What I learned from the sidewalk trash

It's a cool and clear morning. There's plenty of water around from the overnight dew and yesterday's rains. Marley and I didn't walk yesterday because of the weather. The day off and the cooler temperatures gave Marley some extra energy today. We walked to the Worcester line and back at a steady clip, as steady as a curious dog's nose will let us proceed.
I've been taking an extra plastic bag so that, along with cleaning up after Marley, I can also pick up a bit of roadside trash. It gets me out of the cycle of my own thoughts as I try to imagine who tossed the trash and why.
According the Centers for Disease Control, Marlboro is, by far, the most popular cigarette brand in the country. (The 2007 report is here.) My unscientific curbside analysis shows something different. About half of all of the cigarette packs that I pick up are Newports, with Marlboro, Parliament, and Camel filtered making up the balance. I rarely see the cheap, generic brands. Holden must be doing pretty well.