Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Wild Acres Park and Mort Jacobs Park

 
 
Perfect day; feels like spring.
 
 
 
Wild Acres has a paved, fairly level walking trail circling a small fishing pond.
 
 
 
That's about all you can do though.
 
 
 
And they mean it!
 
 
 
Good grief, there are even signs in the bathroom;
but the composting toilet is cool!
 
 
 
Here's an outside view of the composting outhouse.
 
 
 
Awesome bike rack, too!
 
 
 
The pond's edges boasted some vibrant algae and wonderfully decayed stumps.
No wonder it's good fishing.
 
 
 
Nothing beats bubbling green slime!
 
 
 
Here's a long view across the pond and one of several feeder rivulets.

 
 
White and purple together!

 
 
Two watchful geese

 
 
And this goofball

 
 
A duck!

Did you see the second one?
 
 
Ready, set...

 
 
And they're off!

 
And so am I.
 
Next stop was just three blocks away, or about a minute by automobile.
 
 
 
Mort Jacobs was a bit more challenging physically. The park is essentially a wooded glen with two small brooks that join together before flowing into a tunnel.

 
 
The paved trail crosses water a few times before looping around the north side of the glen.

 
 
The main brook comes from due west and is joined from the south.

 
 
The bridges are quirky, like this one made from a dozen or so railroad ties.

 
 
This one is almost Seussian.

 
 
What a nice flowerpot!

 
 
Squirrel!!!

 
 
Prairie dog!
Oh, wait...

 
 
Here's a view from the north side overlooking a couple of picnicking pavilions.
 
 
 
It was a steep climb back to my vehicle at the end.

 
 
One last look back across the wooded glen

 
 

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Laumeier Sculpture Park

 
 
Laumeier is a mainstay for St. Louis park aficionados. I was very fortunate to be driving nearby on this fine spring day and have my camera in the backseat. It's the time of white petals!
 
 
 
There were hundreds of people in the park; walking dogs, pushing strollers, picnicking, flying kites and taking pictures. I snapped this one right as the Angry Bird headed into a nosedive.

 
 
I would have thought these branches dead, if not for the white flowers.

 
 
Arrr, this kite won't fly, says I.

 
 
The Way

 
 
That's me in the pupil's reflection!

 
 
A bit disturbing..

 
 
Spring on the left; still winter on the right.

 
 
A splash of yellow for ya!

 
 
Some purple

 
 
This is a great park for stimulating the imagination.

 
 
Ok, so, what time can we come here and not be surveilled?

 
 
A great spot for photos

 
 
That creek is about to get a lot fuller.  Storm's coming...

 
 
And then I came to this.

 
 
The latch was open, but I didn't try the door. I don't really want to know.

 
 
I've always liked this earthwork sculpture. You can walk the rim around an interior basin.

 
 
Now back down...

 
 
More bursting white blossoms

 
 
Not exactly a bridge to nowhere; it's more of a bridge to there and back again.

 
 
Very hairy moss

 
 
The tiniest white flowers

 
 
This old, odd structure is back in the woods.

 
 
A view up through its roof

 
 
A bridge at the creek convergence

 
 
Like a crown

 
 
Just a little climb back to the sculpture fields

 
 
I stopped to say aloha to an old friend who always provides me with shaded parking.

 
 
Today under glorious white blossoms!