had either traversed the creek to the other side or maybe that had been it's origin and came over to the trail side. There was no way to get to that so maybe this winter when things are dormant we'll manage to get that part cleaned out, too.

As we did so little spraying there was still almost a tank full of spray left so we headed over to a piece of property right off US 25 the Main road (Augusta highway) coming into Greenwood from Greenville. It belongs to Klaus' neighbor, must be commercial property and we had sprayed it a few weeks ago as a favor to him. So that was a good place to use up the spray to hit the spots missed from the last time. We had just about finished when this vehicle with a single occupant drove on the property and up to the truck. I saw the badge on his shoulder, but took awhile to recognize him. It was a Greenwood policeman who retired from the force, but then has gone back to work. I met him awhile ago downtown when he was covering one of the concerts at the County Bank Plaza. He introduced himself and as he got out of the car it was then I recognozed him in his uniform. He wanted to know if we had a business license to do what we were doing. He came back on the force to check little old senior citizens to see if they have business licenses as they do their volunteer work around the community. After talking awhile he remembered that he had been involved with Klaus over some Trail issue so then averything was okay and he got back in his car and left. I'm pretty sure these guys in blue are keeping their eyes on me.

It must have been over a month ago now on one of the infrequent rainy days of this summer and it was a Saturday. I had just finished eating my lunch and trying to think what I could do for the afternoon as had bee cooped up so much it seemed with all the hot dry weather and spending 2 or more hours every afternoon watering the yard and plants just to try to keep things alive. So then it came to me, hey, I can go to a movie matinee and see that "Pirate" show. There was so much hype reported on TV and the Internet that I thought that would be good entertainment just like when I was a kid and watched those swashbuckling exciting movies with the likes of Douglas Fairbanks or Erryol Flynn. So I checked the movie schedule on the computer and was in luck as movie would be starting in 15 minutes and only takes me about ten minutes to get over to the mall where this movie was being shown. So I grabbed my camera and off I went. Haven't been to this three-heater as often as the ten-movie theater as they don't have matinees except in the summer when kids are out of school. I bought my ticket and was directed to the left door. I had always gone in the other side before so this was my first expeience going in this side which I expected would be like the other side. I just took a moment and snapped a picture of a poster of a coming event and also the snack prices, noting in my mind that next time I would be sure to bring my own candy bar from home when I saw the prices. I walked straight to the back, looked to my left and all I saw was the exit sign and door. Straight ahead was a wooden door with a plain sign just saying "Pirates" on the adjacent wall. I thought that was a strange door to a movie theater, but since there was nothing else I opened it, and then I saw a steep set of stairs which I immediately thought was unusal entrance to a theater but I proceeded up the stairs and then climbed up them far enough where I could see I had entered either the projection booth or some kind of offices so made a hasty exit back down the stairs and out the door. Then finally I saw the entrance to the theater - it was all the way around the corner. So I got in my seat and they were still showing the coming attractions. As the movie was about to begin, the lights in the house were dimmed so I turned on my camera and made an adjustment to fit the screen in my viewer and then shut it off. I thought I would take a picture of the title when it came on just to have a record of my having gone to the movie. Well, the beginning was a stormy scene and just about the whole screen was black and when the title came on it was black also against that dark background. I clicked my camera on but then saw in the viewer it was so dark that I would never get a decent image so shut it right off again. It was only a few minutes into the film and I was still trying to figure out what was going on with the story. I suppose I must have been tapped on the arm, just know that something drew my attention to the aisle - I was only sittin a couple of seats in from the aisle. When I looked up to my utter surprise I saw two cops - one big one, gesturing for me to come out. So I did and marched up the aisle ahead of them. A thousand thoughts must have gone through my head, but just couldn't imagine how anyone knew I was there - I hadn't told anyone where I was going and it was on the spur of the moment. I think one of the first thoughts is that they must have seen me carrying the camera in and thought it was a bomb as I fit so well the profile - this little old, nearly 70 year old, shriveled-up man. As we got out into the light of the outer room I noticed two more men, one in uniform, who I supposed was the security guard for the mall, and a lady directly in front of me. She was the first to speak I believe and said "I thought you were filming the movie." I told her that the camera only took stills and it was then that I noticed the big cop already had my camera in his hands. I don't know how he got it, but must have asked me and I handed it to him. He knew how to check it out as he was playing back every picture on there. Fortunately there were only the two lobby pictures in there and a bunch of flower pictures I took the day before. I remember telling him I take mostly flower pictures. Then the cop was explaining to me about how people take cameras into movies and make a film of the movie and sell it on the black market. I don't know whether it was my stunned appearance, or dumb look or what, but I remember him forcefully saying , "Do you understand me?" To which I said I understood him, but my mind was still swirling about this whole thing. I kept thinking is that the way it is done - I would have thought people doing something like that would just rent a movie and make a copy on devices which I am sure exist. My heart was beating so hard I thought it was going to explode right out of my chest. I don't remember much else of what was said. But I do remember the lady, who it turned out was the theater maganger, and who saw me taking the pictures in the lobby and must then have watched me every suceeding minute before calling the cops. She said she could hold my camera so I could enjoy the movie. I said, no my car was right outside and I would put in in the trunk. As I marched out, I did apologize to the cops for any problem I may have caused and having had to bring them out there. Figured I better attempt to keep in their good graces. I had to go back in the theater as don't think I could have driven off as I just wanted to sit down for awhile and compose myself. As I re-enterd the lobby she said a couple of times, "Enjoy the movie, " Enjoy the movie". I just looked at her and said "you about gave me a heart attack" and I think she said the same thing back. The cops were still in the lobby, but didn't bother with me. I did try to get involved in watching the movie again. It must be me, but it was a big disappointment - all I could think of the main charcater is that he was doing a poor imitation of the guy that sang that song "Tip Toe Through The Tulips". Then it came to me, also, that the last time I had gone to the movies, I had resolved that I would just wait and rent it, if I wanted to see it bad enough, as, whatever that movie was, I either couldn't understand or couldn't hear the dialog. Figure in the privacy of my home I can blast the sound. I'm sure my Blockbuster card has expired. I use to rent tapes. I wonder if they still rent tapes or is everything on CD's now. I do have a CD player on my computer, but seems silly to watch a movie on a 17 inch screen when I have a big screen TV.

