Disturbing things I learned from this Green Contest

[Celebration]

First of all, taking photos makes one MUCH more aware of surroundings. It is really cool to notice birds everywhere now, for instance, or great old buildings, etc. But this time I learned a couple of things that disturbed me.

See this picture? I was babysitting my two year old grandkid in the front yard and multitasking by taking green pictures. Here is one--



See I specifically wanted the neighbor's wrought iron fence in the background. It was a little annoying, however, because the lawn crew was over there at the time, and I wanted to avoid them.

All of a sudden this stranger came out of nowhere to introduce himself as a lawyer and volunteer, saying that he worked with a non profit group to teach kids about Christ and the value of work. Okay, I live in a city with a large, poor population, and many kids are without structure, or dads, and there is a high crime rate. So I just told him I already had someone to cut my yard. Then he explained that he was not soliciting me for business, but he gave me a brochure about this non profit that was associated with some church or something. So, I am scratching my head as to why he did all that if he didn't want my business. Then he said something about my taking pictures. Ummm, okay, I said I was trying to avoid taking pictures of the lawn crew. He just said that he had wanted to explain his mission and that of the organization.

So, after he left I took a look at the lawn crew. They were mostly teenagers, but a couple of the kids looked about eight years old. What? If they really wanted to help these kids wouldn't they have them do something besides cut yards? Are they getting paid? Is this legal? So, I am disturbed. Are they being exploited? How many hours are they working? Maybe everything is on the up and up, but why did this guy get a bit defensive about the pictures? I am not sure what to make of it, but the unanswered questions are all bothering me.

Then, here is the Tallahatchie River (yes, as in Ode to Billy Joe), since I was in Greenwood, Mississippi today.



You can't really see it but behind the bridge piling is just a ton of wood and logs all jammed up against it by the current. Does that seem safe? Doesn't that put stress on the bridge?

Anyway, the green theme has been eye opening, I guess.

Oh, I wasn't really doing many photos in Mississippi today, but here is a pretty cool top to the courthouse there.

[Mira]

1. First, I envy you being in Mississippi. Love the third photo a lot. I have a karmic

connection to the really deep South, and have not explored that area enough, yet.

What you are describing is of course an outgrowth of you being "out there" and visible and doing something with more fervor than most, so you attract attention.
I think there is so much speculation on what happened with the stranger and what he/they are really up to that you'll never know. But it is a little weird.
I suspect that it was not exploitation but a little bit of many things, none of them probably sinister.

Meet you in Natchez!

[Celebration]

2. Greenwood is really great!

I had never been there. It seems actually kind of thriving, unlike most small towns. I am sure the economy has killed business, but it isn't readily apparent to the eye. Their businesses include Viking, a very high end kitchen manufacturing outfit, associated semi famous cooking school, a hotel/spa, at least two high end furniture design retail/wholesale places, etc.

All the buildings in the town are at least fifty years old. There are no buildings over four stories high. The structures are in decent, good shape, but it hasn't been over renovated. There is the Tallahatchie River downtown, but not an overwhelmingly high bluff, so I do wonder about flooding, and I wonder about all the debris up against the bridge. Oh, well. I wasn't there to take pictures, and the middle of the day is not a good time to do street pictures anyway. So, I only snapped the top of the courthouse.

Oh, the good thing was, there were actually good restaurants downtown.

On the way there, there were a lot of swampy, cypress type places, and I spotted some great birds. But, alas, no pictures.

With regard to the lawn crew, I don't really exactly question the motives of the stranger that I spoke to, but I'm still slightly disturbed. If eight year olds have big brothers on the crew, and want to come along and help, then it is fine. If they are working ten hour shifts and not getting paid, then I have a real problem with it. I do not know what the truth is. All I know is that I am grateful that none of my children had to work on lawn crews during the summer, at eight years old. I somewhat suspect that the volunteers do mean to do good, but that there is an ulterior motive, as a way for landscapers to find good people to work as parts of lawn crews.

Let's just say that I am not really happy realizing this, and here it was going on across the street from me, and had it not been for the contest, I would not have noticed it.

I mentioned it to one of my daughters, who, sans camera, and sans stranger encounter, said that the age of some of the kids on the lawn crew caused her to raise her eyebrows a bit.

[elleng]

3. Contrary to other opinions, sorry guys,

I hope never to have to visit mississippi or alabama.