Whitten-Parritt Stream Clean Up: Stream of Consciousness

The Whitten Parritt Stream flows north to south across US Route 1.

At this point on route 1, the stream  forms a boundary line  between Hancock - Township 7- and Washington County
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As you drive East across the stream, the sign reads  Welcome to Washington County. the Sun Rise County.

A trail on the north side of of route 1, next to the concrete culvert, meanders down to a flowing stream. 

Until Wednesday or Thursday of this week, the embankment leading down to the stream was disgracefully cluttered with trash and tires. Friday morning however the tires and trash had been removed from the stream bank, cleaned up and stacked  on route 1 for pick up.  

Who removed the all this clutch? I don't know, but I hope to get a chance to meet them and acknowledge their good deeds. Seeing that the trash and tires were piled up, I drove a short distance not more than 200 yards and turned left into a drive way where a man was working in his garden. The gardener walked to my car window while black flies swirling around him. He wore a bug net over his hat pulled and down over his head disguising his face. Powering down the window, I  shook hands  with him as I introduced myself. He said his name is Ray Blaisdale. 

You know him as Pastor Ray Blaisdale who served as minister  at Weald Bethel of the Maine Sea Coast Mission in Chery Field. He now ministers in the Ashville Church.
My first question to him was do you know who cleaned up the bank leading down to the stream. Ray did not know. Are there fish in the stream I wondered out loud. "Of course" as he smiled."My  land abuts  the stream"," I have walked the trail many times", he admitted. As we talked a pheasant strutted across his drive way. A roadside mystery has developed. Who was this secret gorillas task force who cleaned up the trash and tires which had been haunting this beautiful stream for years? Whoever you are thank you for your community spirit and generous work. Did you find your  work gloves  left on the stump?

See: The Downeast Coastal Press  Vol 23 No. 45 May 17-23 2011 page 10;
Stream of Consciousness: Who Cleaned the Trash from the Whitten Parritt Stream?
Joseph S. Palmer Freelance Contributor



Other Pictures contributed to
The Downeast Coastal Press
as see in May 17-23 issue
by Joseph S. Palmer

Kids spent the morning with their moms looking for periwinkles, rock hopping, and wading at the shore by the Pinkham boat ramp  while the tide ebbed. Here and there were fragments of peanut butter sandwiches and cookies scattered on the beach. A family dog laid on rock weed and noticed all the happenings.Back row, It was a kick back time at the beach. See in this picture is Heather Peters wearing the Roots Tee Shirt, Clarissa West, and her mom Claire West. Resting on the tricycle is Mackenley Peters nearly two years old, and his brother Mackaylon Levi . Cailin Chase wears  a tee shirt "Mom's Little Trouble Maker". Both families frequent the beach on good sunny days and live  in Steuben.

A fishermen is seen casting his net on the Hoi An River, Hoi An, Vietnam as his wife guides the 16 foot boat with a sculling motion at the stern. All the boats  on the Hoi An River have two eyes painted on either side of the bow. The eyes have the power to scare away sea monsters and hopefully chase good fish into the boat. On any good weather day small boats like this one can be seen plowing the waters of the river. Following their daily catch fishermen gather on the following day at dawn to sell their fish at the Hoi An river  market.  This boat was made by local craftsmen with basic hand tools  on an island in the Hoi An River.
Joseph S. Palmer recently visited Vietnam