AwcA - Another WCAlloys Company - awca

An evening downtown...

Looking forward to another Gallery Night in downtown P-cola!  Be sure and stop in to see the latest creations of our artist-in-residence Susan, of Green Apple Art!

A response from Governor Scott -

Sad Day for Recyclers and Our Cleaned Communities

We are saddened to report that at 5:10 pm CST last Friday afternoon, Governor Rick Scott signed into law HB 885, despite many, many citizens calling and/or emailing him their opposition to this bill as written.


http://www.flgov.com/bill-action/

While there is much to be said against this action, we are currently shocked that passage into law would be allowed for such a harmful dictate that punishes the many to try to protect from the few. Especially since we already had good law that has been proving effective time and again.

Our options are being explored at present and we will update this page when the direction becomes clearer.  For now understand that AwcA, as a legitimate business in NW FL will have to operate within the mandates of this new law when the time comes. And that for now to us, the song "Crazy Train" by Ozzy seems to be the defining symbol of how things are and what is to come.

We are still paying cash for your scrap metals, come on down and finish off your spring cleaning and preparations for summer storms.

Last Day for the Governor to Sign HB885

Ask Governor Scott to carefully consider HB 885 before signing...

As we have been asking all Floridians to call and email Gov. Scott in regards to HB885, we believe that the Gov. hasn't yet signed this bill into law so far because of the harm it will cause every Floridian to be denied cash at the time of sale of their scrap metals. He should also be concerned with this new bill's application when held up to the scrutiny of the Office of Fiscal Accountability and Regulatory Reform (OFARR).

 On April 8, 2011, Governor Scott issued Executive Order 11-72, which reaffirms OFARR's critical role in ensuring common sense and accountability in state regulation.

Executive Order 11-72, Section 3.1 states, in part, that OFARR shall:

(1) Review proposed and existing rules and regulations to ensure that they do not:

(a.) unnecessarily restrict entry into a profession or occupation;
(b.) adversely affect the availability of professional or occupational services to the public;
(c.) unreasonably affect job creation or job retention;
(d.) place unreasonable restrictions on individuals attempting to find employment;
(e.) impose unjustified costs on business; or
(f.) impose an unjustified overall cost and economic impact, including indirect cost to consumers. 

HB885 fails when held up to several of these key guidelines. We cannot know what he is thinking however, so please continue to call or email to tell the governor your feelings on the 'outlawing of American currency' when you sell your scrap. 

Call - (850) 488-7146

Email - Click Here

Theft is a problem in every community, but we at AwcA see more honest people recycling their scrap than thieves; when we get the occasional thief, current law gives us the ability to put them in jail and a builds a strong case for convictions.  Proposed HB 885 gives us no more tools to stop theft and treats all recyclers as if they were the thieves.  In the words of Chaz Miller, State Programs Director for the Environmental Industry Associations in Washington, D.C.;  "The more we repeat myths about recycling the more we believe they are true. Worse yet, legislators consider bills to fix problems that don't exist or aren't as serious as they think. Let's kill the myths and stick to the facts."  *Waste Age Jan. 2012 issue

Thank you for contacting Gov. Scott and we hope to be seeing you around the scrapyard!

Earth Day and the Anniversary of the BP Disaster

We remember the 11 men lost and pray for the marine and human life along and in the Gulf of Mexico. Tomorrow is Earth Day, yet all is not well and BP hasn't fixed a thing no matter what they say.

Demand to be heard about the death and destruction in the Gulf.  Earth Day has no meaning if we don't make the efforts to speak up for our planet.

See ya around the scrapyard.

Time is running out - Call Governor Scott today!

We are down to the wire with the new recycling bill that can and will become law if Governor Scott signs it.  Sitting on his desk is House Bill 885, a new document that expands the restrictions on how you can recycle and expect compensation, while not creating any new tools to assist law enforcement in stopping theft of scrap metals. 

As of yesterday afternoon, Governor Scott hadn't signed this bill into law.  Please take the moments to call or email him and ask for further study into this bill before it becomes law!  Whether you yourself depend on scrap metal recycling to generate cash or not, chances are someone you know in the community does - either give them a helping hand by questioning this legislation to the Governor, or see further hampering of many businesses and an increase in need within the communities in Florida starting this summer.

Contact Governor Scott today -

Call - (850) 488-7146

Email form - Click Here

Thank you for taking the time to object to this outlawing of cash - "This note legal Tender for all debts, both public and private".

Truth

For those so inclined, great website - click here

Good Friday at Work

Today is Good Friday and yes, we are open.  We will be open normal hours tomorrow also.  Because we pay cash for your metal scrap, there are people in this economy that will be able to add to their Easter dinner or the baskets the Easter Bunny will be bringing to the kids.  In our humble opinion, karma, the Kreator and kosmic forces would approve.  If you are driving by and also approve, give us a shout out or wave!

We sincerely hope that this Easter is a blessed one for all of our customers and supporters.  The beauty of springtime along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico is one of the physical signs of promise for us all. 

Peace!

Rest In Peace Scotty

We at AwcA are saddened by the passing of our friend Stephen Scott Beaulieu this past Sunday.  We'd just profiled Scotty and his recycled aluminum foil ball last month.  The weight of the ball was 274 pounds, btw. 

Scotty not only recycled with us, he would come up to the yard to visit bearing gifts of doughnuts and CocaCola!  Regaling us with stories of his life, Scotty brought many a smile and much laughter to our office.

Goodbye Scotty, may you rest in peace til we see you again in the hereafter.  Until then, you are, and will be, deeply missed.

Tonight we demand Earth Hour, Will You Join Us?

Amnesty Day on the South End!

Tomorrow, Saturday March 24th, from 8am til noon the South End Annex will be the site of Amnesty Day collection for our area.  For those of you that ask us about disposal of these items, tomorrow's your day!

Amnesty Day is not a recycle day, but a special day for disposal of household hazardous waste. The following items should never be thrown out with your household garbage. On Amnesty Day, citizens can dispose of up to five gallons each at no cost:

Oil, Gasoline, Paint, Antifreeze, Oil filters, Lubricants, Greases, Solvents, Pesticides, Fertilizers,
Batteries, Five-gallon propane bottles, Pool cleaners, Household cleaners, Computers, Cathode Ray TV’s, Monitors, Printers, Fax Machines, DVD/DVR players, Typewriters, Copy machines,
Battery backups, Fluorescent lights, Fire extinguishers.

Residents will be required to remove any accepted items from their vehicle. Please note that tires, general debris or household garbage will not be accepted as part of Amnesty Day, but may be taken to the Central Landfill.

Just trying to keep Santa Rosa County clean and green.  See you around the scrapyard!

Gallery Night in Pensacola Tonight!

"Hatchlings Headed to Sea"
   15"x17"  Susan Mayer


Once again it is time for Gallery Night in Pensacola!  Art, live music and entertainments, food, fun. Even the guys will be eager to go as there's going to be a car show in the streets of downtown! Put on several times a year, Gallery Night has something for everyone. With temps in the mid-60s and a light breeze out of the south, tonight will be an enjoyable early spring evening in our area. Check it out!

We at AwcA will be attending for many various reasons, the most exciting of which is to see some of the new designs for 2012 from our resident recycle artist Susan Mayer of Green Apple Art!  Susan will be set up directly across from Seville, be sure and stop in to say hello (and tell her Nay sent you ;)

Back to office drudgery and paperwork, getting caught up so I can have fun tonight at Gallery Night!  See you around the scrapyard  =D

Guess the weight...

Scotty is a friend of AwcA who has been saving aluminum foil and creating a ball for the last 12 years.  He says it is a fun thing to do and hopes to one day get the ball in the record books! 

On this day, we weighed the ball - can you guess the weight? 

Happy Leap Day!

Here we are again, another 4 years come and gone!  They say if we didn't have Leap Year we would be celebrating Christmas in the middle of the summer.  I can't wrap my mind around that but do feel for the people born on this day; how do you celebrate a birthday that happens only once every four years?

Numbers are up, we are paying more for your scrap metals and not a minute too soon!  Hop on down and get your Leap Day cash while it lasts.  Like the frog sculpture above, these prices could wash away!

Ribbet y'all =D

Quote of the Day ~

Our justice system is not perfect, but without the corruption of the government-state I still believe it is the greatest system on Earth.  Never ceases to amaze me at how much foresight our forefathers had!

"It has long, however, been my opinion, and I have never shrunk from its expression ... that the germ of dissolution of our federal government is in the constitution of the federal Judiciary; an irresponsible body, (for impeachment is scarcely a scare-crow) working like gravity by night and by day, gaining a little today and a little tomorrow, and advancing its noiseless step like a thief, over the field of jurisdiction, until all shall be usurped from the States, and the government of all be consolidated into one."

-Thomas Jefferson, letter to Charles Hammond, 1821

It's Fat Tuesday - Happy Mardi Gras Y'all!

Another Mardi Gras, another day on the scrapyard.  I so miss going to photograph in Bienville Square. Hoping everyone in Mobile, New Orleans and points along the south has fun and enjoys their blowout before Lent!

While I may not be at Mardi Gras events, I have my moon pie and my music with me on the yard - if you wanna have a listen, tune in and wake up to the music I fell in love with in Mamou :)

Mardi Gras Music

Happy Presidents Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

No means no.

Beware, citizens of Florida!

Warm & Wet Winter

Protest against Internet Blacklisting

Taking the time to tell someone thanks, give it a try y'all ...

My local fire chief stopped in yesterday. As many of you have seen me do, it took a minute and his words before I recognized him and then we had a lovely chat. Then his face got a serious look. On his way to doing whatever it is that hard-working people do out of the office, he'd seen a canine hit by a car on the hwy., pulled over, picked her lifeless body up to place her well off the road and took her collar to try to find the 2-legged owner.

When he explained that the vet's office listed on the collar tag was closed so he couldn't get an owner's name, my heart sank.  Not an hour before, I'd had a customer come in and during the process of filling out gov't. required info for the sale of the materials brought in, 'Ed' told me about his missing canine.  As everyone that has ever loved a dog can attest, the fear of not knowing where or how your beloved animal is can be torture.  I doubted that the dog the chief found was the missing one due to the differences in the descriptions by the different humans but thought I'd better give the guy the option to check for himself. Calling him, giving Ed the info I had and handing the phone to the Chief, I overheard the Chief telling him what kind of vehicle he was driving and that he would be right there beside the dog, waiting.  He handed the phone back to me and left on his self-motivated mission and my happiness to see one of our favorite 1st responder peeps was muted by sadness for the owner of the dog, because even if it wasn't her, his dog was probably still lost. It happens all too often around here.

Getting towards the final hour of my Saturday special hours, the phone rang. It was Ed, calling to tell me that he met with the Chief and that it was indeed, his 3 year old canine.  I gave him all the condolences I could, but it never seems like you can say something that may help through the grief of losing a beloved animal.  I thanked him for the news, albeit bad, because it was a closure instead of me thinking in the odd moments of my next week if he'd ever found her.  I'm so sorry for 2-leggeds that care when they lose their canine.

Not exactly the best ending to a story? No it's not. For those that know me, I can be hurt much worse over an animals death than I can a human's. And in writing all this down, I have reopened a small hurt place in my heart. But it got me thinking, once again, to my choice of heroes.  My 1st responders are right up there to me, and not only for being there in the face of news-worthy disaster. For being members of a community that are such as to take time out of their busy days to stop and assist a poor dead animal to give notice that she would have never been able to give to the owner. Maybe that notice is harsh and painful, but to be such a person as to want to help others even when that person is not 'on-the-clock' is a necessary and rarely seen component for all that is caring and right in our world.

Our fire, police, ambulance and their co-workers are part of our communities and outside of their own circle of family and friends, not often thought of until someone needs their professional assistance. But many of them are out there in your communities everyday, doing such seemingly small tasks unnoticed, taking time from their lives to assist us in ours. It is but a small thing for us to call or write or social network your local offices to compliment your neighborhood 1st responders; it is a big thing to them to be told that you see and appreciate their sacrifices. And I'm using my platform right now, this website that has always supported our nation's heroes, to publicly say "Chief Jonathan Kanzigg, you rock!" 

See ya around the 'junque-yard' folks!

Brrr!

Happy New Year!

For all little good girls and boys ~

We at AwcA want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Our retired firetruck is completed for the year and we enjoy bringing this bright sight to your Hwy. 98 drive. Randy and I rode that long ride many holiday nights these last 20 years to bring home our children from seeing the grandparents both Christmas Eve and Christmas Night.  To entertain the kids we'd sing carols and watch for any holiday light displays; neighborhood entrance displays, Mr. Tom's flea and Meredith Lumber's scene were eagerly looked forward to. Then there were 2 homes and the clubhouse in HBTS on our way home that the kids enjoyed. Memories of children at Christmas is what we wanted to give back to the community. We hope everyone finds a bit of a smile in this whimsical holiday decoration. Thank you for your patronage and support throughout these last 3 years and we look forward to assisting your recycling needs for many more holidays to come :)

70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

Never forget means more now than ever.  70 years ago today we were attacked.  I had someone close to me that went into this war as a young man.  The men and women that served both abroad and at home are almost the oldest of generations now, if you are lucky enough to have one still in your life. The generations that followed did so in the footsteps of the brave ones that rallied in response to the horror of this day.  Military or civilian, we must never forget this day, much like September 11, 2001; the lesson - the unity of America is Her saving grace. If we seem to face the hardest of circumstances like this mayhem ever again, the unity of our respect and remembrance will be our saving grace. Therefore, I believe we must be aware, we must be willing to lose comforts for the duration and above all, we must stand together in the efforts we give to protecting liberty and freedom around the world, from our own country outward.  My father went to avenge this terrible day. I am at AwcA because he believed I could stand just as tall for my country as he did, in my own way.  To watch and listen to the following broadcast takes me to a place and time I do not remember, but gives me strength to face the world's current situation with prayers for our courage, graciousness and pursuit of Truth on this cold December day...

