Finally, sunshine!!

For the past 3 days JJ has absolutely refused to go to the park in the rain., though we did go the 3 days before, just didn't write anything,. Finally, some sunshine! Saw Tony, who is better than us, and didn't let the rain stop him. Of course, he drives to the park, doesn't walk a mile. Just saying.

The lake is even more over its banks than it was after Irene. We saw Martin, from the Prospect Alliance, who says there is no water going in, and the drain has been on full blast for some time. He cleans the drain every day, and was happy to have a sunny day today to do it.

All the water is taking its toll on the park's trees. A lot of them have fallen down, and one is barely being held up by a stump that someone attached. Hopefully the soil will drain and the roots will re-establish themselves.

HUGE elegant stinkhorn crop all over the park - the nicest part of all this rain.

Quite a few "do not enter" places in the park, where there are downed trees. Of course, it's Brooklynites who visit the park, and we couldn't help but notice people completely disregarding every sign. Hey, it's "The People's Republic of Brooklyn" here - we don't like following directions - like the famous Brooklyn U turn that is so common. Actually, I think we have just re-interpreted traffic laws. If there's no "No U-turn" sign, then the u-turn must be legal. Lately, I notice that drivers wait for the light to go red, then do the turn through the intersection, from the right lane. Breaking 3 laws at once!!

Elegant Stinkhorns, continued

Well, now they have the gray/black caps and look like they're being eaten. The caps contain the new spores. Bugs eat it and spread the spores to new locations, so that we'll see them again. Next year? Next week? Next rainstorm? No idea. Unlike seeds, spores are quite unpredictable about how long they stay active, when they grow, etc. They haven't been studied as much as seeds have been studied, and they are more varied. A mushroom aficionado named Terence McCenna (sp?) spent years trying to figure out what the necessary conditions were - water? pressure? heat? - and gave up. Apparently each species is different. So, Mary, maybe we'll get a lot more when/if the hurricane hits and maybe we won't. Will definitely keep an eye out. I feel sure, with almost no factual basis whatsoever, that the glorious biggest-one-day-rain in history got water down to deep spores and encouraged this magnificent growth that we're now seeing.

Cooler morning, lots of exercisers out, taking advantage. Geese looked like they were playing baseball in the Parade Ground. Also, a great soccer game going on. Usually, there are some pick-up soccer games going on, using half a field each and little portable goals. Today there was one game on the whole field,with uniformed players and some great kicking going on. Also head hits, chest hits, etc.

Fishing line hanging from a tree into the water, near the beach where the Swan family now resides. We were concerned about their getting caught, but saw Martin from the Prospect Alliance and told him about it. Next thing, he's out in his boat, waving the line at me! Well, I think - we'll check tomorrow, since there were several lines, only one hanging into the water to be dangerous.

Gorgeous, gorgeous day!!

This is undoubtedly becoming the most boring title EVER, but I can't help it. Love these days when it's not too hot or cold, not too humid, the sun is shining, birds are swimming and flying and swooping all over, and the park is actually clean. Well, it was a disaster last weekend, so now, after a week of seeing the official cleaners, the Community Service workers, lots of volunteers, and the odd singleton like myself picking up trash, PP looks great. The water is even clear, and Martin (from PP Alliance) was off to get the Police Barricades and other inappropriate things out of the lake, now that he can actually see them. Of course it's Friday, and the picnickers and BBQers will be out in force this weekend - we'll see what Monday looks like.

Not only did I miss the beautiful geese yesterday, I missed the WINS reporter. Hubby and daughter didn't, and here they are on the radio: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/06/03/pig-sty-in-prospect-park-residents-say-yes/. My, what a well spoken pair of people!! Even in the itty-bitty soundbite that WINS put on!!!

Basically, it was swan day for me. The new family was all around in the Lullwater near the Audubon Bridge, and I think I got some nice pictures. The singletons are at the Eastern end of the Lake (which I call the beach) just feeding and dipping and having a fine old time. I didn't notice geese, but will keep an eye out from now on. The family born near the Dog Beach in PP has moved or disappeared, and folks are worried. They were wondering if the family that N photoed yesterday is them (with only 1 gosling left) or another family altogether. I am clueless, but will keep counting and reporting.

Only 5 crack bags on Lookout Hill today, 17 the other day. And yes, I do pick them up to avoid double counting. And to keep the place looking a little nicer.

Martin says that this is the sixth year in a row that the geese have used that Dog Beach nest. I hope it continues. I saw him the other day to apologize to him. A few weeks ago we were talking about the addling, and he said he would never addle swan eggs. I didn't actually believe him. Not just him - with most people I need a little proof before I believe things. Anyway, since there are cygnets I felt the need to apologize. He was not offended (or at least didn't seem so) but is upset about other things being said. That Brooklyn paper video in particular. I think I had commented that he just showed the reporter pre-addled eggs and didn't addle any new ones. But people have accused him of "late addling" and "incorrect addling" because of it. Did they not see the video? Did they not understand the video? Did they not care about reality and the truth? It's a shame. He was NOT the one who called in the geese-murderers last year, and he is trying to take care of the lake. We don't always agree, but he has done a hell of a lot of positive things and should be given credit for them.