Last week I made an infrequent trip to WalMart. I was going to check on the price of goldfish. They put a storm drain at my friend's church which culminates in a rock enshrouded little pond, about the size of a bathtub. In a big storm the excess water collects there and if it goes over the top will just wash out to the road and down the gutter. I don't know why but it just seems that a couple of fish should be swimming in there. They didn't have any bright orange ones so I passed on the few they had and bought a couple other supplies. When I go there I always enter through the garden center to see what might be on display. As I went in there wasn't much, but a long bench covered with potted mums. When I went to examine them, they had all been spray-painted on the tops in orange and then had purple sparkles sprinled on them (Clemson colors). When I went back to the car I started thinking that would be an interesting, funny picture so I started walking back to the garden center. The old senior greeter was approaching me almost before I crossed the road and wondered what I was doing. I told him and he said, "Oh, I'm sorry WalMart doesn' t permit any picture taking on their premises. He continued, "I don't know why, but they don't allow it." I laughed and said it didn't matter. but I thought to myself - CHeeZe!

Think I am back on track now. Hope That's the end and I won't have any similiar reports to be talking about. One of the folks that comments on my photos said, I got to learn to shoot from the hip. I hope I've learned my lesson as I sure don't like confrontations like that. I'll leave you with a picture of a Banana flower. It sure perked up my day when I saw it as had no idea they came in pink- Hope it does yours, too.

Stay well and until next time, Have a Happy, Dave

.