Saturday, May 25, 2019

Saturday Seaside

Although the beach is just a few minutes away from me, I don't go there very often for this very reason.
Garbage, single-use plastics. plastic pollution ... left behind by lazy people who can't make use of the many trashcans found along the corniche.
Today I even found several diapers.
I'm sure the half-full iced coffees were strategically placed for a nice photoshoot and unfortunately that's where they stayed.
It makes me very angry.
Someone left all their toys behind, thankfully far from the shore, so I gathered them all together and left them there.  But the underwear went in the trash.
It's very easy to find empty shopping bags floating around so today I was able to fill two.
I will never understand why people want to enjoy the sea, but are not respectful of all it has to offer.
 The good news is that every time I put myself out there, I do have some really lovely encounters.
Like today when I said hello to the lady feeding the fish.  We chatted for a little bit and I found out she is an art teacher, so now we follow each other on Instagram.  She thanked me several times for cleaning up the beach.
I also said good morning to the lady who showed up with a big bag of food to feed the seaside kitties.
This guy seemed a little sad.  Poor baby.
And this one wanted all the attention.
 So despite the garbage, I'm glad I went.
Really love all the cool formations in the rocky shore.
Happy Saturday!

10 comments:

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

Hello to you from Southern California. Just recently came across your blog and want to let you know I enjoy it very much. I love that you leave little hearts behind on your walks. One of the things I love most about blogging is how we can share views and thoughts from whatever "world" we happen to be living in, even if it is thousands of miles away and a totally different culture. It's really sad about how much trash people leave behind these days. I think it's wonderful that you do a bit of cleaning up when you can. Looking forward to visiting again! Sara

kathyinozarks said...

Such a beautiful beach-it is so sad what people do-disgusting-thank you for cleaning the beach-hugs

Quinn said...

I'm glad you went, too! Thanks for sharing your photographs, Tammy :)

Teresa Kasner said...

You are a wonderful person to pick up that litter. I must say that most people in Oregon are good about not littering. But there are always some that do such awful things. I would never throw my trash on the ground.
((hugs)), Teresa :-)

Betsy said...

Hello Tammy, It's hard to understand why people litter like that. Who do they think will clean it up? What do they think will happen with all of their trash? It's really unfathomable to me when I think about it. But...there are lovely people like you out in the world who DO care and take the time to clean it up and are rewarded by beautiful gifts from the sea. It's almost like the sea is telling you thank you and offering up some of it's treasures to you. Those are beautiful shells.
And new friends! See, going to the ocean, even with it's trash, was a gift to you, although I would have a hard time leaving those precious kitties behind. And a gift of a heart for someone to find and know that someone cares. This has been an inspiring post for me today Tammy. Thank you my friend.
Blessings always,
Betsy

Gracie Saylor said...

Thanks for sharing your seaside stroll and for your efforts to keep the area beautiful, Tammy. I appreciate your efforts! Years ago when I lived in Crescent City, CA, there was a devoted group of folks who cared for the seaside stray kitties there, and I so admired their commitment. I am glad you have folks who care for the kitties near you. xx

Mary said...

Tammy dear, you are a jewel to help clean up the beach on your walks. How can people be so thoughtless about cleanliness in public places - I guess they're the same ones who live in dirty homes! The feral kitties are fortunate someone comes to feed them. Reminds me of the rug dealer in Istanbul who cared for street cats and had many tucked away in the carpets! A kind man, who even gave us a lightweight carry bag for our shopping (not his rugs) and chatted about life - it's people like that who make traveling so special.

The Vincent an Gogh quote is new to me - so beautiful.

Mariette VandenMunckhof-Vedder said...

Dearest Tammy,
There is so much in this post. The absolute beauty of the seaside with all its treasures but what a shame that so many people turn a heart of stone to it and are not considerate towards fish, birds that get trapped and strangled in the plastics they leave...
Poor kitties that are so hungry for human warmth and love! How could one ever abandon such sweet critters?!
You made the most out of your visit and meeting special people was a reward in itself.
Hugs,
Mariette

Angie said...

Tammy - you and I have had this exchange before - the shocking lack of respect that people have for our earth and our communities. I am currently leading an effort to clean about six miles of highway that lead to our neighborhood, and the amount of trash is disheartening. BUT, I have a wonderful group of volunteers and we feel we are making a difference. Glad you felt it was worth the trip (and some aggravation) in the end!

Jodiebodie said...

I is very sad to know how much of our earth is being polluted. You are not the only one doing remedial clean ups of the shorelines. It is common to see beachwalkers here also carrying a bag to clean up washed up rubbish as they walk along. Did you hear the news earlier this year about plastic rubbish being found in the depths of the Mariana Trench in May of this year? Truly shocking but not surprising.

Friends who recently travelled to Japan noted that they couldn't find rubbish bins in public places like we have in Australia and yet the place was very clean. People are expected to just take their rubbish with them and dispose of it when they get home. And they do. Where is the political will in the world to tackle the problem of waste? Perhaps it is being beaten down by economic wills but without a healthy environment, how do we sustain our lives? No environment = no life = no economy! We each have our part to play. Thank you for doing what you can.

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