Artful Surprises

Project 365 - May 5

Maine has the absolute coolest thing going on.

They're called transfer stations.

For an annual $6 fee, the Marshall Hills station in Winthrop will take your trash and your recyclables. But my favorite part is the area they set aside to leave things that are too good to throw away.

I packed the SUV to the gills - twice - and headed to the transfer station today. It was thrilling to find half the first load gone by the time I got back with the second.

The men who work there run a tight ship, which endears them to me. Considering what their business is, the facility is remarkably clean and incredibly organized. However, they don't have much to say, and their reticence seems typical old-school no-nonsense Mainer.

In light of this, you can imagine my surprise and delight when we caught sight of this critter on one of their buildings.

I love it that people everywhere, even old-school Mainers, do things to improve their environments in endlessly creative ways. For a transfer station, what better way than recycled art?