Bay Trail Alphabet

Bay Trail Alphabet
Walking the Bay Trail, I started noticing little numbers, letters, hand-scrawled signs, all sorts of written communications along the way, in addition to a variety of lost or discarded objects.

I'm not the first one to capture a series of letters and numbers on film or memory card, and I'm sure I won't be the last. I think we gravitate toward signs and symbols, maps, and other guideposts in life. Sometimes what we see makes sense, other times not.

I couldn't help but think that one day, these markings and objects might be excavated by some team in the distant future; and perhaps they will ponder over the meanings of such items.

I may put together a Bay Trail Alphabet Book, based on objects found on the Trail. I initially thought there might be two different alphabets -- one for more hard-bitten, urban "developed" areas, and one for more rural areas. So, in the interest of balance, I worked on both, and both lists are shown below.

Urban Bay Trail Alphabet

(based on objects spotted)

A - Apple Core

B - Broken glass, Bottle cap, Bolt, Bead

C - Cardboard box, Couch, Chair, CD, Cigarette butts

D - Drink cup, Dog waste

E - Electrical cord, Envelope

F - French fries

G - Glove, Graffiti

H - Hubcap

I - Indian statue, Ice chest

J - Jewelry (broken bracelet); juice box

K - Key

L - Latex glove

M - Map

N - Nail, Nut

O - Onion ring

P - Pencil, Pen, Penny

Q - Q-Tip

R - Rubber glove

S - Screw, Screwdriver, Syringe, Shoe, Sock, Spray paint, Shotgun shell, Sticker

T - Toothbrush, Tire, Transformer

U - Umbrella

V - Vanity mirror

W - Wrench, Wingnut, Wrapper

X - "X" (roman numeral 10)

Y - Yellow (do not enter/crime scene) tape

Z - Zebra head sign

Rural Bay Trail Alphabet

(based on objects spotted)

A - Acorn

B - Bay leaf, Beer bottle, Banana peel, Barbed wire, Bicycle parts, Bead

C - Couch, Chair, CD, Caribiner, Cow, Cigarette butts, Corn

D - Deer, Dog waste (poop)

E - Electrical cord

F - Fence post, Frog, Fox
G - Gardening Gloves, Glass, Gu packet, Goat, Graffiti

H - Hubcap, Hammer, Hearing Aide (broken)

I - Ice chest

J - Jam lid

K - Key

L - Lizard

M - Mouse

N - Nut shells, NRA sticker

O - Owl, Onion, Orchid (artificial)

P - Pool chalk

Q - Quail

R - Rubber spider

S - Snake, Sunglasses, Skunk, Scissors (old)

T - Tire, Turkey, Transformer, Tractor, Turkey vulture, Television

U - Undershirt

V - Volvo logo (from a car)

W - Wrench, Wingnut, Washer

X - 

Y - Yellow (crime scene) tape

Z -

Conclusions So Far: 

• There aren't that many differences between these two lists. 
• I've not found any rural areas without letters, numbers, signs, and objects left behind by people
• While there are signs about disappearing species of mice and birds; other man-made items, such as broken beer bottles, are still thriving in the Bay Area.
• Small signs, hand-written notes, and stencil art are little communications I see when walking that I would miss in a car.