One last depressing note: Looks like Candleman has moved on. No candles for quite a while now, and there is a dried up pile of what looks like human poop in what was his ceremonial space. Candleman: I am thinking of you and hope that your hopes come true.

Latest geese report

Beautiful sunny day in the park actually it's been gorgeous for a few days, since we managed to miss the rain and thunder. JJ has her new summer cut - I am posting before and after pictures. She now has a velvety smooth coat and is much friskier. Less fur to carry plus she stays cooler. Met a woman who has had Border Collies or at least part Border Collies. Border collies get out a lot, and there are a lot of "parts" out there. Anyway, she says Border Collies are generally hardy and quite long-lived. this is a relief to hear. JJ is now 9. Our previous dog, Lucy, a Golden retriever, only lived to be 11. I know that big dogs don't live as long as small ones, so we were getting sad in anticipation. She said the longest lived dog in the world was a Border Collie who lived to be 27! Wouldn't that be grand!

Anyway, to get back to spring in the park...Sprucing up the cruising boat outside the Boat House. Port-a-john still topped over, lots of ducks, turtles out sunning everywhere (how silly of me to have worried!), 3 cygnets in sight, only 1 lone goose that I could see. HOWEVER, I did see Martin from Prospect Alliance about to go out in a boat, and had a chat with him.

First, the good news: the swan parents are nesting at the other end of the lake - not the same nest as last year, but a new one. They are doing fine. He says there are about 30 geese at the lake, all nesting.

The bad news: He has addled all the goose eggs he has found. He says he hasn't done anything to the swan eggs. We had a warm (less than heated, but with some passion) discussion about this. We agreed that killing all the geese last year was bad, and that it was not the Parks Dept. who decided to kill. That's the baseline of agreement. He says they are addling the geese eggs because they don't want any resident geese in the park, since that would eventually lead to an overcrowded situation and inspire someone (mayor? Feds?) to come and commit genocide again. Migrating geese passing through would be fine. I said that I thought wildlife was important, and that wildlife management meant keeping a small (50-100?) resident population of geese in the Park. And Martin, should you happen to read this, please feel free to comment and correct if I have misstated your position.

Anyway, the Brooklyn paper has an article and a video of one of their reporters following Martin to addle the eggs. Well, they don't actually addle the eggs, they just go and visit a pre-addled nest, and you get to see how upset and protective the father goose is. The reporter was totally gleeful about the whole thing, while I was not. Very disturbing that anyone can be so happy about killing wildlife and potential wildlife. Here's a link:http://www.brooklynpaper.com/stories/34/18/web_gooseaddlevid_2011_5_6_bk.html

Martin has not seen the 4th cygnet, the one that I think is male. No sign of him, living or not. It is quite likely that he has flown elsewhere, maybe to Gateway or another swan habitat. Let's hope.

My husband, who does try to get me out of my dark, angry moods, pointed out how nice it was to see the migrating geese this year, that it would be a nice cyclical thing by which to measure the seasons, etc. Hmph!

Rally for the Geese today

I'm off to City Hall for a 12:00 noon rally to support the humane treatment of geese. More blog on today's park excursion when I get back.

It was a great rally! Probably around 200 people - I kept trying to cont them, but they kept on moving. Plus, there was a permanently changing set of onlookers from the street, about 20 at all times. they couldn't hear us - Bloomberg denied the permit to use a mike (How to Silence Criticism 101). But the posters, t-shirts, and banners were very clear and visible - see photos - including a fantastic life-size stuffed goose with gasmask. Several politicians are taking up the cause. In addition to Eric Adams, who was at the mourning vigil, Letitia James and another gentleman whose name, I'm sorry to say, escapes me.

A group called In Defense of Animals sponsored the thing, and many other people from other groups were there and active. This geese extermination has become a national issue. It seems that geese are overpopulating many areas. This being America, the first reaction is "Kill them." Hey, we are the founders of the John Wayne School of Diplomacy (Send in the Marines!!) They plan to kill 170,000 in NY State alone, and many more along the Eastern seaboard.

Hopefully, there is now an awareness that people in general do not like mass murder of innocent animals, and, more importantly, there are other methods to control the numbers. At least, that was the feeling at the rally - that this is the start of a more humane way to deal with the problem of too many animals. There was that nice video on youtube about Seattle's humane way of dealing with their geese, and the moratorium on extermination that they currently have.

You'd think, in New York City, the greatest city in the world (objectively speaking, from a New Yorker), we can do better than sneaking in at 4 AM, collecting them, gassing them, then lying about it.

Speaking of a better way: Here's a small step that has happened in the park. The Prospect Alliance is putting up "Do Not Feed the Wildlife" signs. I saw 6 today, at the popular feeding areas, and near a fishing area.

