Goose still on the loose

As of this morning, the goose with the arrow in its neck has still not been caught. Well, there seem to be at least five separate flocks of geese on the Lake, plenty of groups to hide in and places to hide out.

Our dog JJ seems to have made peace with the geese and vice versa. They move a little bit away when she comes to the lake shore, and she doesn't bark at them. No noise, no muss, no fuss. Detente!!!

Meanwhile, the season brings out people who delight in the outdoor gym that it provides. Pictures:

Cayuga is injured

Well, this is really the bad news first. We spotted Cayuga with his entourage, and were glad to see him. but later, when we ran into Anne and Ed, they remarked on how injured he looked, so we went back to see. He has a red pellet looking thing on the side of his head. Could it be some kind of blister? Is it some kind of BB pellet? Are some people taking potshots with their air rifles? Is this what's been killing off the other animals? Cayuga does not look good - bedraggled and thin- and his entourage is being very solicitous. He can't straighten out his neck. Ed tried to give him popcorn, but he couldn't straighten his neck to get it. So he's certainly hungry. Whatever it is, it is possible that the injury will heal and he'll be fine. I certainly hope so. Cayuga is quite well-known at Prospect Park. He is the only duck of his kind living there, and the only black duck, which makes him stand out. He is always mentioned amongst birders, and kids love him because he is so recognizable. It's really sad to think that someone was using him for target practice. We can only hope for the best.

Other, more positive sighting: Filming in the park. They're filming for a forthcoming Smurf movie at the Boathouse. They've turned into a steak restaurant for the filming, and decorated with plastic flowers. I asked if we'd see giant smurfs walking around. No, all CGI. Though the kid (keeping pedestrian and canine traffic out of the filming zone) realized I was not of his generation and said "computer generated." Is there any cartoon or comic not being made into a movie? Whatever happened to originality. These films are all terrible and almost all make tons of money, so I guess there's no real incentive for originality,

Swans still nesting. Papa went after my sneaker. There's a hard-to-see egret behind mama - enlarge the picture and you can sort of see it.

Only two crack bags today on the steps to Lookout Hill. One is a very pretty shade of pink. Fewer users or the result of several very windy days blowing away the things? Probably the latter. No cans or bottles. We are not the only ones picking up trash. Hallelujah!!

Not directly park related, but instead of coming back and cooking breakfast, we went to our friend Nona's yard, which is a jungle of roses, with breakfast sandwiches for all 3 of us from the fabulous John's Bakery on Cortelyou. Breakfast in the Rose Garden!!! A fantastic way to honor our 36th Anniversary, which is today.

Swan vs. dog vs. swan

Another beautiful day. We met up with a friend and dog, but, alas, they got there at 9:02 and couldn't let Summer (the dog) loose. We had been running JJ back and forth across the Peninsula Meadow for 1/2 hour, so she was exhausted, mellow, even tempered, all that good stuff. Summer was still high energy and wanted to after the swans. Lots of luck. I know for a fact that swans are not the serene, dignified creatures that they seem - at least not all the time. Swans have broken people's legs with their beaks when attacked. Anyway, they had a great barking/hissing contest. Another park visitor got upset, so we called a truce. But I think they both held their own beautifully. There's a picture of the swans sleeping in the sun, enjoying the day, when we first arrived at about 8:00. Enjoy the video! It's the first one I've put up, and I hope to improve my skills. Still trying to get the swans flying in for a pontoon landing.

Trash update

There are numerous pictures of piles of unsightly trash that we saw today. We learned it is the racoons who tip over the trash cans and break into bags that are waiting to be picked up. Several people in the park doing pick up - we'll register to volunteer and do the same, rather than just pick up a small bag every day. You get to use one of those cool trash grabbers! I want one of my own.

The can/candle thing was gone today, replaced by a clean pack of Bambu rolling papers, which I did clean up.

The guy on his back? He'd do an abdominal crunch and toss the ball at the same time, then keep on crunching until the dog brought the ball back. Repeat. They had quite a coordinated rhythm going.

