Monthly Statement:
October 2005
Total Bag Count: 696
Monthly total: 330
196 black - 114 white - 20 color

October was a challenging month for accumulating. The rainstorms in the middle of the month made both collecting and cleaning the bags a test of will and commitment. As a general rule, I avoid bags that are squishy with liquid. Prolonged rain complicates the simplicity of such decision making. First, it dilutes the color of undesirable liquids making their undesirableness less apparent at first glance. Second, it not only reconstitutes solid debris that are usually easy to shake out, it also turns such materials into glue, welding together a bag's wet, filmy, wrinkles. And of course there is the constant question of how best to carry wet bags around with you all day. Once the rains cleared I was back to finding the usual easily identified and avoided nasties, the best of which I have included photos of.

I usually hang the bags to dry on a makeshift clothesline on our roof strung up between our and our neighbor's chimneys. In the middle of the month I hung up two weeks worth of freshly washed bags to dry in the sunshine. A few hours later a major storm hit. The bags were all doubly-clipped and I checked on them daily to see that the wind was not scattering my accumulates. It made no sense to take them down, while wet, to store inside only to be hung back up in a day or two. However, a few of the bags did apparently manage to blow off into my neighbors rain gutter, prompting him to climb onto the roof and cut all my lines and fling my accumulates to the other side of our roof. To his credit, he did try to draw my attention to the matter by tapping on my housemate's window with a large stick. Or so he said when confronted. Whatever I could potentially feel for my neighbor's predicament was lessened by needing to know just how many bags I lost. As awkward as it is, I now drip-dry all bags inside the apartment (see photo).

I have noticed that the proportions of black, white and color bags is roughly the same as for last month. I anticipate that this will remain a constant, which is something to consider for presentation in December.

Process: I am accumulating all plastic shopping bags left on the street that I encounter each time I go outside. A record is being kept of how many bags are accumulated each day for the course of the project year. For each plastic bag I accumulate I will create one reusable canvas bag.