On a personal note: I was biking today, and ran into Martin from Prospect Alliance, who told me about it. I have taken to biking as an extended rehab for my leg, now that the official rehab is over. I was an incredible cyclist when young, but not so much today. Biking, saw Martin in his Jeep, waved, called out, came to a stop near the car, fell over. No damage, just incredibly embarrassing and humiliating. Did 8 miles, worked on my turning and stopping skills, had a great time having JJ chase me on my bike around the Nethermead.

Weirder and weirder in the park

so now there's a goose running around with an arrow in it's neck. We didn't see it, but others did, and there was a news item on Channel 12. Supposedly on channel 11 too, but I missed it. It looks to be a cross-bow arrow. Who the hell is shooting a crossbow at the geese in the park? (The resistance? - see yesterday's comments about geese.) And who is that good an aim. It is dead center the neck. We heard that Martin from Prospect Alliance was trying to catch it and take it somewhere to be tended to, but had no luck catching the goose with a net. I am so sorry I didn't see that chase, but we only spent a short time in the park - leg acting up and we wanted to go to Ellis Island that day. Which we did. Beautiful weather, huge crowds, got a little teary thinking of my 4 grandparents coming over as young people to a completely unknown place.

more about the "floating island."

These are some of the still pictures we took. The video part of my camera uses a lot of power, so I switched to still shots so as not to run out of picture space. So, the weed whacker (Lake Mess Monster) pulled the island as close as it could to shore, then the people tried to haul it in. It was very, very heavy. The rope was tied to a tree trunk on the island, which must have been deeply rooted, since it stayed in place.

As the island came close, we could see that there was a dock underneath. We speculated as to how old it was - I'm guessing 30 or 40 years. I wonder if there's some dusty old archives room at the Parks dept where we could find out. I imagine it was for rowboats or fishing off of. The styrofoam supporting it was still in place, though large bits were breaking off. It was about a foot thick. Some of the Alliance workers broke off big chunks of the styrofoam to cart them away, so they wouldn't get ground into little bits and pollute the lake.

They chained the island (by it's thick tree trunk)to the bulldozer to be pulled out. The official name of the big yellow machine may be something else, but I'm calling it a bulldozer. There was some concern about its brakes, so the dumpster truck was chained to it, to make sure that the bulldozer didn't end up in the lake. The lake is not deep, but the bottom consists of several feet of mud and muck. It would be an unbelievably hard job to get the dozer out if it slipped in. At first, everything went well. The island was pulled about 1/2way onto shore, and the bulldozer's operator used his shovel to break it up. Then it grabbed the stuff in big chunks and put it over into the dumpster. the work went very quickly - the operator of the dozer seemed incredibly good at his job.

The problem came when they got to the second half of the island It was still in the water, and there wasn't such a solid tree trunk to grab on to. The crew tried several ways to get a grip on it and drag it out. Each idea involved retying the ropes and chains in a different way. By the 2nd or 3rd try, it was after 11, JJ was getting restless, and we still hadn't had breakfast, so we decided to head on home and let them work it out without our input and photography.

And they did. This morning, there was absolutely no sign of the "floating island" except for a few broken bits of phragmites on the shoreline and a few (not too many) styrofoam beads.

I'm still excited about getting to see this operation. What new treats will my park bring to us next?

Floating island...NOT!

So today I told Ber that we had to see something new in the park, as I am getting tired of reporting on trash, trash, and more trash, in between beautiful scenery and lots and lots of geese. there we were in a corner of the Peninsula meadow, checking out a dead raccoon (This one had been for quite a while and was rather rotted away. We saw Tony who said that every dog in the park knew about that one. Don't know how we missed it, and it did stink.), anyway, checking out the dead raccoon, when I heard a noise in the water, looked up, and saw the Lake Mess Monster coming 'round the bend, pulling an island!!! Got some great little videos of the moving island. It had trees and grass and flowers on it. The boat pulled the island to shore - it turns out to be an overgrown dock! Many years ago there must have been a nice little dock on the lakeside - styrofoam underpinnings, etc., but it has long since been overgrown with trees, phragmites, and tons of stuff - blankets, cans, clothing, etc., homeless people must have been living there for years, probably until it burned a few months ago. Martin (from Prospect Alliance) said he had pulled out out from the phragmite area that we'd worked on on Park Clean-up Day, and stuck it in a corner of the lake until he could figure out how to get rid of it.

So today, here it was, and so were a bulldozer, truck, dumpster, and about half a dozen people. What a job getting it out of the water, broken up, and into the dumpster! We took lots of pictures and will post the best ones. It was really exciting watching a complicated operation such as this one - getting the thing out without having it come apart into many pieces and not letting the machinery roll into the lake, where it would have been stuck in the muck. They tried not to let too much of the styrofoam into the water.

I'm posting the videos today, and will put up still pictures tomorrow. The first video ( if I have my ducks in order) is the early view of the floating island being pulled by the weed whacker (Lake Mess Monster's other name). The second is getting it close to shore. The third is the human effort to land it at the boat launch site near the wellhouse.

We certainly saw something new!!!!!!!!!