Spring has Sprung!!

Gorgeous day and the first day of spring. It seemed like half of Brooklyn was out in the Park today. The road was so full of cyclists, runners, walkers, skaters, etc., that we kept to the woods. Since it was Saturday, we went all the way across to the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket for our fabulous bacon and a couple of foccacios. Daffodils blooming on all the little hillsides. There was a turtle sunning itself on a log in the Lullwater. Three people fishing in different places,. They catch and release, but I hear rumors that there early morning fishers who keep and eat. Not Recommended!! Assorted horse-back riders. Dogs galore in all 3 meadows. There was a triathlon being held. Ber and I speculated as to what the third sport might be, since there is no swimming anywhere in Prospect Park. Traffic dodging? Taxi-hailing? Getting through yellow lights before they change? I finally asked one runner - a fairly slow one, I didn't want to interfere with anyone's winning time. Run, bike, run. Doesn't sound like three sports to me, but I guess they have to make do.

Since I am still suffering from the fall (bruised butt and strained hamstring), I was quite slow, and the c. 4 miles that we walked took its toll. Why does walking slowly with some sore muscles make you so much more tired than brisk movement? Makes no sense to me. But we did come back later than usual. Interesting to see what happens after 9 when the dogs go home. Long Meadow had several pick-up ball games - baseball and soccer. These aren't official fields, just a big, long (as the name indicates) meadow. Nethermead had a huge frisbee game going on. This is not just throwing frisbees, but looks to be a frisbee soccer game. Is this a new sport? Is it or will it be in the Olympics any time soon? Looked like fun, and was being played by men and women - no gender separation. Always a nice thing to see. Peninsula meadow became a huge green tot lot - at least a dozen parents with children, strollers, some balls and such, all engaging in that free play that is supposedly dying out across America. And I realized we no longer have to be concerned about the water-fowl going hungry. The lake was lined with family groups on blankets, tossing bread, crackers, apples, cereal, everything.

Looked like Paradise, but unfortunately there is some trouble in Paradise. Thursday or Friday morning there was a huge pile of animal intestines by the side of the lake. Someone sent me a picture of it, but I haven't figured out how to get it here yet. Parks Dept. was notified and sent someone to clean it up. There were things in the lake too, which turned out to be a bunch of chicken heads. Doesn't bode well for the cleanliness of the lake! Not that children go in much, but they put teir hands in, and dogs go in to swim, and of course water fowl and turtles live there. The thought of the bacteria that might live there is a little scary.

You wonder the Parks Dept. doesn't monitor these things more closely, especially since there are fines of $1000 and up for this kind of dumping - might help the city close the budget gap!

Another beautiful spring day!! Crocuses and hyacinths are blooming everywhere, and I saw my first daffodils of the season - so bright and cheery!! Hobbled to and around the park; figured it's best to keep moving, and the epsom salts bath last night helped. Skipped the steps, though. Last week at yoga I could forward fold and put my hands under my feet. Now I can barely reach my knees. Well, enough about my health issues. The second duck egg was broken open, and the yolk still inside. No signs of a third egg. Either mom has quit altogether or found a better hiding place. The turtles have found a better place to congregate, and are keeping out of the burned phragmite stand. Of course, we don't know if these are the same turtles. Ed tells us that he told the head of FIDO and a person at the Sean Casey Animal Shelter about the turtle rescue. The Sean Casey told him that 1) the turtles were hibernating [nonsense in this weather and location], and 2)came and took 3 turtles away for study. Since all the park animals are owned by N.Y. State, it is a crime to take them away - punishable by about a $4,000 fine. I do not believe this fine has been levied in living memory.

