Cyclone clean-up day

(Bike in a Bin!)

As a compulsive scrounger and long time fan of The Wombles, I must say.... I love Cyclone Clean-up Day! (Actually I haven't seen an episode of The Wombles since I was a kid but I took the show very seriously!)

Here in Darwin we are threatened, at particular times of the year, with the possibility of being struck by cyclones. It is very unlikely that we will be hit directly but if anyone has heard of Cyclone Tracy then you will know that they are not to be messed with!

Due to the possibility of extreme high velocity wind weather events we are expected to keep our yards free of debris. In order to enable us to do so the City Council does a free hard rubbish clean up in each suburb during the month of September. That's NOW!

All around the streets people have left great piles of unwanted material goods on their nature strip for the council trucks to come and take away! Of course much of these things have potential to be restored, fixed, mended or simply re-used. It is considered a great bonanza for those who are keen scroungers or gleaners. A Womble would think this were paradise if he or she were to stumble into Darwin this week. Masses of unused stuff gets a second chance at being put to a useful purpose. It could be considered the recycling event of the year... But I doubt the powers that be would see it that way. For the practical of hand with a creative mind the opportunity to explore and play are limitless. I am always amazed by the number of bicycles that appear at this time of year. If ever you are looking for some useful bike parts now is the time to go shopping around!

This weekend, since the trucks had already been around our area I decided to drop by the Tip Shop to see if they'd collected anything I could use... Unfortunately they didn't. The reason being, not that everything had been taken by scroungers... but because the guy who collects the good stuff wasn't working on the weekend! So it appears that most of the useful things that are collected end up in landfill simply because the dude is on his day off! What sort of recycling program is this city running?!


(Recycled Art)

On my way to work this morning a discarded cardboard sign caught my eye, it said 'Ask about finance options'. I thought it would be fun to display the sign somewhere and then wait for people to ask... My answer would be to "take all their jewels and give them to the poor!" (I was in a funky mood this morning!)
Then I came across yet another dumped bike by the side of the road... Actually it was in one of Trev's piles. I hooked the bike up to my Xtracycle and stuck the sign on it. I thought it was funny for a number of reasons... Kind of a capitalist irony... You know... To suggest that someone may need to seek a loan in order to purchase the crappy old bike with flat tires that I was towing around! (Well I had a chuckle about it anyway!) Then I came across a feather duster on my way to work. I passed it and kept riding but the darn thing kept calling me back so I had to turn the whole rig around and go back for it. I shoved it straight up the rear of the seat wit the very clear thought...
"Ok you look at this old bike and think it's worthless but actually it is made of precious resources. One day you(we) might have to pay more than you(we) can afford for such an item! That's when "Karma is gonna get You (Us)" Like The 'Cock of the wall' who turns out to be nothing but a feather duster it's gonna hit you(us) square and hard where the sun don't shine!

I continued on my way to work... grinning like an idiot!!! (I don't know why... I don't want that to be the way! But it felt good expressing it like that... maybe I should learn to play the guitar?)

Peace!