Something Stinks in Alpharetta

Lake Windward Drive in Alpharetta is a beautiful road. It starts on Clubhouse Drive and meanders for a mile or so through the Windward subdivision. Flanked on both sides by pines and oaks; deer occasionally dart across the road on their way to the Golf Club of Georgia’s lush fairways. Eventually the road winds past its namesake, “Lake Windward” and ends up at the entrance to Creek View Elementary School. On any given day you will probably see almost as much foot traffic on Lake Windward Drive as you will vehicles. This road is used as the neighborhood biking, jogging, walking trail and many people take advantage of this local gem.

The Homeowners Association recently spent money, a lot of money, beautifying Lake Windward Drive, planting shrubs, mature trees and laying new turf, the landscapers did a wonderful job.

But if you have taken a stroll down this idyllic suburban thoroughfare lately, you will have noticed something else nestled amongst the lush vegetation and well kept sidewalks.  There is no way to put this delicately but the roadside is literally peppered with…well…dog excrement. I am not talking about the odd “pile” here and there; I am talking about “deposits” every couple of feet. It’s downright disgusting. Navigating this road lately is a bit like navigating a minefield.  I can’t even imagine what it is going to be like once the hot Georgia summer gets here. What is wrong with people?  Is it really that difficult to take a bag with you and clean up after your pooch? Oh, and if you do take a bag with you and then actually pick the stuff up, don’t drop the bag there and leave it. You’re not fooling anyone: we all know what is lurking inside that pretty pastel colored plastic bag and it’s not pleasant. A little fairy is not going to magically appear from the woods and whisk it away. Someone is going to have to clean it up and that someone should be you!

Sometimes I walk down Lake Windward Drive in the dark, I may have to resort to wearing night vision goggles so that I can avoid the camouflaged “nuggets” , unfortunately  the “locate and avoid” method that I implement in the daylight hours is completely ineffective once the sun goes down.

It would seem that quite a few dog owners are giving the rest of the responsible dog owners a bad name. And to you folks (you know who you are) who think that our neighborhood streets are your own personal canine cesspool I say “shame on you”.

Ok, so it may not be fun to schlep around a bag of your dog’s poop while you are out for a stroll but it certainly makes for better neighborhood relations and a nicer (sweeter smelling) environment for us all.