It is hard to figure what is happening in Prospect Park. The trash seems to get worse and worse (I am on a hiatus from collecting until the leg is better and I can bend down.) The police presence seems nil, except for the dog runs at 9:00 to make sure all dogs are put back on leash. The dog people, all come with their bags and are scrupulous about picking up after their dogs, so as not to lose the off-leash privilege. Apparently at Brooklyn Bridge Park, a relatively new and small park, is going to get 7 -8 full-time security people. Could it be because it is surrounded by the new multi-million dollar lofts now in the 19th century warehouses? Also, the Parks officials don't give straight answers. The phragmite fire is an example. According to one park ranger and the man in the bodega closest to that bit of the park, it was a huge fire, tons of smoke, and many fire engines came. The official park explanation, according to Ann Wong, was that it was a small fire that went out all by itself. Ignorant or lying?

No steps, ergo no crack bag count todayl

Teach about ducks, learn about turtles

Another beautiful day, but I was not in the park today - more about that later. Ber and JJ went, and came back with the following reports. The duck egg from yesterday was broken open (see bottom picture). Whether it was an accident or it got eaten, we'll never know. However, another egg was laid today. See second picture - it's sitting right on the middle tree root. (We've since figured out how to use the zoom on Ber's new camera) I think this duck is a little confused- maybe she'll find a more secluded spot soon. Maybe not. It's possible that her instincts tell her to lay the next egg near the last one. Don't think she realizes that she's laying them in the middle of Grand Central Station. As to the learning about turtles, research has been done! Apparently they must swim underwater to get food. So the turtle setting atop the phragmites (in yesterday's photos) was actually stuck. Anne had tried to go in to move it, but sank in the mud. Ber, wearing his waterproof hiking boots, ventured forth. Ed took charge of JJ and the backpack and Ber set out. He found sufficiently solid mud so that he only sank boot level, and got the turtle. Turtle's head went in, and stayed until quite a while after they put it down on the little boat launch by the lake. All three humans backed off, and eventually turtle's head came out and it was last seen swimming happily away in search of fresh food. Anne says the Park Ranger's exam has a question about this, so it's a very useful fact. Turtles Eat Underwater!! Teach about ducks, learn about turtles.

One crack bag, two condoms - it is not just ducks whose thoughts turn to love in the spring.

So, what happened yesterday was that I was prancing around on the top of Lookout Hill, going after a bit of trash that was off the path, put my foot down on some very uneven ground, twisted my leg and fell down hard. I felt ridiculous plus in great pain. Seemed to have pulled the muscle in the back of my thigh and bruised my backside. And I got very little sympathy. My son, who is normally quite sensitive and caring, said, "Most people your age break a hip when they fall." This is the aging part that I can't get used to. When I was young, I was quite limber and quick, mountain goat-like. In fact, when I backpacked around Europe for a year, I actually lived in an abandoned goat pen for a while. In Greece. Me and some fellow travelers that I had hooked up for a while (that's the 20th century definition of hooked, which didn't include sex) stayed there for a couple of weeks on the Greek island of Ios. Maybe 1/2 mile up from the beach on a twisted, bumpy path. Up means up - the view was spectacular. And never a fall. Fond memories of skipping down the the beach, grabbing a cold shower for a few cents from the lone motel, having coffee and yogurt with the lovely crust for breakfast, then swimming, playing, etc. all day. Another 1/2 mile into the town for dinner and maybe a little grocery shopping, then back up to our mountain shelter and a quiet moonlit night. Hmmmm. Now, I think if I exercise a bit more, do some yoga, and get back into shape, I will be like that again. Maybe not. Oddly enough, today there was an article in the Times on that very subject: Appreciating Your Value As You Age. It's more about plastic surgery and make-up than fitness. Never worried about that. i realized a long time ago that I was cute enough, but never had that kind of beauty that I worried about losing it. As long as I acted younger than my years I was fine. And my hair is now a bright reddish-orange, since gray makes my face look gray. Anyway, I am hobbling around today with a sore butt, and hopefully will be back in form tomorrow.

Photos of downed trees

Duck lays eggs, Turtle returns home.

