2
ducks
2 seagulls
4 squirrels
20 robins
15 unidentified birds
I
had taken a trip a few weeks ago. Headed back to some old stomping
grounds, staying in an area I knew fairly well. Was there for
five days.
During
my stay, I went out each day to take some walks and enjoy the
fantastic weather. About a mile away was a local park.
Full
disclosure, I have been to this park before. Many times. As in,
over decades of visits, probably hundreds of times. I’ve gone
there to ride on the bike path. I’ve played tennis on its courts.
Flown kites on some of the fields and enjoyed multiple picnics
on tables and grassy shaded places and a beach area.
It’s
a great park.
What
I couldn’t remember when I first arrived this time was the length
of the bike path. Was it five miles? More? Less? I wasn’t scared
by a five-mile walk, but that distance and investment of time
can be a bit surprising if you think you’re headed out for something
like two miles and forty minutes. So, I looked it up.
Just
shy of three miles in length.
That
was perfect. I made plans to include the complete trek on the
final morning of my visit, before hitting the road to head home.
The
list that started things off covers the wildlife I saw during
my circuit. Got to be honest here, I have no clue if I’m impressed
by it or not. It feels a bit light, especially when signs in multiple
areas remind guests to the park that deer, coyotes and more inhabit
the lands. I did hear several birds that were definitely different
but I couldn’t spot or identify them, and heard two woodpeckers
at work.
The
park has changed since I was first heading out of the nearby neighborhoods
and past its gates. Changed a lot.
Those
tennis courts? Gone. Guess what’s there (and I’m not even going
to finish that with a question mark to ask you, because you’re
wrong, it’s a street hockey court).
Two
things I did enjoy about the path today is that it has been converted.
First, it was always known as a bike path in my younger days.
Now it’s recognized as a more general and all-purpose trail, combing
those on bicycles with folks out for a walk or some jogging. There
are a few benches along the path, with specialized dedication
plates on them.
And
second, the scenic nature of the surroundings has been embraced
in different ways. For one, some markers have been placed to identify
the trees. Some of the ones I remember from my recent loop include:
Red
oak
Redcedar
Red maple
Honeylocust
Gray birch
Black oak
Assorted pine
I
don’t want to pretend there aren’t significant changes—that hockey
area instead of tennis courts has me stumped for answers—but the
reality is the changes are few and many quite subtle. Enhancements
of sorts comes to mind as a description. And that seems a bit
striking in comparison to observations from most of my visits
to the city.
My
high school is no longer a high school. A great pizza place, where
I actually worked for a bit in high school and college, has gone
through a few owners and now sits seemingly vacant. The streets
and stop lights around city hall have been replaced by one way
traffic, speed bumps and roundabouts. And yet, here in this park
remains a trail with almost no changes since I rode it end to
end with friends decades ago.
Almost
forty years ago, I was serving spinach and broccoli pies at a
place that was known for making some of the best in the area.
These days, you rarely see either on a menu (never mind finding
one worth trying).
But
if you’re looking for a nice bike ride or a terrific walk, I can
recommend a place. Honeylocust over here and over there, along
with some black oak. Time it right and there will be lots of ducks
and seagulls, and some nice place to sit for a while. Just don’t
count on spotting any coyote (or finding a broccoli pie).