Dump Run

   Dump Run
By John R. Greenwood

Man-heaven must include at least one dump run every 6 months. Pickup trucks are a given. Sorting and disposal are in your control. With the window rolled down and the music up loud, life has a special feel. Man-heaven with a pedal and a day off. It's not work. It's dirt under the nails, the smell of fermented leaves and fescue kickstarting your pulse. Once you dig a hole in that long forgotten corner of the garage the heart rate adds a beat or two. Pulling on that pair of crusty leather gloves mimics the goalie prepping for the third period with the game tied. The experience more intense when the sky is blue and the air spring-fresh and moving. There's nothing more

exhilarating than being in the first wave at the dump, knowing the rookies are just slapping the snooze for the fourth time and you have a shot at three loads before noon! Living the good life with an eight foot truck bed and a pile of stuff with no where left to go. Brooms, shovels, and maybe a hayfork for the pro's, all tools of the happy. A nice deep splinter or two makes it special. Boys dream of the day when the garage and truck keys are theirs, and the decision to re-shelve or toss is their own. Cleared garages and organized cellars although rare, are best enjoyed in the spring when the robins are watching and the chipmunks are in the way.