The Day that will live in Infamy

Happy Thanksgiving and The Iron Bowl!

We at AwcA all enjoyed our time off and hope you had a warm and tasty Turkey dinner with loved ones.  We also hope you survived Black Thurs/Fri at the stores and are doing a good part of your holiday shopping with your local merchants who work year-round to stock their stores with merchandise (many times made in America) in your communities.  Today is Small Business Saturday, after all :)

A beautiful if windy day on the yard, getting our Christmas Cheer on (or at least some decorations up). We appreciate your patronage this Saturday and all the others in the past year!  Just a quarter of an hour to go til we close now, can't wait to get the football snacks on the coffee table and tune into the Iron Bowl ;)  Good luck with whatever you are doing the rest of the weekend y'all!

America Recycles Day!

On this warm and rainy Tuesday, we at AwcA in conjunction with Carl Williams Recycling, wish you a Happy America Recycles Day!  The 15th year of celebration, November 15th is the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling. 

Here at AwcA we try to help our community learn about and practice recycling, both for the environmental and monetary benefits, every day of the year that we are open. We, like the municipal recycling services offered around the country, are concerned enough with the conditions of our planet to get out there and get dirty like you wouldn't believe in order to do what we can in protecting Mother Earth. Just like the above-mentioned services, we are a business and as such we also have to make a profit in order to continue offering our services to the area. Unlike them however, we are a small company that doesn't have the money nor political clout to cause mandates that the community must follow i.e. making you give us your recyclables and making you pay us to take them. We suppose there is room in every scenario for all recycling services including those but it is still up to you the American recycling public to decide where your material will go, whenever possible.
 
We recycle only metals at our facility. Cars, trucks, window frames, bar-b-que grills and plumbing fixtures are but a few of the goods we buy from the public everyday.  Want to recycle glass, plastics, cardboard? We give you the resources to find where those things are accepted for recycling when we can. But if you bring in metals, we pay for them by the pound.

Blazing heat, bone-numbing cold and wet, muddy conditions are such as the climate deems necessary. Unless it's a Sunday or one of the rare annual days off for us, we at AwcA are out working in the weather. Because while America Recycles Day happens only once a year, we are here for your recycling needs year round!

You can once again take the America Recycles Day Pledge from the comfort of your computer chair!  Please go to this link to register your pledge. Then get your friends, family and neighbors to pledge along with you. Let's see what we can accomplish together between today and the 16th annual America Recycles Day, Nov. 15, 2012! If we can assist you in your recycling endeavors, please feel free to contact us or just come on down with your metal material.

A big thanks to all our green superheroes and a super-big thank you to Carl Williams Recycling - 850.281.8446 - for our fun goody bags for today's events!

11.11.11

On this notable Veterans Day, AwcA says 'Thank You' to every veteran of the United States Military that has worn the uniform honorably.  For your service and sacrifice we owe a debt to you that can never be fully repaid. Regardless of the engagement, reason or mission you undertook in your service to your country, you showed the best of the unselfishness of the smallest percentage of our population.  Whether you took off your uniform years ago or are wearing it still today, the respect we have for you is centered in your decision to serve to the best of your ability.  Although many of you were drafted into service, the huge majority of our military forces today are voluntary.  Then, as now, your lives were dedicated to completing your mission and returning home to your family's embrace. Many never made it home. We mourn for those that didn't and for their families that miss them.

But today is the one day a year that we speak all together to our remaining Veterans. 365 days a year you are the front line of protection between the American People's Constitution and those that would harm it.  You swore an oath to protect this Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic.  For many of you, when taking that oath you never dreamed that there would be need for this protection against your fellow Americans.  Sadly, many have discovered just that.  Our nation is in a time of crisis so menacing that politicians dismiss the Constitution as a relic and describe assistance to our veterans an entitlement in a most derogatory tone.  While you were giving so much of your lives to protecting what we stand for, we have seen our Republic being dismantled piece by piece at home. We haven't yet been able to stop it. For this I apologize as it was our job to keep the home fires burning for you.  Our hearts still contain the fire of our concerns for you and many of us will risk all to defend your rights as American Veterans. The one thing you must always hold in your heart is that there are millions of us in America that care and that all you need do is ask.  We at AwcA will be here to listen and to do whatever we can to help. That is why everyone on this yard is interested in your service and try to say thank you when we know you are a Vet. It's the least we can do and more is done behind the scenes, but it will never be all you deserve.

We know that this Veterans Day is the most complicated for you in history. We know that today your service, past or present, comes with a very deep concern for the future of our country first and our world second.   We stand behind you, ready to lend an ear or a hand, because we appreciate you more than you will ever know.  May the Lord Bless you and keep you and give you the strength needed to face the battles you must both during and after your time in service to our country. 

On this beautiful yet cold morning in NW Florida I can only think of two words that describe the true meaning of Veterans Day - "Thank You".

From the "Where is this crazy world going" closet...

We at AwcA are required to keep current a Secondhand Dealer's or Secondary Metals Recycling
License in order to do business in this state. We have to follow gov't. mandated procedure, and the only time these papers are viewed after the transaction is when the financial/production data is entered into our books or the police are in an investigation and need to look at a narrow time frame of data sheets. This doesn't happen very often, because
with the exception of a few instances, we at AwcA just don't have the thieving customer base some other yards do. 

You bring scrap metals to us. We write the weight, metals grade, license plate on a ticket for the office.  We in the office make a clear copy of your picture ID, ask you for and write down the year, make and model of your vehicle. We write down your correct phone number. Better give me the correct number, because if we find later that we made a mistake and actually owe you $$$, that's the only way we will attempt to contact you to arrange you getting paid the balance we owe you! We must have your signature on the form and to add insult to
injury (really vice-versa in this case) we require your right thumbprint done in good old-fashioned ink!

If you have gone through this entire process, we give you cash money
up to the large amount by law where we are required to pay you by
check.  Don't worry, with metals prices being what they are, most of
you will never breach that threshold! Off you go with your recycling
cash in hand, to attend the various others duties and pleasures in
your lives.

This holiday season, in the state of Louisiana (which was always a land of laws unto itself) there will be no cash in anyone's hand. Not at least until after the recycler (John Q. Public) leaves the scrapyard, goes to the unfamiliar bank, cashes the check made out to him/her and gives the bank money to do so. No one that deals with secondhand property (except pawn shops) is allowed to pay the person in cash, pursuant to ACT 389, signed into law by Gov. Bobby Jindal. 

Also within this LA law is the requirement that dealers who have transactions of $25 or more, report them to the authorities, daily. One more mandated action, if this were a FL law I would be furious! My work load is such that this would put another tremendous strain on the paperkeeper at AwcA and most of you believe I am close enough to the edge as it is *wink*.

What does this have to do with our recycling activities in Florida? Nothing, yet.  We
do believe however, that if allowed to stand as written in Louisiana, this Act will be noted as precedent in other states and adopted into their rules for dealing in secondhand materials. Note, this includes more than once-monthly yard sales, craigslist sales, rummage sales...you get the picture.

More alarming still, many perceive this to be the beginning push to do away with cash, American currency and non-traceable revenue.  What do you think?

See ya around the scrapyard...

Happy Halloween!

On this holiday we would like to wish everyone a Happy Halloween!  We would also like to call to your attention the wonderful work of our friends at Carolina Tack in sharing this fantastic jack-o-lantern representing our 1st President and his steed.  However you decide to celebrate this Halloween we hope you will always keep the light of Liberty burning around your home and in our communities.

See ya around the scrapyard!

Food for Thought...

Today I want to bring to your attention the immoral, unethical and even illegal activities of our US government.  In particular, I would like to give you something to think about and discuss with your family and friends regarding food.

The passage of the Food Safety Bill S. 510 and the immensely heightened powers of the FDA to regulate even the most minute farm activity has quietly built up a governmental authority to control the foods we eat, grow and raise. This Sunday is World Food Day, a time to raise awareness about where our food comes from and who has the right to tell you what you can eat.

More than just a promotion to suggest you buy from your local food market, this year I hope to help you see the struggles many of those local markets go through, or will, in order to grow and bring fresh foods to you.  With more and more GMO (genetically modified) foods being put to an unsuspecting public, your ability to feed your family wholesome, natural foods is being sabotagued by the very government we elect and the UN they answer to. 

Please check out the following links and draw your own conclusions.  This isn't what you will see or hear in the mainstream media because the corporate government doesn't want you to be informed of the shady side of what they do.  If you will look into this and ask yourself why this isn't covered by msm, or covered in a derogatory fashion, you will find many more questions than answers.  Isn't the right to feed your family important enough to spend some of your time asking for answers?

World Food Day

Mike Adams - A wealth of information about food and health, the Health Ranger has lots of investigative articles you need to read to be informed.

The Bill Itself.  Since the writing of this piece, this bill has been reintroduced as Food Safety Modernization Act.

Your right to consume raw milk.

Georgia man fined for home garden.


Whatever you do, as you sit down to dinner this Sunday, think of the hard-working men and women that deal with these issues in order to bring you the very best food they can produce.  Then be sure and kiss the cook!

Peace y'all!

National POW/MIA Recognition Day.

In observance ...

The United States Military: Active, Guard and Reserves -  you are our Heroes.

Goodbye TS Lee

Tropical Storm Lee has come and gone, the above image from weatherunderground at the height of our being swamped by this storm, shows the tail after making landfall in Louisiana and heading northeast. We had high winds and enough rain to probably make up for the lack of rainfall earlier in the year!

But the storm is gone and the scrapyard had only minor damage, thanks in part to the work done by our staff to batten down and prepare. We hope you did the same. There are many in our area that suffered from the tornadoes spawned by Lee, fences, sheds, buildings and barns damaged or destroyed across the coastal communities. However, the air is cool and crisp this morning and cleanup has begun all over the region.

We hope your washed-out Labor Day holiday passed without incident but if not, clean up that metal and bring it on down to AwcA. We are out on the soggy yard, ready to pay you cash for your scrap! And while we are giving Thanks that Lee didn't do any worse, we are keeping the people and animals of Texas in our thoughts and prayers. A huge wildfire there is destroying everything in it's path and firefighters are exhausted. Mother Nature being the fickle witch she is, they could have sure used some of the torrential rain we got!

Enjoy this lovely temperate day in the sunshine, give thanks and remember we are here to serve you, the green superheroes on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico. See ya around the swampy scrapyard!

Last day of August

While getting ready to close out the books on this month, I realized that it was almost a repeat of July. Hot, humid and sweltering. That's summertime in the state of Florida. There were however, a couple of slight differences.

Prices for scrap metal traditionally decline in the month, so no surprise there. On this, the last day of August, the numbers have risen somewhat and we are optimistic about the continued increase through September in what recycling centers such as ours pay you for your metals!

Also we would like to shout out Kudos to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Investigator Matthew Abbott in particular, for taking our advice about joining a certain network for reporting stolen materials in such a way that we get immediate knowledge of the types of stolen goods that could possibly be coming to a set of scales near us. With this inclusion of their data to the network, we at AwcA as well as any recycler that doesn't care for thieves on their yards, have expanded our tool kit for catching the bad guys red-handed. We hope that in the future this effort will result in a reduction of theft in our area!

These differences have made our August in Northwest Florida bearable and left us with the wonderful promise of hope. And after all, when times are toughest and the days seem dark, isn't hope the reason we all keep doing what we have to? One day at a time. And believe me dear reader, that is the only way I have gotten through (almost) this August of 2011. One day at a time.

Working hard to earn your business!

Hot Time in the City...

Whew!  It's been quite a July in Florida!  Heat and humidity is the norm here, but doggone it!  We had a nice break with the 3 days of cloud cover and rain, but sent prayers to the folks in other parts of the country experiencing a deadly heatwave. Our mantra to customers as they left each day, aside from saying thank you for recycling?  Stay cool or stay hydrated!

Miserable hot conditions aside, the planned improvements at AwcA are progressing. The non-ferrous intake area is covered and organized and the ferrous intake is smoother than ever! The yard has been cleaned and leveled. An additional drive has been created straight off the ferrous scales so that you can drive in a loop out back to drop off, no backing required! The layout for autos is much more user-friendly and easier to work in. All in all, there is much more to be done but we are happy with the progress.

This storm season has been quiet so far and we are grateful along the coast for it. That said, we must be ever vigilant and prepared. Bring those old swingsets, barbeque grills and fallen fence posts down to AwcA for conversion into cash. You won't have projectiles blowing around if we do get a storm or two and you may even cash in enough to fill your freezer with bags of ice (just in case)!

Just take frequent breaks, drink lots of fluids and wipe sweat off your skin often so that your body's cooling system can work better.  We at AwcA are looking forward to the return of cooler weather, but we still have the rest of the summer to get through first.  We urge you to follow the above recommendations and remind you that we are right here on Hwy. 98, waiting to assist you in your recycling and auto parts needs. And we hope you are finding fun in your Summer of 2011 :)

See ya around the scrapyard!

Blues Week! Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blues :)

For those of you, like me, that cannot be there today, please enjoy the best article I've ever read on the event by local journalist Rick Outzen...

Pensacola's Own Heros

A big thanks to our Navy, and a huge thanks to the members of all the branches of service.  Stay safe and know we appreciate you, Hooah!

Happy Independence Day Weekend!

