Meditation

Three adults and two dogs to the park this morning. We got there early, before 8, and it was amazingly quiet. Only a couple of other dogs at the Nethermead, maybe because it's Monday, maybe because the clocks went forward this weekend, and people are adjusting. B and I did our usual circling the Nethermead, with JJ running back and forth between us. So silent and meditative and restorative, and all those other good things. N and Chewie played with the two sheepdogs who were there. They were amazing - one tiny Australian Terrier and two huge sheepdogs, all bounding and jumping on each other and having a great time. In another 1/2 hour the other 40+ dogs arrived, plus a police helicopter overhead and two large Parks trucks drove along. Still, it was nice to have the moment.

"You can never have too much snow."

So said the young men in the park today, after our not-so-short hiatus. My husband had some surgery, recovered, and is now complaining that his legs have gotten too skinny, so we have started back to walking the dog in the park. I have no such excuse for not going, except that I haven't felt like it. Too cold, too far, insufficient clear walkways, etc. etc. etc. Whine, whine, whine. Today: it's cold, but the sun is shining, and I put on my best mountain hiking boots to prevent slipping and sliding, and off we went. With two dogs. Ours (JJ) and Chewie, my daughter's dog. We ran into her outside, walking Chewie in her pajamas and complaining that it was cold (about 20 F), and took Chewie with us. We've been hearing that park hasn't been plowed, and it pretty much hasn't been. Looks like only car roads have been cleared, and the horse path. The park accomodates horses, not people? Hmmm.

However, the walking paths have been packed down fairly well, so we took the dogs to the Nethermead and let them run loose. On the way, we heard a great rumble of noise. Turned out to be snow-making machines. Snow-making machines? On top of the deepest snow in many years. What on earth was going on? So we stopped to ask. These young men had come south 600 miles to help NYC prepare for our Winter Jam this weekend by adding more snow. "Isn't there enough already?" I asked. Hence our title: "You can never have too much snow." What a different in attitude from mine and most of New Yorkers, who have pretty much had it with the snows of the last month or so. Well, they're from 600 miles north. Clearly Canadian and totally imbued with the niceness that our neighbors to the north seem to be born with. No bitching, moaning or complaining from them!!! I think I'll try it....I'm already smiling more!

Anyway, they seemed to be having a great time, were delighted to answer our questions (obviously NOT from the Parks Dept.) And it was quite beautiful to watch, especially with the sun coming through the snow-making mist.

Other observations: the Lake is almost completely frozen. Swans, geese, ducks, coots, gulls, etc., all cohabiting the small open space quite peacefully. Very crowded. Somewhat reminiscent of Pymatuning Park in Pennsylvania, where the the fish and ducks are so crowded that that they are known for the ducks walking on top of the fish.

We're Back!!

We had a wonderful extended 4th of July weekend in New Hampshire. My kids (who are grown) have been going for years - friends of theirs have a family place on a lake. Their Grandfather bought it about 60 years ago, and it's been in the family. Two branches - 1 gets July, 1 gets August. Every 4th of July, all the kids go up. We've always been invited, and decided to go this year - a perfect respite when the temperature is over 100! It was quite wonderful. 28 overnight guests! Tent city! They have two houses plus two little cabins, plus a nice lawn for tents. Opportunity to compare their lake with Prospect Park Lake! Would make a nice Venn diagram.

1. Theirs is bigger, but not a whole lot. 1/2 mile by 1 mile, more or less.

2. Both have plants growing and taking over the lake. Their's are native, and slower growing than our invasive phragmites. We took a shift pulling them out of their lake - roots were quite firmly in place, but we had a grand time getting cool and covered with mud pulling them out.

3. Clean swimmable, cold water vs. warm, shallow, not-so-clean water in prospect Park Lake.

4. Both have ducks. Only PP has swans and geese and occasional seagulls.

5. Both have fish, but you can catch and eat the New Hampshire fish. Both have very loud bullfrogs. Don't know about New Hampshire turtles.

6. PP Lake has pedal boats. NH has canoes, kayaks, and a few motorboats and party boats. Also a raft with chairs that putt-putts around the lake. Looks weird - like chairs walking on water.

7. Prospect Park has fireworks on land, NH has them around the lake - different lake-house owners put on their own display for the rest of the lake. One guy had a huge display, trying to outdo everyone. Our group had a few largish rockets, but mostly small ones - sparklers and such. They are legal in "Live Free or Die" New Hampshire, though you have to pay and get a permit for a campfire on your property.

8. NH - hardly any trash. No point in mentioning the PP trash situation. It gets pretty bad in summer. However, there are now a few large dumpsters in the park (see photo). Definitely better than the too-few trash cans, p0lus they are probably safe from raccoons.

Today was FIDO's Coffee Bark - usually it's the 1st Saturday of the month, but they moved it one week after, cause of the 4th. Norana and Austin and their new adorable Australian Terrier Chewie joined us. A fine time was had by all. It really feels like a peaceable kingdom - dogs and owners sharing food and liquids, with no barking, fighting, or any of that.