Two Surprises I Found at Larry Moore Park

A Short Walk in the Park

Fallen Part of Split Tree, © B. Radisavljevic

The house was warm; the background television noise was stressing me. I needed to get out. The sun would soon be gone. So off I went the two blocks to the park. I actually had a mission. A couple of weeks ago I had reported to the park maintenance office that a tree had just split. I sent them a photo. I wanted to see if anyone had acted on my information and corrected the situation. When I checked last week, the fallen part of the tree was still on the ground. You can see it in the photo above.

I was pleasantly surprised on this walk to see they had cleared the fallen tree away. I was sad they had been unable to save the tree, but I guess the split had killed all of it -- not just the fallen part of it. I'll have to give credit to the  maintenance people for getting the job down so quickly. That was my first surprise during my walk in the park.

The Sad Surprise

New Memorial Tree in Foreground, Stumps of Split Tree in Background, © B. Radisavljevic

As I was walking over to take a photo of the tree stumps, I noticed what appeared to be a small decorated Christmas tree. It had not been there three weeks ago when I walked past that area. You can see it in the foreground on the left.

It looks like they chipped a lot of the split tree right there, since wood chips covered the area. You can also see some of the logs from the tree stacked not far from the stumps. After taking the photo I took a closer look at the little Christmas tree. I had to wonder who would decorate a tiny tree in a public park at the end of June. So I read the note under the tree.

Decorated Memorial Tree, © B. Radisavljevic

When I read the note, it broke my heart. I'm a bereaved mom, too. I would like to know Ryan's story, but I probably never will. Was Ryan one of the homeless who camped in the Riverbed or the child of one of them? Did he drown? Or did his death have nothing to do with homelessness or the river? Perhaps his parents just wanted to put a monument in a public place for him that everyone in the neighborhood who walks the park will see.

Whoever Ryan was, however old he was, someone is grieving his death. They don't want it to be forgotten. I hope they leave this little tree here to grow up. Perhaps Ryan never had that chance. If anyone reading this knows Ryan's story, I hope they will comment below. I'd like to know. I won't tell the city maintenance people about this tree. But I'll keep an eye on it.

I reluctantly left to go home as the sun said goodbye.

The Sun Sets As I Grieve for Ryan and his Parents and a Fallen Tree, © B. Radisavljevic

Other Posts You May Enjoy

Kite Practice at Larry Moore Park at Dusk: My first experience watching a person use a parafoil kite.

What's Lurking Under the Willow Tree? Is that hollow a good place to hide?

What I Observed from My Bench at Larry Moore Park: You can see a lot from a park bench. Includes a video.

Changing the Lightbulbs at City Park

Changing the Lightbulbs at City Park in Paso Robles, © B. Radisavljevic

While taking photos at Paso Robles City Park this morning I happened to see a workman changing the bulbs in the lampposts in the park. I had often wondered how they did this, so I thought I'd share the photos I took of it with you. The one on the left is cut out of the photo below so that you have a closer view. 

I included the photo below because I wanted to include the beautiful trees. This is one corner of the park that is not under construction. 

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The Poison Hemlock at Larry Moore Park Grew Right through This Bench

One thing I have noticed for years is that weed abatement does not happen at Larry Moore Park. Besides the fire hazard this can be, it can also make the park hard to use as intended. This bench is one example of that.

I took this picture on March 26, 2011, a year when there was a lot of rain and the river almost flooded. Hard to believe now when we haven't seen water in the river for two years, but that year it came almost up to the water's edge near the fence you see below.

As I walked to the bench to take the above picture, the poison hemlock and prickly milk thistle were up to my calves and I had be be very careful not to get scratched. It was so high, as you can see, the poison hemlock grew right through the seat of the bench. That bench is not on the ground as it appears to be. Its seat is at normal height for park benches. Who would want to walk over to that bench to sit and look at the river?

This year I walked past the same bench in February, and we had had a bit of rain by then. Fortunately the poison hemlock and thistles had not taken over near the bench yet, and I'm hoping the high grass around the bench will discourage the other weeds from surrounding it.

Unfortunately, in other parts of the park, along the paths, the poison hemlock is growing over my head, though most is only waist high. Closer to the riverbed on the south end of the park, there is poison oak next to the last access path to the river. One has to be careful what one touches there.

I'm not sure if the city just wants to keep the park wild for the sake of maintaining a wilderness area or if they are just not willing to spend maintenance money. Weeds are everywhere but the ball diamond and the paths themselves. Maybe the city just can't afford weed abatement and the hauling away of dead tree branches in the middle of the park as they fall from trees. I suspect the city gets grant funds to build the parks and trails,  but not to maintain them.

Meanwhile those walking through the park just have to be aware of the poison weeds and hope lightning or smokers never set the dead wood by the river ablaze. If the park catches fire some dry season, the nearby residents will need gas masks to protect their lungs from burning poisonous plants.

Poisonous plants are everywhere in the North County. It pays to be able to recognize them and understand what they do. If you want a delightful read on this subject, try Amy Stewart's book below. She is an amazing writer and I've read this book and a couple of her gardening books, as well, and loved them. Wicked Plants is not a field guide, though. That's why I've suggested a highly rated field guide to poisonous plants as a supplement to it. Treat yourself to one or both today. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that having a good set of reference books around when you need them is very helpful.

 Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Botanical Atrocities The North American Guide to Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms

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