Down by the River

Several blocks from where I live, there is a little park, built near a river.  The property is prone to flooding some years, so it is unsuitable for building.

April 7, 2017 river floods the park

I used to take my son to the park down by the river when he was a toddler and preschooler.  The park had a couple of ball fields where the YMCA used to hold its T Ball classes.  Soccer teams would occasionally play there.  There was a picnic table or two, a basketball court, and an inadequate playground.

The years passed.

My son grew, and we didn't go to the park anymore.  The basketball court aged and cracked, and was demolished.  The playground was redone and modernized, too late for my son.  The picnic tables were removed, but then a small picnic pavilion was built.   The ballfields were abandoned.  It didn't seem like the grass was mowed that often, but fishermen and women came to the banks of the river and fished.

My son left home.

I no longer used the park except for some sunset watching.

The river remained.

Then came 2020 and the pandemic.  I started working from home and every day at lunch, spouse (retired) and I would take a neighborhood walk on my lunchtime. One day this spring, we saw activity at the park.  Heavy equipment seemed to be digging - a road? A path?

July 4, 2020

What town workers were doing was building a walking path around the circumference of the park.  Not only that, but, at several points by the river, benches were put in, so people could sit and watch the river.

The grass is being mowed. Strangely, although this is a town park, there was no mention of the work on the town website.  No matter.

Now, we go there almost every evening, perhaps to walk the path, perhaps to admire wildflowers, perhaps to watch the sunset.  

Now, it looks like the ball field is being redone.  Right now it looks kind of lonely.  No one at the playground, but families are starting to come down here in the evening to let their children run.

The Canada geese have found the path.  We may have company on our walks after all.

What other adventures will we have in the park now?  Only time will reveal what else will happen, down by the river.

Thank you, whoever (whomever?)'s idea this was.