I wanted to post a blog today re. the 4th of July holiday in this, the new America. However I was unable to rewrite enough drafts to remove the anxiety and aggravation that was obvious in every sentence.  Rather than subject the good people of the community to my tirade or soapbox, I humbly offer this image of the patriotic feelings of our facility as seen through my camera lens during the processing of vehicles for recycling.  The boss isn't fond of it because as he says the red, white & blue are not in proper order. But y'all know me, since when do I cater to the boss in matters such as this?

I wanted to express our wishes to you all in the celebration of this most important of holidays in our common independent history. Isn't that an oxymoron, 'common independent' ?  We at AwcA are looking forward to being off work for the 1st time on an entire holiday weekend, but to have time off means we work much harder today to complete priorities! Give us a lift and honk as you go by today, let us know you appreciate us working hard to earn your business :)  Hope that your 4th activities are enjoyable, fun and safe. Check our 1st data box on this home page for our holiday hours and know that we look forward to seeing you after the 4th :)

Still proud to be an American on the scrapyard...

Choice of the majority?

Years ago, a homeowner's association that we belonged to was looking for an edge.  An edge in maximizing profits, social conformity and name recognition.  The association (HMO) decided they'd look into an offer made by a waste collection company that had approached them.  This trash pick up service wanted all the properties in our neighborhood for their own and promised all manner of beneficial effects to the homeowner's association if they would mandate that only their company is to be used throughout the neighborhood.  So it was brought before the Board of Directors who in turn decided it was a viable question to place before the membership.

Now, at the time our trash company was a generations-old family concern in our county.  We became their faithful customers when we built our home just a few blocks from the operator's, which was on the other side of the association property boundary. Mr. Lonnie was a fine old gentleman, ageless even then to us.  My husband used to enjoy his discussions with him just as much as he enjoyed walking down the road for a visit when he paid our bill.

As their equipment was, well, somewhat out of date and not at all attractive they didn't look as spiffy as the two chain garbage companies in the area. But they were our neighbors, where the other companies had to drive from surrounding cities. When Mr. Lonnie passed on, we became acquainted with Mr. Adrian and Miss Mary, relatives of Mr. Lonnie's who are now also in the hereafter, may the Lord rest their souls.

Once Mr. Adrian was at our house in the barrel truck and the barrel broke clean in two as he was beginning to drive off!  My husband brought the skid-steer home immediately, helped get everything cleaned off the street and got Mr. Adrian and Miss Mary back on the road. I'll never forget that afternoon, hot as blazes, watching them as we all worked to set things right.  Despite the terrible stench and the disgusting product (garbage, waste) upon which their business was based, the Broxsons' were a team.  A team that worked around the nasty, sometimes smelly refuse of our lives.  Each did whatever the other one needed done in order to continue to keep our end of the county clean. Sharing glasses of lemonade (or was it sweet tea?) with us during a break in the work under the shade of our oak trees really awakened in me the knowledge of the type of people that settled the area where we live.

Back to the homeowners meeting.  I stood up when it was my turn to address the board and I stated that my waste pick up service was working just fine for me, I didn't have many of the mistakes my neighbors complained of.  My service was local in life as well as business, so the rare mistake was quickly identified and corrected. The price was right. The only thing that I could see them objecting to about my service was the looks of the business. I'd seen some people in my huge neighborhood wrinkle their noses when one of the company trucks rolled by.  I had overheard the derogatory comments made by a few when out visiting or at social functions in other homes in my town. I stated that I understood the need for conformity in a HOA to some degree, with one exception; that if a small group of people were to mandate to a large group of people that only one choice was available in who their trash pick up service would be it would be a sad display of the free enterprise system that our prosperity was based upon. No choice at all really.  That if they wanted to mandate to homeowners one company for their garbage needs, they needed to pay for it and audit the performance of the company themselves. I'm sure I stumbled in my speech somewhat and my knees always shake when I address groups. I like to think that in my attempt to state my opinion of lesser mandate and more choice in the community in which I chose to live that it emboldened others to do the same. Facing overwhelming opposition, our HOA shelved the idea of having just one company pick up throughout our neighborhood.  Free enterprise was not defeated... yet.

Well, here we are umpteen years later and the federal government has told us we will pay only one entity for healthcare and our county has determined that we will have only one trash company to choose from for our residential trash pickup.  Depending on where you live in the county, not just our large neighborhood, the county has determined who you will give your money to for services. Which makes me wonder... If your service isn't up to par or the billing is always incorrect or if you have your own reasons for not wanting to use this particular company, what will you do? Back when this was an American town, you picked up the phonebook, called around for rates and switched companies.  Just the possibility of losing a customer often times gently encouraged a company to shape up and be forthcoming and honest with the job they are hired for. In this new American town, with the government mandated company, where is the incentive to take care of the customers, the citizens of the community, to whom you are contracted?   What authority will audit and enforce on behalf of the community?

Starting July 1st, one of your choices has been made for you. How many more choices are you going to leave in the hands of others? 

See ya around the recycling facility...
  

"In the Summertime"

'Summer Memories'

Back in the day, a summertime thundercloud coming in from the Gulf.  It used to rain a little in the afternoon more days of the week than not most years.  And the rain water was much cleaner. Our world has changed, much more than even the current president promised. 

Today, June 21, 2011 at 1:16 in the afternoon, begins summer solstice. Learn more about it here! This longest day and shortest night has been celebrated since man could observe it in both hemispheres. From the odd to the reverent, peoples of all cultures had an understanding of the important time of change in nature.

For us on the hot and dry scrapyard, the solstice marks the change in our daylight. The days' light will only get shorter as we go forward each day now. But just for fun:

Summer Solstice Facts: Pagans called the Midsummer moon the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice. Weddings and booze, since the dawn of time :)

Midsummer was thought to be a time of magic, when evil spirits were said to appear. To thwart them, Pagans often wore protective garlands of herbs and flowers. One of the most powerful of them was a plant called 'chase-devil', which is known today as St. John's Wort and still used by modern herbalists as a mood stabilizer.

So in light of the summer solstice (pun intended) I am off to find my newest bottle of St. John's Wort and head out to the yard. Hope you enjoy whatever good your day brings you and that you have the strength to handle the not-good parts. So many centuries of observing this day all around the globe and we are not so different from the ancestors.

See ya around the scrapyard!

*humming the blog title song*
"in the Summertime"

Flag Day 2011

In choosing images of American flags for today's blog, I decided that this was the one flag of our country that spoke the most for my heart. I choose the Gadsden flag for it's ability to speak for all peoples around the world that are standing up to say "Don't Tread On Me".

For information about the Gadsden flag...

If we truly wish to stand up and change our communities and direction in which they are being taken by our elected force of politicians we must start here at home. Become involved with your town & county officeholders. With their ordinances and rules, what they demand of us as citizens and businesses.  When you see petitions around town, ask what they are for and sign them if you think their cause is just. Do not allow a small group to remove our liberties to live and conduct our business in our area the way we think best. If you are in disagreement with something mandated in your area, contact the authorities and organize others of like mind to challenge the mandate. Don't just grumble, do something.

For indeed, the spirit of our great nation is the people's ability to govern our country through those we elect to carry out our wishes. This freedom and responsibility requires all of us to be active in our government, watchful of our government and willing to work within our government to make things right for all when our officials refuse to listen. 

In my action of posting the Gadsden flag today, I offer it not as just an American flag but as a symbol which all nations' people may carry to speak out to their governments. Humanity as a whole must provide the change we all had been looking for when we elected a man who promised it to us. There are people the world over who are oppressed and used in negative ways to mold the ways of the world. These people always have and can continue to look to us, Americans, for the strength and example of what the people can do.  It is our duty to live our lives like we know we're supposed to and to help others when we can. But we can only help others from a position of strength ourselves. In flying the Gadsden and becoming involved in our governance, as well as developing the mindset our forefathers had in creating the United States of America, we will shine the light of freedom and right into all the dark corners of the globe for others to see and follow.

Happy Flag Day 2011 y'all. 

Hang on to your hats, summer's here!

To help is to Honor.

photo credit US Air Force Photo Agency

On this Memorial Day, we would like to share a truly easy and quick way to help our Vets. We believe that to honor or fallen we should always try to be helpful and aware of the ones that servicemember left behind. And to give to their brothers and sisters in arms that are left to carry on. Therefore we at AwcA try to keep up with and assist in anyway we can to the people who've lost a loved on in military service. We also try to donate whatever we can, wherever we can. Today we would like to suggest to you two websites.

The 1st, Memorial Day Concert, is the Public Service Broadcast of the event of the same name.  Broadcast for over twenty years, the all-encompassing genres of music share the desire to record, give veneration and celebrate the unique individual that becomes a member of the United States Military and pays homage to the one that gave their lives for their country.  Less than .08% of the nation's population is an active servicemember at any time now.  These heroes in uniform are the honorees of this concert, put on especially for Memorial Day. Tune in and enjoy live at 7pm, our local time y'all.

The 2nd, Feed a Vet, is a simple way to give to vets via sponsorship donations every time you click. It takes a moment of your time and if you choose you can shop to give even more.  If the phrase "Thank you for your service" truly means anything to you, won't you bookmark and return to click daily?

We'd like to leave you with this reminder of the holidays true meaning;

That poem about where “poppies blow”
And, “the crosses, row on row”
Still rings true, these ninety years
After written, still brings tears.

We still have Dead, amid the guns
And lose our young and our loved ones
Those who lived, short days ago
Who, “felt dawn and saw sunset glow”.

In Flanders Fields, the poppy red
Still grow near where the blood was bled
They, “Take up our quarrel with the foe”
And still die for Freedoms that we know.

- Del Jones

Summer has come to the Gulf Coast...

Memorial Day 2011

The official 1st day of summer for Americans has been moved & commercialized into Memorial Day - When Summer Begins!  Buying all you need for your summertime activities :) Boating - beaches - frizbee & picnick in the park! Move those markets, the kids-are-out-of-school housemoving season! The go-on-vacation buy lots of fuel time of year!  Happy Memorial Day?

For this special day (Monday) we will be closed. We at AwcA want to thank all service men & women for their sacrifices. They served, are serving and many paid the ultimate price for their families, their people and their country. I am humbled in the knowledge of so many lives given up for us to become the people we are.  And ashamed to see what we have done with that sacrifice.

We want our soldiers, sailors, airmen & marines home: yesterday!  Christian, Jew, Agnostic & yes, in modern history even Muslims answered the call of duty. Most had something in common, service and necessary sacrifice of one sort or the other to the United States of America. These heroes deserve to be brought home, to relax in the welcome of their families and countrymen and continue their good work stateside. How many mothers, fathers and loved ones are going to be missing their servicemember during their holiday weekend?

While Memorial Day comes from the observance of fallen around the world in every service, today we honor the most recent of our heroes, those that have died on foreign soil in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Faces of the Fallen

So while we pack up for the beach, lakes and parks this holiday weekend let us remember them and ask the question that must now be answered in the affirmative or tumble the house of cards... If the objective was met with the assassination of Osama, why aren't our troops stateside this most somber of holidays?

Have a safe and reflective Memorial Day Weekend y'all.

Lions & Tigers & Bears & ...Baby Mamas? Oh my!

Computer problems at work today - the dang pc ate my Mother's Day blog that was written (but not saved) for AwcA *grr*  Tried to re-write what I'd written, but this woman's been a mom for so many decades that I am just burnt out in trying to remember the 1st copy I wrote. All I remember is hoping you felt as appreciated as you deserve. That is why the picture of Dr. Emoto's work, what frozen water crystals look like when they are exposed to the words 'love & appreciation' is all about. Fascinating work, you may want to look into it sometime.
Plan B, this copy, is much more fun for you than another one of my pictures of some silly old flowers anyway...

Baby Mamas

This reaches out & touches. All these expectant mothers speak for me on so many levels.  Unlike the announcer in the beginning, I too wish we had this back in the day, but I don't EVER wanna be carrying again! With young moms like these out there, the future generations look like they will be well raised. Please share this video and you will be donating to March of Dimes.

I wish you a joyful Mother's Day, with peace in your heart.

PS - You know you wanna dance, just a little =D  

Banding Together

Theft is on the rise in our area as well as around the country.  We have more and more people coming into the office looking for their stolen greenhouse metals, concrete forms, gas grills etc.  We at AwcA commiserate with these people and do our best to assist in locating their materials on our yard.  Problem is (or blessing is) that most of the thieves in our area know that we are ready and able to put these thieves behind bars. Or in the hospital, if the situation arises. Since word of mouth spreads like wildfire among thieves, most are not willing to take chances bringing stolen items to us. Thus we are usually unable to tell the victims "Yes, we have your ________"

Our area was a quiet, laid-back town in which doors were left unlocked, kids could play several blocks away from your home and you knew the friends and the parents. With a 600% population increase between the years 1990-2000 alone, suddenly it became harder to know most everyone in town. Items started getting stolen from unlocked cars and the occasional troll was spotted trying to lure kids into their vans. As more crime was reported in our area, more work was created for our local sheriff's deputies. In the 10 1/2 years since, things have only gotten worse. But part of the responsibility lies in your actions.

Lock your cars, secure your belongings and pay attention to the unknown people lurking around your neighborhoods. You may save yourself or your neighbors the grief of losing possessions, filing police reports and taking special trips to the local scrapyards to ask "Did someone sell you a so-and-so? Mine was stolen."

Not that we can stop theft entirely, if we all accept personal responsibility for our possessions and our neighborhoods we can lower the amount of crime in our area. We can all send a message to the wanna-be thieves "Not in MY neighborhood!"

