I was driving near Alberton the other day when I noticed a woman standing on the side of the road, holding a garbage bag.   

As I approached, a child popped out of the ditch beside her, followed by another. They were visible just long enough to dump small fists full of plastic trash into the bag and disappear again in search of more. Earlier in the day, I’d seen a man walking down the sidewalk in O’Leary doing the same on his own with a grabber tool.   

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You see that kind of thing a lot in P.E.I. each spring. Whether it’s the annual Women’s Institute Roadside Cleanup (coming up on May 10), an organized outing for a group like the Scouts and Guides or just individual initiative while folks are out for a stroll. Tidying up the uglier side of winter’s leavings is an annual tradition for many.   

Seeing those worthy Islanders doing their part for the rest of us reminded me of my own childhood expeditions to local ditches and time spent scouring them clean.

Mind you, during my childhood in the........

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