We have a poacher

There's a homeless man who roams the streets here collecting salvageable recyclables. Beer bottles, soda bottles, and soda cans are all money for him. We don't go to the can and bottle centers at the supermarkets, but we do recycle, so those items go into our recycling containers on Monday night, and overnight, the bins get picked over gently and quietly as Mr. Homeless Man works to remove them from the containers without waking anyone.

This weekend must be Mr. Homeless Man's big weekend of the year. As I took the recyclables to the curb tonight, I wondered if there were a lot more people like me in East Meadow who had a lot of people over this weekend, and served a lot of soda and beer. From my block, I see that there were a few who must have.

We didn't know that this "poaching" was taking place until after we had been in this house for several months, but now that we do, it makes it a little nicer to know that someone beside the recycling company is getting to take advantage of the can and bottle reclamation money...someone who needs it.

I hope you had a very relaxing and memorable Memorial Day, but I hope you also remembered the many men and women who have sacrificed their lives for the freedoms we enjoy in this country. One of those, freedom of speech, is particularly valuable to those of us who write (and read) blogs.