Last Winter has been hard on our roads. It's the cycling between freezing and thawing that's responsible for the damage as water seeps into the cracks during the day, expands as it turns to ice overnight, and lifts the asphalt. Once dislodged, it gets pulverized by traffic and we're left with pot holes.
This week, crews have been busy repairing the damage. The work gets done in stages. First, they cut the pavement surrounding the area to repair so that the edges are solid. Next, they remove the debris. Finally, they deposit new asphalt, and compact it in place with a Road Roller. The whole repair takes a few days from beginning to completion.
While the work is underway, the crew places plastic traffic cones around the perimeter of what is essentially missing road. I wouldn't want to inadvertently drive into one of these temporary obstacles, and I'm sure others feel the same way. However, the crews may be going a bit overboard with this as they use far more cones than the minimum necessary. But I'd rather they use too many than too few.
By the way, the damage is in the centre of the road. The original paving was done in two lanes, and where they meet in the centre seems the most vulnerable to seasonal damage. As a result, the traffic cones are concentrated in the middle of the road.
As they complete repairs to an area, they move the cones to the side of the road, and frequently, at the edges of homeowners' lawns.
Every day, I walk for exercise. I prefer to do this before dawn. These days, that's somewhere between 3:00 and 4:00. Things are really quiet around here at this time of morning.
Because the Moon has been hiding behind clouds for the last few days, walking has been extra dark. The general darkness made the reflective coloured traffic cones stand out even more than they would normally. Walking along a "Straight Stretch" I could see the cones lining the road for maybe a half-mile. Temptation overwhelmed my good judgement.
I moved traffic cones back onto the road, but not in their original locations. I used them to block one lane. And I alternated which side of the road to block, creating a wonderful chicane. When I was through, the Zig-Zag route was somewhat entertaining for a car, yet still easy enough for a truck. I was delighted with my handiwork.
Later that morning, I needed to fetch a few groceries. All my cones were still in place, except for one that was knocked over. This was a surprise. I assumed the road crew would've retrieved their (now redundant) cones, but they hadn't.
When I returned home, I received yet another surprise. Someone had attended to my knocked over cone and placed it upright once again -- in the (whimsical) spot where I had left it!
My obstacle course remained intact until Friday. I assume the cones were removed sometime on Friday afternoon because they were gone when I walked this morning (Saturday.)
The road repairs are uncompleted. Perhaps the crew will return next week. If they do, they'll likely deposit more cones. Perhaps I'll get another chance to become "Traffic Artistic." And with a New Moon, I'll have even more darkness to conceal my vandalism.
Cheers, PW.
P.S. It feels good to confess one's Sins.