A Blessed Good Friday and Good Earth Day from AwcA

Today is both Good Friday and Earth Day. In trying to think of how I could observe both holidays I racked my brain, surfed the Web and talked to others about what today means to them. 

Conflicting emotions came from many who thought that the two holidays shouldn't fall on the same day. This was caused in part by the unbalanced reporting last year in the mainstream media building up Earth Day (seems it's a whole Earth Month in Chicago!) and hardly mentioning Good Friday and Easter Sunday.  But Easter moves and Earth Day has been the same, April 22nd, since 1970. Even as a Christian, I do not believe that Earth Day should be moved just because Easter fell later this year.

Earth Day activities were all over the Web, reminding me that I have been so very busy this year that I did not devise a plan to celebrate, demonstrate or provide give-a-ways for our recycling facility. Earth-friendly education and activities are in nearly every city it seems, but while most recycling centers are closed, we at AwcA are observing the day by continuing to recycle the materials brought into our facility by you, the concerned community. Guess since I didn't set something special up for today I am not a Green Superhero like you guys are!

Since our lives are here on the coast of the northern Gulf of Mexico, today marks more than just Good Friday or Earth Day to us.  Today marks the one-year anniversary since the Deepwater Horizon, after weakening from the flames of the explosion on April 20, 2010, fell over into the Gulf. Breaking the pipes and spewing millions of gallons of oil into the water, this day marks the worst ecological disaster to our planet's waters in the history of mankind. While the mainstream media, the government and the local tourist development council is telling the masses that everything is fine and dandy in our Gulf and along its shores, the whole truth is being overlooked. The millions of life forms that were hard to see in the Gulf that were there this time last year are gone. Hundreds of easy to see life forms are continuing to wash ashore. And science is ham-stringed into not releasing all the details about on-going studies of the impact of the gusher due to legal constraints. In the Alaska spill, it was three years before we discovered the decimation of just one type of fish. We wonder on this Good Friday and Earth Day 2011, will the final conclusions of science in regards to the Gulf Oil Gusher years into the future, be just a small note on the evening news?

However you observe today, we wish you a good Easter weekend and a good Earth Day.  Lord willing, after these holidays are over and the season of summer is upon us full-force, we will be here still recycling all that we can. And waiting for news we can believe, that the Gulf is once again a fun and safe place to be for all life forms.

Earth Day musings ...

Earth Day 2011 is almost upon us. I would like to address a couple of the issues and misconceptions surrounding Earth Day.

For my Christian friends - No, Earth Day is not a pagan holiday meant to replace Easter.  If indeed you follow the teachings of Christianity you understand how very important it is to be a good steward of the land we live on. That it is habitat not only for the creatures God made but you as well.  In all of Creation, taking care of the planet is our only choice if we want to be able to continue to survive. The media is not balancing their reporting on the 2 events, let's see how they do it this year.

For my pagan friends - No, Earth Day isn't just for dancing around a maypole, bearing witness to Mother Earth and all her creatures that we hold in high esteem. Earth Day is meant to show that we feel strongly about the planet and all its environments. And for spreading ideas and actions for the protection of our planet and her natural resources. Celebrate the diversity and beauty on our planet yes, but educate others in the ways of keeping our Earth healthy.

For over 40 years, Earth Day—April 22—has inspired and mobilized individuals and organizations worldwide to demonstrate their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. In America the first Earth Day was in 1970. Earth Day History The first global Earth Day was celebrated in 1990, bringing awareness and an outlet of that awareness to 141 countries around the world.

Today, Earth Day is a way of voicing mankind's concern and commitment to protecting the earth and all its environments for the future of all species. The sharing of ideas and actions to reduce, reuse and recycle to improve the sustainability of our planet are spread far and wide by like-minded people on Earth Day. With the resultant agencies like the EPA in the US & Ireland, the BUND in Germany, the Saudi Environmental Society and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the United Kingdom among others devoted to monitoring and protecting the environment,hope for reversing the damage already done and maintaining our environments in a healthy fashion is growing. 

As with anything else, man can use Earth Day for purposes it was never intended for; money, control & power. But when you get right down to it, it is the people of the earth that make the difference in how our planet is cared for.  No organization, group or government, no matter how well-intentioned can achieve what mankind as a whole can ... a vibrant, healthy planet that can sustain us for years to come. This Earth Day 2011, join the millions of people around the world in standing up for clean water, clean air and clean soil to live on.  We shouldn't have to have a law like the one recently passed in Bolivia, Ley de Derechos de la Madre Tierra, giving rights to the planet. As concerned inhabitants of Earth we should be able to utilize our actions and current environmental laws to make and keep our beautiful 'Blue Marble' a healthy place for all.

Happy Earth Day y'all!

Thank You Unidentified Drivers!

Last Minute Notice...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

We are wearing green on the yard (those of us that don't like being pinched anyway!) for this warm, sunny St. Paddy's Day.  With temps rising into the mid-70s we are happy at work processing metal. Although the metals market has dropped somewhat this last week, the cleaner the material you bring the more cash in your pocket for your celebrations tonight!

Speaking of celebrating the 'Luck of the Irish' tonight, keep this number nearby- 1-800-222-4357. It's Triple-A's "Tipsy Tow." You can give them a call if you get stuck somewhere and can't drive. They'll tow your car home for free regardless of whether you're a member. Back to work, hoping that tomorrow I don't find green beer in a can =D  Honk if you're Irish y'all!

*waving to those who honk as they go by*

Laissez les bon temps rouler*

*pronounced ( lay-zay lay bon ton role-ay )

Nay is bumming on the yard today from missing Joe Cain Day yesterday. But there are still 2 days of celebration left. A bit of history concerning this holiday ... The colors of Mardi Gras were chosen in 1837: purple, which symbolizes justice; green, which symbolizes faith; and gold, which represents power. I love the colors of Mardi Gras!

Lundi Gras then Mardi Gras! Lundi Gras, also known as Fat Monday, the day before Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday is also a day of festivities, fireworks and parties.  The longest Mardi Gras season for years is in the final throes of revelry, the parades, balls and partying are blowing out all imagination these next couple of days.  Fever pitch will grow, celebrations will get more frenzied, and all favorite sins will be explored, experienced and exploited now through Fat Tuesday. Because the following day, Ash Wednesday is observed to be the time you give up something you love for the 40 or so days before Easter. This self-denial during a period of intense religious devotion has been a long-standing tradition in both the Eastern and Western churches throughout history. I am saddened that I cannot be in Bienville Square in Mobile, Alabama tomorrow for the final blowout before Ash Wednesday. I do however, hope you have enjoyed a parade or two this season and if not there's still time for you to join in the celebrations!

Have fun and stay safe out there and remember; when Ash Wednesday rolls around we at AwcA will be right here to buy your aluminum cans and such that you consumed during Mardi Gras.  Some cash in your pocket always brightens your days of sacrifice for Lent!

"Let the good times roll shaa!"

In like a lion, out like a lamb ...

Happy President's Day!

Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder...

As small business owners in South Santa Rosa County, we are insulted by the language in the following newsprint article - 

http://www.pnj.com/article/20110204/NEWS01/102040340/Neighbors-hoping-to-scrap-eyesores

Was the term "obnoxious businesses" the opinion of the reporter or Don Richards, UPA president and Santa Rosa Shores' resident?  I understand the legal wordings of ordinance and law, however my husband and I own and operate a legally licensed metal recycling facility on Hwy. 98.  And as one of the fewer and fewer remaining industries left in our county, we strongly object to the wording used to describe what we do for an honest living. 

Salvage and recycling metals should be done outside of residential zones, sure.  But to single out a particular thing and then inject one's derogatory personal opinion as a descriptor of that entire industry should be the same as any politically correct guideline; if in saying something like "obnoxious businesses" you may insult someone, do not speak it aloud, let alone put it in print. Objectivity after all, is an impartial, unbiased attitude, and avoidance of any conflict of interest. Or maybe this just the order of the day in South Santa Rosa?  Is this the allowed use of language for certain groups against others to achieve a desired end? 

I personally used to live in Santa Rosa Shores. There have always been certain properties that were not as comely as others, both there and in other neighborhoods. And by all means, as all recycling is highly regulated in our country, make the offenders running Metal Men get the proper credentials to operate their 'business'.  You will find that they will be unable to continue their operations in the neighborhood as all facilities are required to be inspected for appropriate land-zone use, among other requirements. You will end that 'eyesore' to the neighbors and the decreasing value in their properties from the 'residential scrapyard'.  

In this day and age of being politically correct or the result could be facing the wrath of the injured and his or her lawyer, one must be more careful of the way things get phrased in public statements. Otherwise at the least, you may come off as unknowledgeable and anti-green in a world that is very environmentally conscious. 

The peninsula of Santa Rosa County is a beautiful place to live and work.  All homes and businesses have some asthetic properties that may or may not be appealing to others. But overall the beauty of our area can't be matched in our opinions. Take the steps necessary to keep it clean and healthy, while protecting the interests of every American's right to make a living. When showing no responsibility for the words used to describe a business that is producing something of value to the area as a whole, you open the door to questions as to your actual agenda, as well as your own values in protecting the community in which you live. 

Just our thoughts as related to doing an 'obnoxious' job that 'takes care of the earth' and channels metals into the recycling stream. 

On & Off the Scrapyard...

As I close out the books on the first month of 2011, the winter weather over the beach/peninsula area is dark, cool-to-cold and wet. Depressing it is, yet we must remember how much better we have it in NW Florida than say, our neighbors to the far north.  Blizzards, ice storms, day after day of cloudy, overcast skies combined with at and below freezing temperatures for extended periods of time are unheard of in the deep south. From acquaintances that live and work in those conditions, I understand that there are 3 seasons - frozen, muddy & a might warm. Some hardy souls relish the days of beautiful sunshine sparkling on the snow, but it remains a high price of miserable weather to pay for a few brilliant days over the winter. To them, our week of rain, cold and clouds is just a walk in the park.

I can't say this weather is a walk in the park. I'm southern and unused to such a dreary outdoor environment. I am used to sunshine through the cold, warming to temperatures that have one stripping layers of clothing as the day progresses, only to begin putting some of those layers back on as the afternoon sunlight dims towards nightfall. But I listen to my friends and will accept their advice in giving Thanks for the mild (?) winters I share along the gulf coast with you.

Recently, when describing a big horse competition in Ocala several winters ago, one such northerner looked at my image and asked if others realized that the rider pictured was wearing only a lightweight t-shirt at sunrise in January. Surprised, I replied that many of the riders went out that morning in light layers and that that morning the temp in Ocala was 32 degrees before the sun came up.  I said that distance riding requires a great deal of muscle work and balance that really warms you up in the saddle.  His response was "It must be fine to go out in the dead of winter like that" with such a wistful tone I would have offered my own home to him for a snowbird vacation from his 7 foot snowdrifts at his old farm up north if he wasn't already in a nice condo on the beach. To complete the livestock chores in that weather would drop me like a wilted Christmas Cactus in July! That he did it for many years, humbled me.

So as this horrid winter continues to bring me ugly, depressing days after one or two days of sunshine, I will remember and count my blessings. And when I run across from one set of scales to the other in the pouring cold rain like I did this morning, I will remember my friend's envy of this young lady riding out for a day in the saddle in the coolness of a Florida winter, braving cold, fog or humid heat. Because the blessings of living and working in Florida do not end on when winter dumps as far south as us.

Here's to hoping y'all stay warm and dry!

The new year that isn't so new...

While the cat's away...

Sizzling hot new pricing being paid for your scrap metal now at AwcA! Everyone is running around like chickens with their heads cut off, Mother Hen is leaving town and the foxes are in charge of the coop!  We don't know how long she'll be gone nor how long these prices will last, so come take advantage of rising prices and the man-cave atmosphere! 

Happy New Year!

Wishing all of our green superheroes and the community at large a happy and prosperous 2011!

Good news from the Gulf Gusher...

It's a 'Once in Many Lifetimes' event...

AwcA has put up the decorations for Christmas and is reminding all customers on the yard that we will be closed a few days this holiday season. (See above website for details)  We have been able to raise our rates for many scrap metals and are paying out more to our green superheroes everyday!

Tonight marks the appearance of a total lunar eclipse on the Winter Solstice, an event that hasn't happened since 1378.  (additional reading) An amazing time in our lives and our world, I plan of digging out the tripod and am charging camera batteries for this event. With luck and patience I may get a nice shot or two during the eclipse!  The beginning of the eclipse around midnight-thirty will find me bundled warmly against the cold. The full lunar show will happen at 2:15 a.m., our time.

For the best information on how to plan your lunar eclipse viewing, see  (additional reading)

For your best prices for scrap metals on this side of the bridge, see us at AwcA on Hwy. 98.  We are working hard to earn your business and hope you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Brrr Part 2

It is still cold on the yard!  32 degrees w/a NW wind gusting up to 30mph at the moment and we haven't seen any temps higher than 69 in the past week.  I'd complain but we have been seeing the terrible winter blizzards they are having 'up north' and am grateful for our southern climate. But since we all know that we will freeze right up to Christmas Day, then be sweating in our Christmas finery, we are ready for a break in this cold!

For many years, Ray the Tomato Man has kept us in fresh vegetables from his garden along the sound at the Gulf of Mexico. And although we will no longer eat the seafood that comes from the gulf, the vegetables from his garden are as delicious and good for you as ever! Last frigid weekend a big pot of Cabbage & Ham was enjoyed by our family, provided by the ever-changing seasonal garden of the Tomato Man.  He cut these gorgeous heads of cabbage from the garden that morning. I almost didn't want to cook them they were so pretty! But we did and a finer pot of cabbage has never existed. Thank you Ray the Tomato Man for your green thumb and generosity to your community over the years :)

With only 2 more weeks til Christmas there's plenty of time to bring your scrap metals down to AwcA for some Christmas cash! Aluminum cans, copper, brass, stainless and iron have all moved up or held their scrap metal value. Now's the time to clean out your recyclables to make way for all the Christmas gifts!  Load 'em up, bundle up and come on down to trade your trash for cash.  It is cold, but it's a beautiful day on the scrapyard!

