A Community Fourth

The bounce castle at the local Lions' Club Fourth of July celebration,

held Thursday afternoon at Meadowood Park, was

a popular attraction. At times it seemed to bounce and

jiggle to the rhythms of the Starlighters,

a local band that played patriotic-themed arrangements,

as well as big band tunes. 

While a few people actually danced, 

others seemed to be just thrilled enough to sit.

A local caterer provided standard summer fare - 

fried chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, 

and hot dogs for the kids, if they wanted them. 

Everyone sat and visited in a

big blue and white tent as they ate their meals.

Competitive juices flowed among participants, 

young and old, who met in the pavilion 

after the band concert to compete in a cake walk; 

for 50 cents one could circle around 

til the music stopped, and, if one happened

to be standing on the number that was called,

one got their choice of numerous cakes.

  

*One* put up $2, and didn't get so much 

as a sniff of a brownie.

A caricature artist was on hand to make 

drawings for those who wanted them.

The days activities were overwhelming for at least

one tiny person, who slept through much of the revelry

just a few feet away from her tiny head.

Autumn's Ghosts

With the winter days, we get a lot of gray skies, 

with very little contrast and shadows to define shapes 

and brighten color. On many days, I could just as well 

have my camera set for black and white and get

much the same results. As I walked through the park

this afternoon, I saw bits of ice on what had been shallow pools

of rain and melting snow. They had the look of leaves

that had fallen from the surrounding oak and maple trees,

ashen ghosts of what had been flaming color.  

A Place in the Park

On a sunny day, when the park was full of kids 

on the playground, and the grown-ups 

were at the Farmers' Market, this couple was able 

to find a quiet moment for themselves.

He-e-ey, Batta-Batta-Batta!

On Sunday, our bit of Isaac had blown through, 

bringing much-needed rain and cooler temperatures.

It was the Labor Day weekend and families had 

taken advantage of the cooler temperatures to enjoy

a relaxing time in the park.

The park's shelter was full of people having 

a picnic gathering, while a group of young men 

were using one of the soccer fields 

for a game of flag football.

The baseball diamond was being used by a family 

to play a little softball game. I wished I had a different

lens because the group, made up of parents and 

three girls, was teaching the youngest

to play the game. She picked up the ball, she tagged

her sister out, and she threw the ball ... sort of.

When her turn came, her big sister took 

her by the hand to run the bases. 

And Dad taught her the chant,

designed to annoy generations of 

batters ... 

He-e-y, batta-batta-batta!

Finding Her Way

This climbing "rock" was installed several years ago 

on our neighborhood playground. 

It may seem minor, but I think learning to climb 

this rock will help these girls with other, 

larger obstacles later on. And I like the way 

the taller girl is watching over the other,

to help her find her footing.

A Walk to the Track ... and Back

As you can see, I had a "post position" for this shot 

of the sports car race Friday afternoon. The fencing,

steel cable and poles are all there for safety concerns,

but after having spent 20 years at the track in spots

unimpeded by the poles, it's frustrating to not be able

to take nice action shots of the racing.

On the way, I passed campers in the Coke Field, inhabiting 

everything from tents, trailers, made-over buses

and RVs of various sizes. I figured the people who have

this RV were doing their part to help women who

might not have health insurance, avoid

the expense of routine health exams.

How very, er, thoughtful.

About 30 minutes after the start of the sports car race, 

a massive plume of black smoke arose behind

the grandstand outside Turn One. I went to the top

tier of seats to see what was going on and saw

a structure fully engulfed in flames. In addition to providing

facilities for RVs, the site is a trailer park 

where people have homes. I later found out

that the air conditioner on an older RV is believed

to have overheated, starting the fire. No one 

was inside the vehicle, probably at the track,

so no one was lost or injured.

After the storms broke up and moved out of the area, 

the sun returned, bringing its best friend, humidity.

School is out for the summer, leaving this vast expanse of

the parking lot at Speedway High School, to absorb

the heat and reflect the glare from the early evening sun.

As I got closer to home, I walked through the park

where I found the playground full of little kids,

swarming all over the slides, swings, and climbing wall.

One of the soccer fields was being used

for a game by boys and men, while the other

corner was the scene of a sandlot softball game,

with teams made up of young men and women

of varying ages - teens to twenties. I was invited to play,

but whatever athleticism I had has become 

a white turd, spent and annoying.

The odd thing, which I think is most telling about the

changes over the past several years, is that virtually everyone

I saw in this neighborhood park was Hispanic.

A few African American families were present, but 

only one or two Caucasian kids dotted the mix.

This was not an accurate representation

of the neighborhood's population, for sure,

but more a reflection of the economic resources

available to the people who live here.

Frosty to Frozen

It's pretty.

It's stark.

It's cold.

My cat is curled against the chilly air,

her tail wrapped over her nose like a shawl.

I've turned inward, imagining spring

and counting the days until the flowers reappear.

This poor pansy, among the more hardy of flowers,

has sacrificed its life to bring a little sun

into a frozen garden.

There are days "global warming"

doesn't seem like such a bad thing.