This evening found me and Molly at the bark park once again. Mr. Ether is the official Bark Park Guy™, but he was busy making supper. (If you remember, when last I went to the bark park he was painting the bathroom ... I think he's feeling guilty about the
Farrah Fawcett affair.) Luckily I thought to bring a camera, because it was a beautiful evening ...
There are two bark parks that we go to. One -- Warner Park -- is next to a big lake and is more of a wetlands habitat. The other -- Sycamore -- is built on an old landfill with a hill in the middle, and it is more of a prairie. Tonight we went to Sycamore, arriving just before sunset. Standing on the top of the hill at sunset, it feels sacred and mysterious: Stonehenge of the Midwest. And then a slobbering bull dog runs up and steals your tennis ball.
I really like Sycamore, even though it
is built on a pile of garbage, and is surrounded by the kind of nameless suburban sprawl that I've grown to hate. What's cool about the neighborhood though -- ugly as it is -- is that in the last 5-10 years it had some of the more affordable houses in town. When I used to teach at the school out there, a number of our Hmong families were able to buy houses in the area as they became a little bit better off. And indeed tonight, I noticed a number of Hmong families in the park shelter and on the playground. It was all very peaceful and sweet: the sunset in one direction, the moonrise in the other, sounds of children and dogs playing, crickets chirping ...
And then there was Molly, and her ball. "Boundless Joy" is the phrase that often comes to my mind as I watch Molly at the bark park.
How does she fit that ridiculous tongue back into her mouth?
There are two bark parks that we go to. One -- Warner Park -- is next to a big lake and is more of a wetlands habitat. The other -- Sycamore -- is built on an old landfill with a hill in the middle, and it is more of a prairie. Tonight we went to Sycamore, arriving just before sunset. Standing on the top of the hill at sunset, it feels sacred and mysterious: Stonehenge of the Midwest. And then a slobbering bull dog runs up and steals your tennis ball.
I really like Sycamore, even though it is built on a pile of garbage, and is surrounded by the kind of nameless suburban sprawl that I've grown to hate. What's cool about the neighborhood though -- ugly as it is -- is that in the last 5-10 years it had some of the more affordable houses in town. When I used to teach at the school out there, a number of our Hmong families were able to buy houses in the area as they became a little bit better off. And indeed tonight, I noticed a number of Hmong families in the park shelter and on the playground. It was all very peaceful and sweet: the sunset in one direction, the moonrise in the other, sounds of children and dogs playing, crickets chirping ...
And then there was Molly, and her ball. "Boundless Joy" is the phrase that often comes to my mind as I watch Molly at the bark park.
How does she fit that ridiculous tongue back into her mouth?
5 comments:
I also think that Sycamore attracts a friendlier group of dog owners. I suspect that has something to do with the fact that Warner borders on Maple Bluff and you get these people who own dogs as fashion accessories. (Note to non-Madisonian readers: Maple Bluff is a tax haven for ultra rich folks, including the governor. We're talking mansions and castles. Seriously.) You do tend to get more interesting wildlife action at Warner, though.
Molly's tongue? She has one of those roll-up window shade mechanisms at the back of her throat. Take a look.
Nice photos.
Like a woodpecker, eh? What can someone do with a tongue like that? (she says, stroking her chin thoughtfully.)
Arf!
I think it is amazingly inspiring that they can create such beauty where garbage has been. It reminds me of Butchart Gardens on the island, it used to be a gravel pic and now it is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Thank you for this Suzy!
A little Gene Simmons in the gene pool there?
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