*shivering*

Brrr!

Another good man gone...

Congrats and Happy Anniversary...

Happy Thanksgiving America!

As President, on October 3, 1789, George Washington made the following proclamation and reminded us all of the One most deserving of Thanks. Our President set the tone of  Thanksgiving Day as it was designated by the national government of the United States of America. The exact dates were changed back and forth by various administrations (mainly for the purposes of commerce) but has always been observed in the autumn of each year.

See an online copy of the proclamation in the news media of the times...


 "Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint ...Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks, for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and Us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best. Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789."

AwcA is proud to be an American company that believes in the separation of church and state.  Yet with this political proclamation we also give Thanks for guidance across the generations and across this land.  That may not be turkey on the table of many homes throughout America today but family and friends will still have reason for thanks.  With an eye to the future we must always keep one to the past so as to remember where the backbone of our unity is.  The celebration of today has its' roots in faith.  Let's all rejoice in a country with so many reasons for thanks, as well as one that remembers it's roots.

Happy Thanksgiving Y'all.

America Recycles Day at AwcA

Keep America Beautiful Icon

What beautiful weather we are having along the Gulf Coast!  We are taking advantage of the bright sunshine to perform maintenance on our equipment and continue the improvements to our facility.  What are you doing on this gorgeous fall day?

AwcA recycles everyday but we will also be observing America Recycles Day on Monday, November 15th.  All around the country, Americans will be attending events and celebrating care and concern for Planet Earth.  We live and work on our wonderful pieces of Paradise and it is up to all of us to keep it clean and healthy. The Keep America Beautiful organization has understood and worked for this stewardship of our country since 1953 and created the "Crying Indian" PSA in 1970 which is known to all. To continue their work, KAB has taken the helm of America Recycles Day, started in 1997, dedicated to encouraging people to recycle more at home and at work. Thus the only nationally recognized day dedicated to the promotion of recycling programs in the United States is coming next Monday.

While you are enjoying the wonderful weekend ahead of you won't you keep in mind that we are all caretakers of the land we walk upon?  On the golf course, at the airshow and around your neighborhoods, spread the word about recycling and encourage someone to reduce, reuse and recycle.  Then after your great weekend, on Monday wish all you meet a Happy America Recycles Day.  Who knows, you may start someone's interest in recycling, making our communities even more beautiful! And for more information about this national event, click on this link.

See y'all around the scrapyard!

Veterans Day 2010

History of Veterans Day - http://www.history.army.mil/html/reference/holidays/vetsday/vetshist.html

The reasons for men and women to choose service in the U.S. military are as varied as the people themselves.  A father or grandfather served, I am just following in his footsteps.  The travel, I want to see the world.  To pay for my education of course.  And to be heard in every group at least once, because the freedom of our country isn't free.  

Our country has been the shining example of freedom for it's citizen's to the rest of the world for more than two centuries now.  And while the world and our country are now in turmoil and confusion, we still believe that freedom is man's natural right given to him by the Lord above.  And we know that while something can be given freely it can also be taken away.  Standing vigilant, ready to serve the cause of freedom, our military men and women have made themselves available to be called upon to protect and defend our freedom and way of life.  These servicemembers were sent to faraway places and worked tirelessly here at home to complete whatever mission was placed before them. Whatever mission our government sent them on, they were successful if only in maintaining the ideal that America is filled with people that will stand for the downtrodden and abused, defending their right to liberty and justice from all oppressors. From the War of Independence to the current missions around the world today, our troops have put aside their own lives, taken up arms and bravely marched towards the enemy in order to do battle and recapture the security of our lives from those who would do us harm.  In doing so, many gave the ultimate sacrifice, asking for nothing in return save having their families taken care of.  These brave men and women deserve the highest of honors, including the last wishes being fulfilled.  And they deserve something more; that the freedoms we have not be thrown away by apathy and negligence.  The cost of our freedom was paid for by these lost servicemen and that leaves us in their debt forever.  For no matter what we do to repay them, short of giving our own lives the debt can never be completely canceled out.

On this Veteran's Day 2010, at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year we respectfully honor with our gratitude and thanks all of our men and women that have served or are serving in the United States Military. In the act of doing your duty for your country, you have given us liberty and the freedom to follow our dreams.  We can never repay you enough but hope you take this observance of your service in the nature it was originally intended, gratitude from the heart of our entire nation to you - Army, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force and Marine - American Heroes.

Election Day 2010

Under Construction...

Working in the fall mornings on the Gulf Coast has been a little more comfortable lately.  The afternoons are another story!  We are working hard to earn your business and thank you for considering AwcA for all your scrap metal recycling needs.

Please excuse the mess, noise and confusion of our construction; we are proceeding forward with some of the improvements that have been in the business plan since 2008.  When the new roof over the intake area for non-ferrous is complete you will no longer have to stand in the icy-cold rains of winter nor the blazing hot sun of summer when bringing us your scrap metals!  It is a great deal of work but we look forward to having this phase of remodel and restructure finished for the convenience of both you and us!

For those of you that have gracefully learned the traffic flow pattern of our facility we thank you.  And apologize for the changing of that traffic flow.  When complete, it will be more convenient and safe for all of our visitors. Until then, just be watchful and considerate of others.  Now more than ever, do not raise my ire by driving too fast for the conditions at AwcA.  I have no mercy for those that speed on my yard, endangering all.

So gather those bags of cans and the swing set the kids outgrew 5 years after you set it up and bring them on down for cash. We are still assisting your scrap metal recycling needs at both the ferrous and non-ferrous scales and we haven't lost a customer to construction chaos yet ;)

While waiting for the Supreme Court ruling, some do something...

We have several weeks or months to wait before we will know the disposition of the case currently before the Court.

In my America today, the atmosphere at the funeral of some deceased soldiers are anxiety-ridden and disrespectful as well as sad.  Hateful people from the Westboro Baptist 'Church' whose 'religion' is to decry and debase with downright lies the lives our military men and women, turn out to project their venom at mourners during the most somber moments marking that soldier's time on earth with us.  In this terrible turn of what has become of my America, the highest court in the land is researching, deliberating and weighing decisions guided by the documents we hold dear.

The America I know is in turmoil.  Depression, recession you believe whatever they tell you too, I see in  my America the blackness that has encompassed our land. We look to our leaders to make our nation battened down for the crisis and see nothing but greed for power that is snowballing directly into the demise of our independent nation.  Times are worse than those leaders would have us believe and very little of what they say they are doing in our best interest, is in our best interest.  Living in my America has never been darker for any of us.

Still, in my country there is a rumbling in the darkness.  Faint deep bass tones emerging into the sound of motorcycles and cloth flapping in wind is heard.  Into the light of need comes an American patriotic passion that can not be extinguished in the form of thousands of people in support of the Patriot Guard Riders. 

With the motto of "Standing for those who stood for us" the Patriot Guard Riders are Americans from all walks of life, on motorcycles, in cars, trucks and vans.  Silently taking up positions around the funeral location many of these people hold American Flags aloft to block the family and mourners from view and visual harassment.  With no desire to do anything more than honor the deceased's certain wish that his or her family and friends are not subjected to more pain and anger, these volunteers from all across the U.S. stand in support of a line we American's draw around our crumbling nation. 

The work, travel and expense of the Rider are of necessity paid for from the compassion and the pocket of the Rider.  Networks both internet and word of mouth exist all across our great land to let volunteers know where a family of a deceased service member is requesting assistance.  The Patriot Guard Riders exist because no one has stopped the falsehoods and hatred towards our troops and their sacrifice.  While everyone else is concerned in which celebrity is doing what, these blessed Americans live the same types of lives we do, they just choose to be the solemn angels of final rites for someone that gave their life to the freedom from tyranny our nation was created for.

My America is the land of the Free and the home of the Brave. In my support of the Patriot Guard Riders, however I can provide assistance, be it monetary, operational or to stand silently strong in the service they give, I understand the invisible pull they all feel in being connected with this effort.  In my heart I know that it is a passion for independence, a courage to guard the proper rites for our warriors and the conviction to stand our ground for what we as Americans believe in.  Whether we believe in war or not, there is no excuse for the ugliness attending a solder's funeral.  The PGR do what they can to shield the family, friends and others wishing to pay their final respects to someone that paid the ultimate price to his or her country.  I believe in drawing that line and standing firm, and that is what these humble, dedicated Americans do as a last service to our US Troops.

For more information, please go to Patriot Guard Riders .

Fairy Tales in the 21st Century...

Once upon a time (recently) people in a faraway land worked just as hard as Americans do to feed their families and enjoy some of this wonderful life on Planet Earth.  They raised generations of their own to appreciate the land that they held, the piece of the earth they took care of and that took care of them.  Then one day a big, bad metal factory had an ’accident’ that caused a heavy-metal liquid by-product of the aluminum manufacturing process to spill (read Gush) or flood the faraway people’s land.  Some were killed when the dam on the factory property ruptured somehow.  The toxic sludge (solid sloop known as bauxite refining waste and called red mud) gushed and slid down the mountainous terrain through villages and into creeks and streams leading to the Great Danube River.  

One elderly woman in the village closest to the metal factory climbed atop her pig shed but one pole collapsed leaving her foot in the cold, red sludge resulting in terrible burns to her leg and foot.  Nine other faraway people died. There are other villages along the way that suffered much the same fate. As the ‘spillage’ progressed into creeks and streams, all life in and along those waterways died. Frogs, fish even deer that drank from the polluted waters.  Prayer for the diluting effects of river water in the Danube are ongoing.  Yet prayer for the strength from the Lord to have the wisdom and action to stop the ‘backdoor killing’ of our planet seems to stop with us vocal Believers.  This is no ordinary flood, for when later dry, the red mud will generate dust into the air and wreck havoc with the lungs of the faraway people and animals.  A scary storyline that caused Peoples all around the world to bring awareness with the very 1st Earth Day event.  What they foresaw 40 years ago is being played out around the globe and some of Earth’s inhabitants need to ask why.

In this faraway land, the People are being lied to by their government.  The Minister of Something-or-Another in this faraway land said the sludge isn’t harmful to humans.  A Big-Important-Official said the toxicity to the water creatures was zero.  And the People trusted the Royal-Faraway-Honchos-in-Charge to protect them from Big, Bad Metal Factory by inspections and goodwill.  Yet one week before this terrible, far-reaching ‘accident’ took place, Big, Bad Metal Factory passed it’s inspection and the faraway people considered themselves safe.  Now 6 kingdoms throughout the land are in fear of or experiencing this poisoning being brought into their lands by the continent-wide river.

Sound familiar?  Like parts of the story could happen in Anywhere, USA?  Well, anywhere there is a factory of this sort creating new aluminum, this could indeed happen.  And what are our elected officials around the world doing about it?  More regulation?  Stricter enforcement?  Standing up for the Peoples in danger of enduring huge life changes or worse?  Why haven’t we found a way to prevent this type of catastrophic disaster in the last 40 years?

And when there is so much aluminum already created in this world which is infinitely recyclable, why is there such a need for new metal to be made?  To one school of thought anything that has to be carved from the planet we live on is very precious indeed to our grandchildren and great grandchildren’s futures.  Some of us personally don’t care about colonies in space, we simply desire for our family to live on this Beautiful Blue Marble down through all the generations.

Just one more reason why we scrabble and toil and our way through owning, operating and building a metals recycling facility serving our local community.  Why it's important to share thoughts and feelings and plans, no matter the consequences.  We cannot have change from ideas alone, without action in support of something we believe in and some manner of hard work to actually produce results, we may as well bathe in the waters of the Danube.

See ya around the scrap yard! 

http://www.istc.illinois.edu/info/library_docs/manuals/primmetals/chapter4.htm

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101007/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_hungary_sludge_flood

Ahh, fall in Florida at last...

Finally, the onset of fall in the south.  Football games that are no longer played in blazing heat & humidity, cool mornings that turn into warm days with pleasant breezes.  The leaves from the poplar trees fall softly to the ground and the crepe myrtles slowly put away their colorful blooms for another year.

State fairs,church bazaars and autumn harvest festivals. Wearing your favorite jacket or sweatshirt to guard against those cool mornings and evenings spent outside enjoying the first and last of the day's weakening sunlight. These are but some of the things we cherish about the changing of the season in the south.

Enjoy our fall on the Gulf Coast y'all, it only lasts so long.  Prices for many of our non-ferrous metals have risen as the temperature has fallen; here's to hoping the higher pay for your scrap last as long!  See ya around the scrapyard!

Questionable law isn't just passed in D.C., or What's legislature's Job Description?

Why would the state have to sneakily pass legislation that overrules, undermines or makes void county ordinance that works?

Local Newspaper Article

Our county has septic tank inspections required at the point of sale for our homes.  This has been a viable, effective control of septic pollution in this county for many years.  Now the legislature of the State of Florida has, in Commission Chairman Goodin's own words "...the new state law was pushed through the Legislature in the matter of a few minutes as an attachment to other legislation, with many lawmakers not realizing what they were voting on."  These new requirements will cause all septic tanks to be inspected every 5 years, costing the residents of the county that have septic tanks money, sometimes a lot of money.  If the tanks themselves are broken or leakage is suspected within the system, every reasonable homeowner we know would want to have their systems checked and fixed if confirmation is made of a faulty system.  However, to make it law that everyone be checked, every 5 years regardless of operation is to reach into the pockets of just a certain class of residents and voters in Santa Rosa County.

