6 Miles

Today was a sunny, warmer day. I went to open the front door and hear a fire truck coming down our road. I looked out and a police car blocking the road. I was puzzled–we’d had the road closed all last week because of utility work and I thought they were done. Why was the road closed? And why was the police car blocking the fire truck? Then the fire truck turned right in front of the police car, on the side/dead-end road that’s right next to us. I suddenly was worried that one of our neighbors (an older couple) was hurt or ill.  I went to look out the back window and saw this:

I was so puzzled–why was there a pile of trash on the road? Then the fire men started poking through the trash with pitch forks (who knew they carried those on their trucks?!?).  My first thought was “Could they be looking for a body?” Um, could be someone is watching too many crime shows! I realized the police would be doing that, not the fire department. I then wondered if there was something on fire in the pile–but didn’t see anything smoking.  Later when I looked out, I saw a smoldering object off to the side. Next the we knew, the fire truck was leaving and the two garbage men were walking around the pile…looking like they weren’t quite sure what to do with it. At least I was wondering what they would do with it! Finally we saw–THIS is how you clean up a pile of trash:

After all the trash was scooped up and put in dumpsters and hauled away, they even had a guy spraying cleaning solution on the road.

I did think how glad I was that the kids are still at the age where they find this interesting.