This week Dangergirl Lives takes you out of the ocean and plunges you right into the woods!
My Rooster and I, and our wonderful friends, have been known to participate in all kinds of charitable events, primarily fundraisers for people we know, and friends of friends, who have been afflicted with Cancer, childhood illnesses, or accident relief. During the holidays we do Toy Runs and collect blankets and socks for the homeless. These have all been biker events (hug a biker, they are way more charitable than you realize). These events almost always include a monetary donation or commitment.
This past weekend, we participated in a different sort of charitable event. We were part of “Pick Up A Mountain”. Feel free to click on the title, it links to the Facebook event page. It was a Pacific Northwest 4 x 4, Division 4 Jeep Club event. Now you know that we love our Jeepin’, and we have our own small group that we go out with, but we are hardly clubbers. We drive VERY SLOWLY up and over rocks, tree stumps and other precarious places in the woods. This is the first time it turned into something meaningful.
I am extremely grateful to Vinnie and Dawn for inviting us to go with them. Not only did we have a great time, they gave me blog fodder and a warm cuddly feeling. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
This year’s Pick Up A Mountain was the 8th annual event. We made some new friends, and conquered some new trails. My Rooster was fortunate to be able to do a little scouting for his upcoming hunting season (the event was right in his late archery hunting grounds). The most important, and dare I say fulfilling part about it, was picking up trash. I know, I have finally lost it, right? Each vehicle was issued a giant yellow garbage bag or two (courtesy of Les Schwab Tires).
During the course of the day, while doing the usual driving through the woods, next to cliffs, or at staggering tilts/climbs, we picked up garbage. It was mostly old cans and bottles, but there were some other significant finds to be had.
Dawn found a brand new Cabela’s baseball cap, camo of course. Two other members of the group we were trailing with found dollar bills, I was fortunate enough to find two unopened, vintage cans of Cherry Pepsi (LOL).
The worst thing I found was a broken abandoned toilet seat, which I had to pick up, even though the very fiber of my being warned against it.
In one clearing the entire group stopped to help clean up an old recliner that someone had the foresight to bring out into the woods and shoot up. There was upholstery for 400 yards all around. Good thing there was a Toyota truck with us. He got the honor of bringing back the chair (and the toilet seat).
But we still had fun. Lots of fun. We still were able to Jeep halfway up the mountain.
And like any day of Jeepin’ there were broken rigs and group efforts made to keep them running. Before you feel the need to wonder, everyone made it out unharmed. Most of the Jeeps got some new beauty marks, and a few will need repairs, but everyone made it back to base camp.
At the end of the Jeeping portion of the event, our group had collected ten good sized bags of trash, and a whole pickup load of miscellaneous large garbage. We did our part to “Pick Up the Mountain”.
There were several groups spread out all over the area, probably close to 100 jeeps and 4 wheelers in all. Can you even begin to imagine how much cleaner the woods are now?
The 4 x 4 association, in appreciation of our efforts put on a massive BBQ, raffle (with a ton of 4 wheeling type prizes) and a dance, not to mention sponsoring the campgrounds for the weekend.
But garbage isn’t all we took in over the weekend. I for one love the woods (second only to the water), and I invite you to enjoy some of my gratuitous nature shots.
AND we found our Christmas Tree. If only we can remember where it is when the time comes.
The moral of today’s story…….
Be Charitable, do something for your fellow man, or come together to do something for nature, or all of mankind. It isn’t necessarily a financial contribution that has to be made. In fact, I think it’s even more meaningful when it isn’t financial. Give time, give energy, give some of your light to something or someone that means something.
I promise you that the feeling you get in return is absolutely priceless.
See you next time.