It seems as though many if not all of our questionable laws now are rushed through or hidden in other legislation that may or may not have been read and/or considered before being passed.  Transparency in government is supposed to be one the biggest buzzwords in this country since 2008 and earlier.  Yet that appears to be all that it is, a word, not a practice.

Thanks goes to the county commission for approving a resolution opposing the state law.  At least Tallahassee will see and have to take note that we, part of the the forgotten corner of the state, are not just going to accept whatever comes from Tallahassee with no questions nor objections.  Perhaps this resolution will allow for serious dialog in the  state capitol regarding the west side of the state governing themselves without overseers these last decades.

Just one of the issues that come to mind when you spend the better part of everyday living in and working hard to keep our county clean.  And trying to generate the revenue to pay the numerous increases in taxes due the government in order to operate or live in our wonderful country.  Y'all keep your eyes and ears open and recycle as you can.  And remember, it's soon to be November.  Educate yourself and vote your conscience. And we'll see you around the recycling facility!

Good News Travels Slowly...

In 2009, Americans and the aluminum industry recycled nearly 55.5 billion aluminum cans, nearly 2.3 billion more than in 2008.

(Aluminum Association)

This is indeed good news!  Either the word is finally getting through to people about recycling's advantages to the planet or more people are turning their cans in for cash in light of the economy.  Either way, we at AwcA are happy that more UBC (Universal Beverage Containers) are being recycled every year :)  Considering how much energy savings are realized by recycling over tearing the materials needed to make new aluminum cans out of the breast of Mother Earth, you'd think recycling would be a no-brainer. 

For now, we are adjusting our prices slightly higher on the yard for many of your aluminum scrap materials and doing the happy dance in celebration of the increase in recycling this, the #1 recycled beverage container in the country!

*out to dance a jig over the scales*  Take Care!

Beautiful, for now...

A beautiful morning on the scrapyard!  Temps are cooler these last couple of mornings, humidity has been lower also.  It doesn't stay that way, the sun is still hot and the temps and humidity rise to the point of extreme discomfort throughout the day. Storms have been developing but so far we have been lucky. We are still here, working hard to earn your business!

The value of scrap has risen slightly so your scrap metals are worth more at AwcA! Getting your home and property ready for a possible tropical storm/hurricane right now pays better!  Bring those unwanted, unused pieces of metal on down and put the rewards into a gas tank for your generator or whatever little thing you need.   

Storms will come and go, but proper preparation will always see you through, mitigating your damage and making you more comfortable while you wait out the storm wherever you are. Cleaning up the yard and garage (many a garage door has blown away scattering contents to the wind!) will make you and your neighbors sleep better knowing you have made the attempt to keep your tools from crashing through a window or wall.  This is not to say that you can stop all damage, but you will have tried.  That's all we can ask of ourselves and our fellow man.

Having the proper supplies to hold you over until the power comes back on is another prep you can do for yourself and your family.  My children and I have ridden out many storms while munching on cold roast beef and crackers, and tuna will give you much needed energy for the cleanup after the storm.

Check on your elderly neighbors before the storm.  Do they need help in getting ready?  Are they planning to evac or stay?  Our society owes it to our seniors to offer assistance where we can and even the grumpiest old coot will be thankful to know that he has someone that cares.

I told someone once that we live or die by our storms.  I wasn't being dramatic, just realistic.  Hurricanes aren't something we can control.  So be realistic about preparing for them, or move somewhere else.  Just remember, natural disasters of all sorts are everywhere you go.  If you can prepare for whatever you could face, you will be working in concert with Mother Nature to remain solid and strong as steward of your land.

See ya around the scrapyard!

Congratulations Raiders!

A somber moment in time...

On this, the 9th anniversary of September 11, 2001 we fly our American Flag at half mast in memory of those that lost their lives on that fateful day. There won't be a moment of silence here as metal processing is noisy and clamorous, but in our hearts we hold this day to forever remember this attack on American soil.

For all the 1st responders that have lost their lives in doing their duty to assist on 9/11 and for the passengers that took matters into their own hands to attempt to stop the hijackers from their deadly mission, we remember. For no matter who is to blame for that horrific day, your bravery in the face of certain death is to be commemorated. 

September 11, 2010; we remember.

Rumors, Fishing & Belly Up...

We at AwcA would like to address this morning the rampant rumors and conjecture flying around our small community about our business.  We are not going out of business.  If we are, someone forgot to tell us and we are busy, as always, working hard to earn your business!

It seems that while I was out of town on the occasion of a death in the family, one person decided that we must be going under.  That person told the next person, who added that we would obviously be 'belly up' soon. That person told two other persons and well, we all know how rumors start. In my first day back in the office this week, I heard from 4 different people that we were to be closing our doors. What? I was startled at first then quickly became amused at the power of gossip. It has no equal in the rapid pace at which it is spread, nor in the exposure of the silly humans that start such nonsense in the first place.

So, in order to reassure you, the recycling public, I am telling you now "I didn't get the memo concerning our closure."  And as my name is S. Renee' Mayne and I am a co-owner of this facility I can assure you that AwcA is not going anywhere.  We are still here, processing materials and taking in scrap vehicles. We are still hard at work while others spend their time and effort trying to come up with doosies that may or may not turn your recycling needs elsewhere. In the meantime, every time you hear the whisper of gossip floating around in your lives remember to smile and consider the source. I myself think my darling husband, known to most of you as Mr. Wonderful, may have started this rumor himself in the hopes of getting a few weeks off for that deep-sea fishing trip he's been whining about for years!

See ya around the scrapyard :)

For the Greater Good...

When green goes grey...or, Big Brother in your trash can.

Presto, bingo, where did it go?

Not that I recommend one beer over another, but...

Those of us in the metals recycling industry constantly have to deal with people that think their aluminum can tabs are worth much more than the cans.  This is not true, but people still believe this 'urban myth'.  See another recycler's take on the issue at My Green SuperHero

However, for a limited time only, the Miller Brewing Co. has placed plastic beer bottle displays in select stores for you to return your bottle and can tabs from their High Life and High Life Light beers. There is also an address where you can mail them.  For every cap and tab sent back to the brewer, the Miller Co. will donate 10 cents to an organization near and dear to our hearts, IAVA " Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America".  Up to $1M will be donated to fund outings and trips for returning veterans to special events that they might not ordinarily be able to attend, such as sporting events, concerts and outdoor getaways in places that do not remind them of deserts!  See the website and video for more details.

I pay the same amount on the tabs as I do the cans.  I save the tabs and donate them to local kids who take them to school.  Then the schools sell the tabs back to me so that I have paid for them twice.  I don't get rich off of them, and neither will you.  But you can, with these specially marked tabs and caps, give a rich experience to the most deserving of our population, our American Troops.  After all, there are just some things more important than cash, right?

Off to scour my tabs to see how many of these special tabs I may have... see ya!

Moss Man has Competition!

There is an event tomorrow worth watching, even participating in, if you've a mind to.  Like almost anything else controversial, it takes place in San Francisco.

Using single-use data, California has come up with the idea that Americans use 500-700 plastic bags each, annually.  That's 45,000 plastic bags in each American's lifetime.  That's a lot of plastic bags!

To combat the tremendous volume of bags that go to landfills, city and rural streets and waterways, California and other cities and towns across North America are considering a ban on all plastic bags, like the ones you get from the grocery store.  To impress their position to the public and the legislators, there is a "Bag Monster" event tomorrow in San Francisco.  Proponents of the bag ban will be out in force, wearing 'bag monster' costumes, cleverly designed with one year's worth of bags attached to a jumpsuit. (see above image)  Click here for the bag monster blog.

Will this bring about bans of the retail staple plastic bag everywhere?  I think not.  Will it bring anymore awareness to the people of North America of the cons of plastic bags in our environment?  I hope so.  Will it be a belly-chuckle to see grown men and women marching around a park square dressed in costumes similar to our 'moss-man' costumes of the southeast?  You betcha!

At AwcA we recycle your metal scrap, not plastic.  That doesn't mean we are not interested in plastic recycling.  We actually reuse our plastic bags and bottles as many times as possible and donate some to small business that need but can't afford them.  But we will be keeping our eyes on the wonderful, kooky ideas and actions of those that recycle plastic or just care about it's effects on our planet. Successful or not, we can use a good laugh every now and again!

See ya around the scrapyard...

Recycle Fashion by Design...

I don't dress to impress.  I dress for the climate and conditions in which I have to work...

Years ago, I was paid to wear clothes I didn't like and show them off.  I cared what I looked like and never, ever wore curlers in public. Matter of fact, it was a stated breach of my contract requiring repercussions in my employment!  I understood the old adage "The clothes make the man/woman."

Today I don't worry over being a fashion plate, nor even whether I follow society's ideal of a woman in business. I shock people with the fact that I don't iron. The latest Gucci or Coach accessory may be pretty, but I think one's head needs to be examined if that is what you'd work for in my field.

I work in extremely high heat and humidity under a brutal sun in the summer and damp, bone-numbing cold beneath a weak, watery sun in the winter.  I deal with a hostile environment every day that I am on a scrapyard or photographing a barnyard.  I wear tough denim, a seasonal blouse or tee and western boots by Ariat.  Full clothing, especially denim as well as boots or shoes have saved us from saw blades, metal projectiles and other injuries more than once or twice!

I arrived late to work at the recycling facility after taking care of legal matters one day this week.  I was raised to dress appropriately and with respect for the atmosphere in which I was attending.  Thus I wore a sleeveless cotton dress and flip-flop sandals. The heat index was after all, 114 degrees F. But as I knew I would be on a metal scrapyard later in the day, working as scalemaster, grading expert, clerk and cashier walking over a 1 acre site, I had changed into my western boots with the dress.  We all know I do not allow flip-flops on the yard. Both boots and dress contain shades of the color green and I could get to work quickly without the need to change my entire outfit.

I was in the office settling my things when an elderly regular came in and said "I was going to compliment you on your wearing of a dress for a change, but then I saw you were wearing those cowboy boots."  Just like that.  My quasi-compliment was over.  What does one say in response to something like that?

So while I may seem an odd duck, bebopping around the facility in whatever I'm wearing, it makes no nevermind to me that others think I must be touched.  For I am interested in the work at hand and am smart enough to know that there is a time and place for almost every different type of attire.  And it pleases me very much to know that the sight of the crazy woman on Hwy. 98 brings a smile or chuckle to some of you in your long, hard days!

See ya around the scrapyard!

Boot Clip Art

It's hot!

Temps are up on the scrapyard and so are the prices we pay you for your scrap metals!

In a welcome twist to the usual cycle of market pricing, our numbers have gone up in this 1st week of August!  Copper is up, certain grades of aluminum are up, brass is up... whoot whoot!

Now's the time to bring in those stacks of metal we have been telling you to hang onto.  Load them up and head down around 8 a.m. when the outside temperatures are the best they get during the day!  We at AwcA are hot and sweaty and looking forward to seeing you on the yard and paying you more for your metal scrap. 

Happy hot summer on the scrapyard, y'all :)

Art for a Cause...

Next Sunday, when the temps break, a wonderful gathering of art and artists will be held in Pensacola.  Come out and join the cause!

Mystery Meat...

We would like to take a moment today to thank the anonymous benefactor of the feral colony of felines on our yard.

Several times in these couple of years that we have been here, someone has dropped off various amounts of cat food on our doorstep. Both wet canned and dry kibble, the food was doled out to the feral colony once daily until it was gone.  Augmenting our small budget for the ongoing care of these cats, these mysterious food drops have eased our burden somewhat and for this we are grateful.

On behalf of the cats themselves, allow us to say thank you.  The cats seem to enjoy the change of menu choices and they finish up their morning meals and happily go about their days, filled with important work like mousing and bird watching and such.

So to you, whoever you are, thank you from all of us at AwcA. Your good deeds do not go unnoticed nor unappreciated! 

See ya around the scrapyard!

Hearing Taps? Not quite, but...

I start my morning loading the car to head to the recycling facility. In the early quiet of a mid-summer morning, the lonely sound of a sandpiper in my neighborhood reminds me of this sad milestone on our beloved coastline.

Today marks 100 days since the Deepwater Horizon explosion that took the lives of 11 men and began the deaths of countless marine and aquatic life in and around the gulf.  Not exactly a day I chose to spend time on noting it's passing. But Mother Nature has forcefully reminded me with a shorebird's call of how long it's been since Earth Day and the sinking of the platform.

On the scrapyard we have seen a 23% drop in UBC collection this summer season as opposed to last year.  Universal Beverage Containers, beer, soda and other aluminum cans aren't being packed in ice chests and hauled out to the beaches by locals quite as often this year. Friends and family that come to stay at your homes because you live by the beach are finding more reasons not to make the trip.  Tourists that leave nothing but their footprints behind on our beaches aren't coming in the numbers they have always done before, thus our beach suppliers of UBC aren't bringing in as much in aluminum cans  anymore either.  In just the beginning of our summer season commencing on Memorial Day weekend until now, we are seeing a significant drop in our favorite recyclable.  Where will the numbers be by the time we wrap up the summer season of 2010 on Labor Day weekend?

