By Joe Damone

I write this from a unique place, the Andes town dump. It’s a working social event, taking place every Wednesday and Saturday. Residents drive in to take care of a nasty chore and some take the time to chew the fat with friends, acquaintances and family members. Flatlanders chat with locals, a beat up pickup truck idles next to a Lexus, no teeth chat with expensive smiles. The dump seems to be the great equalizer.

The manager of the Refuse Management Station (as it’s officially called) plucks treasures from others’ garbage and puts them on display for all to view and take home if they so desire. There are radios, bed frames, toys, and bug zappers, all for the taking. If you took away the odor and the smooth recyclables piled up to the sky, added a BBQ grill and some cocktails it could be a bi-weekly town mixer yard sale. Yesterday they even had country music playing from one of the discarded treasures and a couple of dumpers did a little two-step.~