Litter in Skaneateles

In the wake of the Craft Fair in Austin Park, a semi-neat trash pile, awaiting the Village’s pleasure. Also this morning, a baseball hit by the mower, and a fragment of a Combos wrapper indicating the contents were “the cheese filled snack of NASCAR.”

In a find of historical significance: one Callaway Golf 3 ball, marked “Big Bertha,” an allusion to a German howitzer of World War I that fired 17-inch shells weighing 1,719 pounds each. The British said the shells came in from their journey of six miles “with a noise like a runaway tramcar on badly laid rails.” Designed to demolish concrete fortifications, they also did a job on anything or anyone they hit if they missed.

Two Big Bertha guns were made by Krupp and informally, but enduringly, named for the heiress, shown above, who inherited the Krupp firm in 1902.

On the way home, one crushed can of SoBe Adrenaline Rush with two lizards sniffing hello; one crushed Budweiser NASCAR can celebrating #8; one Marriott room key card.

You might want to know this about Adrenaline Rush, from Subway’s Russian website menu: “Russia #1 energetic beverage. Provides strong and fast organism ‘charging.’ Has a bright flavor without typical for other energetic beverages ‘medicine after taste.’ “

Earlier this month, special litter correspondent Tyler Watson attended the Bank of America 500 and reports that should one want to make a career out of picking up litter, Concord, North Carolina, has enough for a lifetime, especially within a five-mile radius of Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Beer cans are a big part of the scattered bounty, and Tyler described how the experienced drinkers wasted no effort; they simply let the emptied can ride the momentum of the last pull and fly away over their heads. Also worthy of note: as the Budweiser, Miller Lite and Coors Light cars passed by, their fans raised their namesake beers in salute. Tyler was not sure if this was also the case with the Jim Beam, Crown Royal and Jack Daniels cars.

The recurring litter motifs of originality and NASCAR have surfaced yet again, this time at the Austin Park baseball diamond where a receipt from Advanced Auto Parts on Erie Blvd in Syracuse documented the purchase of an air freshener with “original scent.” This surely must have been a Little Trees air freshener, invented in 1951 by Julius Samann, a Canadian chemist in Watertown, New York; he developed the original “Royal Pine” scent in his garage; he also invented Silly String. What a guy. And today, Little Trees Racing, with driver Mike Olsen, is sponsored by Car Freshner Corporation, the manufacturer of this — dare I say it — iconic American (and Canadian) original.

On the way to work, a soggy and crumpled 2007-2008 date book, two Key Bank withdrawal receipts showing a remaining checking balance of $1,110.10 for an account ending in 3268, three Tootsie Roll wrappers, one BULLS-EYES Caramel Creams wrapper, and at the Village gates, two (2) Budweiser cans from the Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8 NASCAR edition, crinkled in manly fashion, or perhaps in frustration as Dale Jr. will not be driving the Budmobile in 2008.

Dale Jr. notes, “To climb into that red Budweiser car each weekend has always been a privilege. Although Budweiser and I will be unable to continue our partnership beyond this season, I remain committed to driving for Bud the rest of this year, and will continue to make it my beer of choice.”

Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing for Anheuser-Busch Inc., replies graciously, “Budweiser has sponsored Dale Jr. for nearly a decade, and we wish him the very best. Budweiser will remain an active sponsor of NASCAR, and we look forward to building upon the legacy of the iconic Budweiser red car in 2008 and beyond.”