Beach chairs, beach umbrella frames, beach cruisers... all these tools, toys and necessities of vacation on the beach are in short supply also.  Considering how many folks recycle their old when they get their new rather than landfill this material, gives one pause to consider the losses on the coast in a new light.  BP and it's claims process is intended to assist the fishermen, shrimpers, tourism, seafood service and hospitality industries that are obviously suffering. But how many other industries are documenting losses that may be caused by economic uncertainty or oil gusher or both?  How many ways can the worst ecological disaster in the history of these United States affect livelihoods along the coast?  And exactly how far will BP be willing to pay to those in the outer concentric rings of damages?  Think of a pebble thrown into a pond...across the once smooth surface of the water, rings begin at the entrance of the stone into the water and spread outwards.  While one cannot deny that the rings are the direct result of the pebble hitting the water, the law has to determine how many rings the thrower of the stone is responsible for.  And that is all the proof we need to know that BP can not and will not ever make completely whole that which they have damaged.

Our hearts and minds have been in anguish for 100 days over this senseless, preventable disaster.  And for many, hundreds of more days will follow. I just can't find it in my heart to urge you to pack up those ice chests and go out for a day of restrained fun on the beach.  But we will continue to increase our prices that we pay you for whatever materials may go up in price that you choose to bring to us. We on the peninsula of southern Santa Rosa County cannot afford to stop our recycling stream that we had in place before the oil 'spill' and abandon our stewardship of the one and only Gulf of Mexico. No matter how insurmountable the cleanup and restoration may appear, we will not allow our communities to fall completely. Your continuing dedication to keeping our area as pristine as possible is not wasted but proof to the world that is watching us that we value the paradise we call home.

See ya around the scrapyard!

Good Grief Charlie Brown!

What's going on in the Gulf?

The answer depends on who is giving it and what part of the Gulf is being referred to.  As of day-before-yesterday at 2:25 p.m. local time, the flow of oil into our gulf was shut off.  We applaud this seemingly amazing feat after almost 3 months of waiting for this. We keep our prayers going and fingers crossed for the success of this latest procedure in stopping the hemorrhage of oil and gas into the Gulf of Mexico. We await with bated breath the results of a 48 hour test period, the conclusion of which should tell us whether or not the cap can truly hold back the pressure of the gusher. And we watch the various ROV's trained on the seabed of the gulf and the sonar and other assorted gadgets monitoring the seafloor for any signs of ruptures, and we wait...

Along the coast, businesses are suffering, people are suffering either financially, emotionally or both.  There is a backlog of fear and uncertainty from months of not knowing anything other than dread.  Even with gov't. assistance (loans that have to be paid back) many businesses are closing up shop, unable to make enough money to deal with the added burden of an additional expense in their debt to Uncle Sam.

And in the scientific community, lines are being drawn in the sand. BP and NOAA are competing for scientists that have and are studying the gulf and it's currents and sealife.  Some officials have said BP seems to be more concerned with paying off scientists for silence than utilizing studies of what is going on in the Gulf to assist renewal of this most precious resource.  Others say NOAA's contract offers are just as restrictive as BP's, but for the other side.  Either way, these offers appear to be lining up scientists for addition into their respective legal teams, not for the benefit of the Gulf of Mexico and the people.

As of this morning, the pressure tests on the cap are "ambiguous".  The plumbing has been done to stop the flow, but we still do not know if the cap will continue to work.  Only time will give us that answer.  In the meantime, we wait and see how much more oil, already in the water, will continue to pollute our shores.  And we wonder, when will it end?

While you are waiting, collect all those soda cans the kids out of school are going through (make the kids bag them up!), clean out the backyard shed when the sun is not at it's zenith and bring all that metal down to the scrapyard to get yourself a little cash.  If you make enough on your scrap, go see a movie maybe.  A couple of hours of escape time will ease your burdens for awhile.  You deserve some release from worry and maybe when the movie is over, you'll come out into the sunshine to hear better news about our beloved Gulf.

We at the recycling facility are right here with you.  See ya!

Red, White & Blues Week

  





I managed to delete the entry for this day, so instead I am treating you to some of the Navy Precision Fight Team, The Blue Angels!  For more images, see the Links page...

Independence Day 2010

AwcA is proud to be able to wish y'all a Happy 4th of July weekend!  234 years ago we became an independent nation, unwilling to stand with any other nation before standing on our own two feet.  That didn't mean we didn't work with and care about the other nations of the world, nor that we didn't want to help some, but that we believed in the ability to think and grow for ourselves.  That we would dedicate ourselves to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for ourselves and all mankind.  Our forefather's knew that we could only help others from a position of strength ourselves.  That we must be ever vigilant of encroaching restrictions on our freedoms as Americans, lest those same freedoms be lost. 

In the face of losing all that we stand for as a nation, we have forgotten that it is we, The People, that must generate the actions taken by our country to preserve those freedoms. The world may be in chaos, but our country can still come together this Sunday to celebrate in mass all that we as Americans hold dear.  To band together to remind the world stage that America stands for freedom, justice and liberty for all. That long before any nation could be an effective member of the United Nations, they must be a nation undivided in the concepts of why we fought for freedom in the first place. And unwilling to give up those freedoms and ideals for trinkets nor treaties.

At this moment in time, We the People of the United States of America must shout out to the world our joy and success in remaining a free, democratic republic, the first and longest lasting nation of it's kind.  We must carry the unity of the symbolism of fireworks, patriotic song and breaking bread with our friends and families beyond the holiday weekend.  We must stop and consider the question of what is best for our country in every issue on the national agenda from the 5th of July henceforth. Our continuing ability to have a reason to celebrate next year on our 235th anniversary of independence will depend on it.

Try fostering local American pride by wishing one and all a Happy Independence Day today and tomorrow... maybe enough patriotic pride will help the People rise and move together in the best interest of maintaining our place on the world stage as America - Home of the Free & the Brave.

See ya around the recycling facility!

Hello Hurricane Alex...

The Longest Day...

Summer Solstice 2010 is officially here!  Welcome to the 1st official day of summer.  Maybe the ancient pagans called it midsummer because with the heat we've already experienced we sure don't notice today as the beginning of summer, except on our calendars!

It's hot on the yard, but nothing like it could be later this summer.  We wish our prices for metals were as hot!  Alas, ever since the world economic meltdown in the pricing of all commodities back in 2008, prices for scrap metal haven't recovered enough to be called hot.  They've gone up and they've gone down, as markets are wont to do.  We try to hold at a steady rate of pricing for you at AwcA but raise prices to you when we can!

After the long, cold winter we had, we looked forward to the bright, warm days of summer.  We got them and now we do our best to work in the heat and humidity, recycling metal all day and relaxing in the HVAC at home at night.  Today marks the true change in the cycle of the tilt of the earth's axis bringing us in the northern hemisphere closest to the sun.  We feel the burn on our yard today as we are sure you feel it out there too.  But rejoice we do, because from here on down through the rest of 2010, our days will get shorter!  Maybe then we can see an increase on commodity pricing that we at AwcA can pass onto you!

See ya around the scrapyard...

Happy Father's Day!

Water and Oil...

Ironic.  We work hard to keep our Gulf Coast communities clean so as to allow the natural beauty of our area to be showcased.  Yet we allowed the lackluster enforcement of our laws in respect to large corporations mining our waters. Hence, the now doomed aquatic creatures in the Gulf and it's waterways, along with other effects of this disaster.

In cleaning our yards and homes, streetfronts and public areas we have to mow. My husband and I have had troubles w/our mowers and many of you have also.  We are happy for you when you come to our yard and find a part that keeps your mowers working! We commiserate when we know that many of you have had to buy new mowers, but appreciate the continued rebuilding of our economy.

This week, Mr. Wonderful and I finally found a part our mowers needed.  In order to afford to fix it, we used the barter system.  Thanks to a fantastic man that is as grounded to the earth as he is an angel from heaven, our lawn mower works like she's new!  Back to mowing... so I can gaze upon our beautiful, chosen piece of paradise.

Irony, yes...the dramatic irony is that in fixing a tire on my lawnmower, my angel-of-the-earth lawn-mowing repairman used tar. 

A commonsense approach to be sure and one that does the job. No more cans of Fix-a-Flat, not having to tote the air compressor in and out before each mow is really good! The fix itself is good. The reminder of the importance of drilling was not.

The tar, petrol, oil, crude, black gold or whatever you want to call it is good, just not when it's out of control and spewing all over.  In the air, as that which is on top of the water is easily evaporated in this heat. Coming toward my immediate coastline like a red sea to assault us from the south (the Gulf). Entering our waterways, despite the best of our human abilities, to assualt us from the south and north  (the sound and the bay).  Driven by Mother Nature in a dance where we know the steps but are powerless to stop the music, this 'oil spill' is the unifying thought we who live along the coast think of everyday. As one of our reader's put it so well: "Thank God for the heart and soul of our people... We will not give up on our home."

We know that we as a community will continue to defend our paradise and way of life. This includes the necessity of drilling for oil in our country. We will mow and tidy, volunteer and clean, landfill and recycle in spite of this tragic irony. We will continue to try to find ways to decrease our dependance on oil as energy.  But we need the oil to run those mowers, don't we?

See ya around our beautiful Gulf Coast... 

Every penny counts...

Hwy 98 & Three Mile Bridge closed...

Flag Day 2010

In honor of Flag Day we at AwcA salute the Flag of the United States of America with this song...

The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics
By Francis Scott Key 1814

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe’s haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o’er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning’s first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
‘Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle’s confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps’ pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: “In God is our trust.”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

For more information about Flag Day - click here

and

click here

Out to raise our flag on the scrapyard, see ya!

Don't get mad, get even...

With the ongoing anxiety in gulf coast communities, people are snapping at one another.  Municipal and state authorities are getting angry because our neighbors are getting deeper in oil on their shorelines and the message (sent through the Coast Guard but undelivered by them) of advance notice is not getting through.  The oil breaching the booms on the Alabama side of the state line has caused ankle deep sludge on the beach at our beloved Flora-Bama Lounge.  Emergency management officials are scrambling and muttering at the loss of time to attempt to protect our shorelines.

I understand anger, one of my businesses' names begins with the word "Angry".  I am angry about the oil gusher.  Angry about the response from the companies responsible and our federal gov't. that wants to pretend that they are 'large and in charge'.  I am angry that so much recyclable material ends up in landfills too and am doing all I can to rectify that.  But closest to home, I am angry about a certain quasi-scrapyard owner and his staff, operating within just a few miles of me, that lies to everyone about AwcA, our yard and us.  He and his staff tell people on the phone, in person and all over town that he owns AwcA and that whatever is needed can be and is done at his other yard on Hwy 399. I do not like even the rumor that our yard would be affiliated with the such unprofessionalism.  I am sorry, but I, S. Renee' Mayne, am the wife of the actual owner of AwcA.  I've worked side-by-side with my husband Randy for years now.  I think I should know if I was married to someone else.  Why else would I keep acknowledging that this is my business, I work it, I own it by vested interest and marital possession. I am the one that spends too many sleepless nights working on and worrying over it.  I have seen this man that claims to own us... he appears from a side view, very turtle-like.  I would know if I dropped my standards and married a turtle!

This scared little man, who also claims to own another scrapyard that is actually owned by another woman in Alabama, evidently has no ethics, morals or business acumen. By getting angry and scared that we at AwcA may be a better choice for your recycling or auto salvage needs, he has cemented his reputation as someone that can't be trusted.  If he and his staff will lie about owning other facilities what else does he lie about?  Legal repercussions are in the works for this unethical man but our immediate focus at AwcA is taking care of you, the local community to the best of our ability, with honesty and integrity.

Instead of being angry at each other, instead of cursing and mumbling about the possibility of loss due to another, we should all be continuing to address the immediate needs of our own backyards, our own businesses and our own citizens' interests.  In my estimation, our state, local and federal authorities have had 51 days or better to prepare for the environmental disaster that is upon us.  We are all responsible for what we do, whether we are trying to protect our shores or our businesses.  Others screw up (intentionally or not) and cause bad things to happen, yes.  But how we react and what we as adults do to clean up, correct or fix the problem is all we should be concerned with right now.  Take it from a business owner that is called "The Angry Filly"... anger at the wrong time is counter-productive to the results we are seeking.

See y'all around the scrapyard on Hwy. 98 ;)

Jaws in the Junkyard...

When being an ecologically minded person hurts... or, we're so happy our pier is open.

While the world turns, our hearts break.  An ecological disaster of incredible imagination has hit our shores, just in time for the opening ceremony of the longest pier in the Gulf of Mexico.  Our new Navarre Beach Fishing Pier was dedicated this morning at 9 a.m. local time. Closed after damage in 2004, rebuilt because the citizens of our area missed our pier.  At over 1500 feet long, the fishing and view was supposed to be the envy of the entire Gulf.  Now...?

As of the time this picture was taken oily globs and balls had already been ashore just west.  Our neighbors in Pensacola and Lower Alabama were entertaining tourists that let their kids play with it like it was a can of Nickelodeon's Slime while some adults gathered the sticky goo in empty water bottles to take home with them. Not that all of the bottles were carried off our beaches... some tourons (if you know me...) grew tired of playing with the stuff and just left the bottles in the sand when they packed up and went home.

After 46 days of dread, we are just beginning... we don't know how long this will go on. Could anyone have imagined the magnitude of an 'accident' like this?  Considering all the thought and planning and proposed worst-case scenarios that WCAlloys went through in complying with the Clean Air Act for our operational permit, I would say yes.  Were those imaginations taken into account by anyone in charge of drilling in our waters so deeply?  I don't believe so. If they were, they were quite probably ignored for the sake of expense to the companies involved.  The bottom line was all important in corporate America but what's important now is that the disaster is beyond the scope of whatever they do.

And so we go to the beach, take snapshots of what it was where we can, what it is at this moment and we know that our beaches will one day be clean again. We cheer and applaud the completion and opening of our long awaited home pier, knowing that it will be put to use in ways we never dreamed of when we started: crowding down the length of it, watching and waiting... and praying.  We mere mortals can only clean what we can and hope that Mother Nature will clean the rest.

