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Holiday greetings to all. I just wanted to do a quick follow up on an earlier blog post about cleaning up my neighborhood.

I have been diligently picking up trash along the path in my neighborhood that my dog and I take. Sometimes it’s large bags of trash, cans, bottles and whatever is man made and in my reach. That included under the high tension wires where we walk often.

My daughter in law was throwing out some potted Chrysanthemums that were still appearing viable. So  I literally took them from my trash cans put them in my minivan and drove them around the corner to the front part of the high tension wires. I planted them in the woodsy area to the side of the property, near the road.

Feeling that I did a good deed, I even brought them a little water said a little rain prayer for them and went on my usual routine. Yes it rained, God is so awesome! But shortly thereafter, walking my dog again I came upon one of the  neighbors that live next to this area, pulling rake fulls of fallen leaves over from his yard to the front side of this area.

He jokingly said to me “want some free leaves?”. I responded, “no thanks, but aren’t you dumping?” “No, it’s biodegradable it’s not considered dumping”. I responded, “sure in about five years”, then I added, “everything is biodegradable given enough time”. He was not happy with my response. If it’s true  that the leaves are biodegradable then he should have kept them as mulch in his own yard.

Two weeks later, I’m walking my dog under the high tension wires and I hear a lawn tractor. I was searching for pine cones for a craft. The lawn tractor was of the type that it had a big square collection container on the back of it. It seems this is the next door neighbor of the first man I spoke with. He knew the place well and went to his favorite dumping spot.

I don’t get it, he went all that way, had state of the art equipment and chose not to bag it up while he had it contained and mulched. What’s with these people?

As if that’s not bad enough, when I left that area walking towards my home with my dog, I saw a neighbor outside raking and bagging his leaves. I went up to thank him and tell him it was so good of him to do that. I told him about the other neighbors up the street. He responded what’s wrong with that?”. I said ” but it’s private property”. “So, I don’t see anything wrong with it, I’m thinking of cutting down this tree because I’m sick of raking”.

It’s the only tree on his property and it gives him some shade in the summer and because of its size and placement near the corner it stops people from cutting across his property ( he has a corner house). He said, “I’ll put a big rock there”.

Let me repeat myself, I don’t get it. I reminded him that he lived on Long Island, not New York City where it’s all concrete and that’s why he chose to live in the suburbs. He just shrugged his shoulders and walked away. “Have a nice I said”, as I walked in the opposite direction.

This is God’s green Earth. His beautiful wonderful Earth. In six days God created with all His power this especially wonderful planet.

Most of Mankind is stripping away the beauty and wonder and leaving behind its filth, coldness, death and decay. I thought I could make a difference picking up the trash and trying to beautify the area a little bit. How does a single person do that? Make a huge difference? Only God can help with that.

I’m still going to plant seeds in the spring, who know’s maybe the neighbors got convicted in the Spirit.

Blessings to all.