What a gorgeous spring day, second in a row! We spotted a duck egg in the park. Nice and white, with a waxy, slightly opalescent look. Unfortunately, someone had moved it to a sheltered area, so I don't know if mama will sit on it. I explained what we learned in Troutville, 25 years ago, when we had a farm and raised ducks, chickens, goats, etc. A duck will lay an egg every day or so for several weeks. Then, Mama will sit on them for 21 days (if I remember the number correctly) and hatch them. If they're handled, she might not come back. However, obviously the duck egg laying season has started, and I'm sure there are more clutches better hidden around the lake. The other really neat thing was a large box turtle returned to home in the burnt phragmites. I guess the burnt smell, which has been keeping animals away from that spot, has dissipated. The top 3 pictures are the burnt stand of phragmites.

What I love about Prospect Park, is that it is really a park for everyone. Some people love the wildernessy aspect. When Ber and I want wilderness we go upstate to Adirondack Park, officially "forever wild," and backpack and camp for a few days or a week. We have gone days without seeing a soul. Love it,k but don't need it here. Here in Brooklyn it's just a taste of nature for city folk. For all the city folk. A little respite from city pressures. Bird watchers, fisherpeople, children, ball players, dog owners, barbecuers, and even the crackheads. The trick is that everyone needs to be able to share the space. I fear that if there's too much of one activity, like strewing trash, smoking crack, making things very quiet and meditative, or even fishing, there will be a tipping and the park will only be for some. The Parks department makes some decisions that are hard to understand - like concreting large areas, to keep bbqers in certain areas, but not bothering to keep other areas clean.

A Park workers tells us that there were 45 trees down in the storm. They have started to clear away a few, but of course the downed trees on roads are much more hazardous and must be cleared first. All the swans were out in the middle of the lake today. Three of them flew in formation from one side to the other. I tried to catch it on film, but they never seem to fly like that unless my camera is turned off, and I can't get it on fast enough. I'm not giving up!! There's one of them looking for a nibble.

1 crack bag today, 1 yesterday.

Trash Can Restored! Trees Down!

took the camera to photograph some of the storm's aftermath. Two pictures of downed trees here, more to come . The biggest news to me is that we managed to restore the missing trash can on top of Lookout Hill. Photos tell the story, although I haven't figured out how to move the pictures around so as to have them in order. They seem to upload randomly. Anyway, there's a picture I took the other day of "The Trash can that Wasn't There." Ber and JJ are examining the pile of trash that was heaped at the former site. Today, we walked on the loop that is at the top of Lookout Hill. The tall grasses had been blown down, and lo and behold! there was the missing trashcan! We did our civic duty and returned to its proper location, and even returned the trash to its proper location inside said can. Let's see if it stays that way. Sort of nice to see that it was probably some kids fooling around, and not a deliberate attempt by the Parks Department to trash the natural areas. I have heard this theory from park visitors - if the natural areas are trashed, then the Parks department will have an argument for concreting over more of the park.

I do feel that we are a bit odd and eccentric with this trash pick up business, but that seems to be onlyl in America. Apparently in some other parts of the world it is normal to clean up public spaces. I remember when we were in Hong Kong in 1990 discussing Hong Kong vs. New York with a local resident. He couldn't believe how dirty NYC was, and said he'd be glad to clean the streets himself if he lived there. Then, the other day, Ber met a friend of Ed's in the park, a man from the Ukraine. He loved the park but was amazed at the disrepair and trash. He said in his home town people would have come in to fix things - the local stone mason would have fixed the stones around the lake, people cleaned up after themselves, etc. Many Americans seem to feel that their house is their's, but everywhere else isn't and not worth looking after. I mean, look at McMansions, gated communities, even health care (I've got mine, to hell with you!) When I was at Legal Aid, there were a couple of lawyers with children who couldn't work night arraignments due to child care obligations. I remember a single man saying," Well, I've got a boat, how come I can't leave early to spend time with it?

Wouldn't it be nice to have a better sense of community about the things that are the future of us all? Or is that just my inner 60's youth talking?

crack bag count: just 1, but 2 condom wrappers.