See ya around the scrapyard.

Sunshine & Sickness

Honoring the dead by supporting the living...

For those that have fallen in service to our country, thank you.  For those serving at this time, thank you.  America can never say it enough, but we can try.

Memorial Day weekend is here!

More often than not, the Memorial Day holiday is planned for with exuberance. Many use this holiday to signify the beginning of the summer season.  Yet this holiday was not always just an excuse for a three day weekend.  In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill which moved the traditional May 30th date for Memorial Day to the last Monday in May.  Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

From Wikipedia - "The Veterans of Foreign Wars stated in a 2002 Memorial Day address: Changing the date merely to create three-day weekends has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt, this has contributed a lot to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."
For more information and ideas about this holiday please visit:

US Memorial Day

One of our oldest veterans who frequents our recycling facility asked me to pass this along.  He and Veterans around the country are asking people to back off on the fireworks on Memorial Day, as it's not the 4th of July, it's a day for remembering our servicemen & women's selfless service and sacrifice to our country and maintaining our own beloved freedoms. We will be closed at the scrapyard on this Memorial Day.  We will be keeping the United States Veteran in mind throughout the day, most especially observing the national moment of remembrance that always takes place at 3 p.m. local time. Please be sure to take a moment out of your barbeque, beach or pool parties to reflect on all our US Forces and what they have freely given to us!

It is
the VETERAN,
not the preacher,
who has given us freedom of religion.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is
the VETERAN,
not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is
the VETERAN who
salutes the Flag,

It is
the VETERAN
who serves
under the Flag,

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD,
AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

We at AwcA are very proud of our men and women in the service and grateful to all those that laid down their lives for our freedoms.

God Bless them all!!!

What goes up and the last word...

Navarre Beach Bridge

A hot and humid day on the scrapyard can only be made worse by the fall of prices in the metals market.  The only things that haven't dropped today are auto wheels and heater cores :(  We at AwcA are tightening our belts a notch further to keep your prices as high as we can, so gather that scrap metal and get it down to us as soon as you can.  And if you happen to have a crystal ball that lets you see metal prices in the future, can you bring it down also?

Once again, I must thank our US Forces for all that they do.  In this video, Ollie North tells the story of the navy corpsman that saves the Iraqi soldier and gets belittled by the idiot newsman.  Or does he?

The American Corpsman

Go out and enjoy your time in NW Florida whatever you are doing today.  We can do because they do for us.  God bless the U.S.A.!

See ya around the scrapyard!

Happy Armed Forces Day!

From AwcA and our friends at Operation Gratitude: Happy Armed Forces Day! Please join us in celebrating and honoring the troops by sending a deployed service member a "thank you" note via this link on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bjswholesaleclub?v=app_115050645192949, or at their website: http://www.OperationGratitude.com. Your note will be printed out and included in one of the care packages they send to our armed forces...plus BJ's Wholesale Clubs will donate $1 to Operation Gratitude for every letter submitted -- up to $50,000!

This only takes a few moments of your time and will make a lasting impression on those who volunteer to lay their lives on the line for us all.  It couldn't be easier to put a smile on a soldier's face and you will feel great knowing you've done something concrete to show them your support!

Finishing up our work on the recycling center, didn't turn out to be a short day after all.  Have a great weekend enjoying the freedoms our armed services protect for us y'all!

New season, new life...

Good morning Gulf Coast!  It is another beautiful day in paradise and we are savoring what we have even as we continue to pray for Divine Intervention out in the Gulf.  I have seen some unbelievable images from one of the vessels that are out at the site of the spill daily, some I will never forget :(  But so far the bulk of the disaster hasn't really arrived on Florida shores.  Thank you Lord.  Our favorite site for truth in this oil saga is http://www.skytruth.org, we check it and the articles on the right side, daily.  If I am not mistaken, today is the 26th day of this watching and waiting trauma.

I am happy for those of you that are going out to the barnyard daily and finding new chicks, foals or other assorted life.  I am missing the joy of photographing many of your new arrivals, but work on the scrapyard must take priority.  However, while I work I give thanks that I don't have any new arrivals at the recycling center!  You see, Mr. Wonderful and I have donated to the animal rescue out west that was instrumental in starting the Feral Freedom Program.  This is a network of groups around the country that go to where feral cat colonies exist, trap the cats and take them to vets who give them a thorough checkup and fix each cat so that it can never again reproduce.  Then the fixed cats, usually missing the tip of one ear for identification purposes, are released back out to wherever they were picked up from.  We believe in this and have the feral colony on the yard to prove it.  The colony that lives on the yard is tiny, 10 felines, compared to the hundreds in a colony in north Georgia!  I don't know that they have fixed all those yet, but ours are all taken care of.  Thank goodness!

Today's the short day on the yard, bring your recyclables on down to us for your play money for the weekend!  See ya around the scrapyard!

Deposit your butt in the appropriate receptacle please...

Words to the wise

A beautiful day on the Gulf

May 7, 2010

Good Cinco de Mayo to you

Irony abounds...

Lady in Yellow...

Earth Day 2010

It's not easy, being green...

Why do Peter, Paul & Mary get different prices for their scrap?

Pulling the wool...

Get paid more and congrats to a junker...

Horse of a different color...

A sad day...

The weather is crisp and cold here today.  The sun is shining but doing little to warm the cold north wind that cuts through you out on the yard.  It is a day for reflection here...

A bright young man that has been in our lives since we were just WCAlloys is to be laid to rest today.  Adam Emel was a smiling student, a charming gentleman and always had a helping hand ready to be offered to any who needed it.  At first a friend of our children, Adam quickly won his way into our hearts with his endearing smile.  He became best friends with one of our furnace operators and became a fixture in our lives. Seen here, Adam busted his butt helping out when things were slamming in our industry.  Moving on years later, Adam continued to grow into the strong young man he was destined to be, if only for a short time.  He was working on his higher education while at the same time working a job and having fun with his friends.

We will miss you Adam. Our hearts and prayers go out to all the family and friends of yours that you left behind.  And we will keep your memory alive within each and everyone of us that remembers your love of fast cars, fun times and that smile that brought joy to our hearts. Thank you for the lessons learned and the memories Adam. Until we meet again.

Happy Birthday George Washington!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Today has many names including Mardi Gras, Carnival and Winter Festival. We say Happy Mardi Gras!  Today is Fat Tuesday, the final big throwdown before Ash Wednesday. While the parades and parties are putting their all into this last day of revelry, we at AwcA are keeping our fingers crossed for an increase in metals prices.  As prices came up in the beginning of the year we paid you more and more for your scrap metals.

The last three weeks have seen prices on a steady downward spiral. With any luck, they will come up and stabilize today. We are always hopeful for a strong recovery for our nation's economic woes, even while having to tighten our belts again. We continue to pay you the highest prices we can and thank you for continuing to bring your scrap metals to us for recycling!

Whether you have the day off and are attending any parades or you are at work daydreaming of the upcoming weekend, we hope you are warm and content. We at AwcA hope to bring you, once again, higher prices on your material and join you on this day, the last fling before the solemn days of Lent, in hoping this recession will loosen it's grip soon!

Off to eat the last of the King Cake before tomorrow... if you'd like to listen to Mardi Gras music with us today, tune in at: http://www.nola.com/new_nolaradio/index.ssf?content.ssf/2009/01/basin_mardi_gras.xml

New Directions & Old Standards

Soldiers' Song...

I love it when my passions/jobs overlap...

I worked a full contact jousting tournament this weekend.  Many of my images were of the metals involved with this sport, the constant working and reworking of the armor these competitors wear.  While no one had a forge on-site, the discussions were very intriguing!  I look forward to seeing these supporters of metal recycling at work in the future.

The mud is slowly drying out on the yard and we are hard at work processing materials for their next step in the recycling stream.  We are paying more for your materials and look forward to seeing you bringing in copper, cans, aluminum etc. to sell to us.  Don't make the drive all the way out to Pensacola or Ft. Walton, give us a chance to help you recycle with less of your time taken in travel. We are your community recycling facility, come on down!

Back outside in the sunshine, I'll be prepping copper today.  See ya!

Working in the Swamp

Children Reach Out to Recycle...

Brrrr!

We're having a heatwave, a tropical heatwave...

2010, the Year of Going Green

Out with the old, in with the new.

A Belated Merry Christmas to you...

The American Indian of the 70's Commercial thanks you...

Working in the wet, winter weather...

Another soggy, cold day on the scrapyard.  Winter weather is here, even though technically
the official start of winter isn't until December 21st.  This week we had a high temp of
79 degrees one day and 57 the next.  Layering is the only way to survive...

Dreary and gloomy, the yard and Hwy. 98 are wet, intensifying the grey/black colors of the asphalt and the brown bark and green needles of the pine trees. The orange leaves of the turkey oak and the yellow of the kudzu that is trying to gain a hold in the woodlands across the highway are the brightest spot in my day today. When the yard is this cold and muddy, I have to look hard for something to be grateful for!

The metals market has risen somewhat and we are paying much better prices for your metal scrap than this time last year.  Come on in and bring your unwanted scrap, earn a little extra cash for the holidays!

We hope your Christmas preparations are well on their way to completion and that you are warm & dry.  Enjoy your weekend and we'll see you around the yard!

In Remembrance...

On this most notable day, we remember and thank all our military past and present.  For putting themselves in harm's way to serve and protect, these brave men and women deserve much respect from the American people.

My father served along with many other members of my family in the past as well as the present.  I don't think that there is an American family that hasn't been connected to someone in service in the history of our great country. On this day here at the scrapyard, we will honor all the members of the United States Military at 11 am with a moment of silence. It is only a token of what they deserve for offering their all in protecting that which we hold dear.  Freedom comes at a price, always has, always will.

They shall
not grow old as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor
the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We
will remember them...

For more information about the history of this Armistice Day we are proud to provide this link.

See ya around the scrapyard.

Storm coming...

Yes, Ethel, we have a recycling center that pays you cash for your metals...

Enjoy this beautiful day!

Mind your manners...

Hooray for the first day of Autumn - Sept. 22, 2009

Raindrops keep fallin' on my head...

The birthday of our government...time for a tummy tuck and facelift?

Now that the 'Green Czar" has left in disgrace...

I know there are good people in Washington, but...

I tried this years ago but not enough Americans were as disgusted as I the way things were going.  I realize that we are going out on a political limb that I'd rather not do on a business website but consider the recycling symbol.  It seems a sign to me that not all things should be reused before being recycled!

Awaiting the backlash *go ahead, I'm tougher than you know* on the yard, think I'll go do my taxes so I can pay Uncle Sam for the right to do my business in America instead of a foreign country.

Have a great short-week y'all!

Public Service Announcement...

Doin' the Happy Dance...

Oops! Putting the best spin on $$$ down the drain...

American Ingenuity!

If you're gonna do it, please buy American!

What do you use your Recycle Cash for?

Cash for Clunkers

From the top...

The beauty of Earth, wherever you are...

Recycling for dollars...

I know this is Florida, but...

Market Day

Today is Market Day.  Mr. Boss has loaded the truck (with the un-acknowledged assistance of Mrs. Boss) and headed into town to go to the mill.  I always have a feeling of accomplishment on Market Day, seeing the Gaylord boxes and UBC trailer full to bursting with materials we have purchased from the community and prepared.  As soon as Mr. Boss got underway, the sun came out from behind the clouds, if that isn't a sign we are doing the right thing...

I ran the reports this morning and was thrilled with the fact that we have, with the help of our environmentally concerned community, recycled more than 16,000 lbs. of aluminum cans in the last 6 months!  Yeah!  When I told Mr. Wonderful how much we had recycled so far, he gave me a blank stare. "What are you excited about?" he asked me.  "We used to ship an average of 42,000 lbs. every six weeks."  Well I didn't let that dampen my spirits, in the metal industry that's like comparing apples to oranges.  Different grades of aluminum altogether.  Seeing my blissful smile, he left the office, shaking his head at the smallest things that make me happy.

I hope that y'all have something that gives you a reason to smile today.  Even the tiniest inward smile makes your heart beat stronger, healthier and happier.  A wise man once said, take your happiness where it comes, and in today's world it has never been more necessary!

Enjoy your summer y'all!
 

Sad Days...

Mother Nature has Her way with me

Humans are their own worst enemies...

Twisted & Flipping...

Jury Duty

Hurricane Season almost here!

The American Flag...

Big Game Hunter...

I said I wouldn't say this...

The highlight of my week...

Pictures on the kids' page!

I really enjoyed speaking to the girls for Earth Day!  To all of you, Girl Scout Troop 70, you are the greatest!  The future of our planet is going to be better and knowing that you girls are going to be taking care of it makes me feel better!  Thank you for coming to AwcA!

Redundant regulations in our industry are strangling me!  I am doing my level best to work with them, but sometimes feel as though I am fighting a losing battle.  I am sure that I will not always feel this way, but this week has been tough...

Tomorrow I leave the yard again in the capable? hands of my hubby.  I will be at the Escambia County Equestrian Center shooting the spring dressage event for Blue Angel Dressage.  Two days in the covered arena capturing training tests that are the foundation of advanced riding of all equine disciplines should make next week easier.  Beauty is where you find it in this world and I wish beauty for y'all this weekend!

I am excited!

What a beautiful day!

Loss at the yard...

Made in America used to be something to be proud of...

Back to the Yard

I hope the scrapyard is here when I get back!

Happy President's Day!

Sweetheart Deal for cash-strapped Americans!

Seems as though prices have leveled...

When you asked me about your payout...