The Trees are Sold!

It has been an incredible whirlwind (not literally thank goodness) of activity for me the past couple of days. First and foremost, I sold the trees and the recycling goes full circle in the process! They will be installed at The Kent County Department of Public Works Recycling and Education Center where thousands of children tour in school groups each year.  Now the challenge for us is moving them over. There are two areas we plan to place them, in the front lobby, and upstairs in the education center. 

Chris and I met with The Grand Rapids Director of Public Works, Doug Wood, who took us on a tour of the facility. I felt a little like I was watching my favorite Mr. Roger's Neighborhood feature: the crayon making segment. The facility has an area looking out at workers and machines sorting piles of recycled materials that enter through a conveyer belt. I love conveyer belts. We watched from a viewing area then walked out onto a visitor's cat-walk where we saw paper being tossed in the air and sucked up to the paper section, a computer operated light scanner separating out PET plastic (my personal favorite), and workers tirelessly helping the environment by sorting out the rest. All but the glass gets baled into giant colorful bricks that are sent off to various area facilities for processing.

Doug was kind enough to give us a tour around Grand Rapids that included something you'll never find in Florida: an antique horse drawn snow plow. Wonder what they used for a snowmobile? He took us to another facility and Chris, who claims to not be an artist advised me to take this shot of the river:

Chris and Doug were chatting about Grand Rapids and what sights I had seen when Doug asked: "Have you seen the fish ladder?"  More later....