There’s a large spider sitting above me as I write this.  It’s been wandering around the top of the walls all evening and now it’s sitting and ready (to drop on my face)..
So last weekend was busy.  I joined a volunteer effort rubbish-picking up and around Tsurugi san (the mountain) on Sunday.  The weather did not seem ideal for walking but in actuality it was.  The fine rain and mist kept us cool and calm as it drifted gently around the mountains.

I have no idea who these people are.

Standing in the carpark as one mass, everyone appeared to be distracted, ambivalent.  The volunteers wore brand-name fluoropolymer clothes and sported plastic bags and hats.  Rucksacs filled with beautifully packed lunches and metal expanding walking sticks, sunglasses, huge c(ock)ameras and cigarettes.

We walked the whole way, right from the bottom.  It’s better that way, and cheaper.  But it was actually a struggle to find some rubbish to pick up.  I snagged a rusted can o’cuttlefish and some unidentified drink, some scraps of plastic bag and a Anpanman plaster, but it wasn’t much really.  The pace was very gentle so I hardly broke a sweat.

Upon reaching the first pit-stop I decided to press on ahead to soak up the ambience and try and grab some more rubbish.  It was very silent and wonderful: dead hinoki trees and the mist.

I’d never walked this route before.

I realised I had to walk up this little path, up the mountain ahead and it made me dawdle.  So, anyway, I managed it and I was sweating and I could feel my face was hot.  Then I ran down the other side and ate lunch with everyone.

It was getting late so we turned around and walked back over Tsurugi san and at the summit had a little coffee and tea.

30 minutes later and we were back in the carpark, taking our shoes off and slapping each others backs.  Good job done.  Altogether, the volunteers collected 90kg or so of rubbish.  Amazing that there was that much (I think they emptied the cafe’s bins for them – to bulk up the amount, to make it look like we did something and not just went for a nice walk!)

Meanwhile, at Kamiyama’s EarthDay and man with a cat perused the handmade goods…