Planting at the Park

Not sure where I read it, and of course I can't find on the web right now, but someone, somewhere, said you live longer if you live in a place where people have a strong sense of community.

We had a great showing today for our second Planting Saturday, the first having been 2 weeks ago. About 30 folks came out for the work, including kids, and we worked hard for 2 hours. I am so glad I did not wear my contacts as the salt in my eyes was blinding.

The very large guy standing at his truck is the landscape architect. Don't let his size fool you. He is a work-HORSE. He does the work - and sweats -- for 3 or 4 guys. The lady in black pants with her rear to the camera is the Parks Director. These folks don't usually DO manual labor -- they have people who do that. But they came on their own personal Saturday morning and worked HARD. Why? I am not sure, but it has something to do with our neighborhood partnership. They have surely shown their commitment to us. We gotta do something nice for them when this is all over.

The Kids' Committee met while we planted, and made their final selections for the playground. The Parks Director measured the playground out on the ground, 17' in diameter, and the landscape architect used his wheelie-spray-paint-thingie to mark the circle on the grass. It's getting exciting, to see the park start to develop. I had the idea only 2 years, 4 months ago, and we have already developed the partnership with the city, raised most of the money, (all of the money for phases 1 and 2), had the whole park designed (patterned after F.L. Olmstead's designs -- he was doing this 100 years ago when the neighborhood was built--) cleaned it up, planted beautiful grass, put up the sign, built one bridge over the creek (thank you Eagle Scout candidate) ordered pavers, installed the sign, selected the playground vendor, and designed the playground. Now it is gaining real momentum. They are ordering the benches next week and the playground will go in, in about 8 weeks.

The weather was beautiful this morning -- sunny, clear and warm. The mockingbirds serenaded us as we laughed, grunted, worked.

The plants we put in on the hill were in 3-gallon containers, so we had to dig those holes rather large, not so easy on a steep incline. On my third bush, my shovel kept clinking on something. I gingerly tapped my shovel into the ground around it. Clink, clink. "Believe I've got concrete slab here!" I called out. "Oh don't be such a priss," retorted my gf. (Only she could get away with such a comment.)

A fellow who lives somewhat behind us came over with his shovel. Clink, clink. He found the edge, and dug up a 16"x28" piece of concrete, 5" thick. I helped pry it up and we rolled it down the hill. Joyous, I looked over at gf. " Priss," I said. We laughed and laughed. Boy, was I glad it was legit, or I really would have looked like a priss.

We had bought a couple cases of water with neighborhood money, and it was well-chilled in a cooler. We all worked, sweated, drank water, and dug some more. The park is coming along!

We are already thinking ahead to the party we will have when it opens.