As I survey my surroundings, I take a long drink of the cool clear water in the bottle, cold as ice and very refreshing...O'l Sol blazes away in the sky, heating up another bright sunny day to inferno like conditions. The humidity makes it even worse. The mercury already boiling up past a hundred and the heat index around 112. No breeze, not a cloud in the sky, just the brilliant, blistering, white hot sun that seems to have lulled everything to sleep... except the cicadas. The buzzing of the "heat bugs" just seems to help serenade the heat stressed masses to slumber. As the day bakes on with no relief in sight the weatherman drones on about heat records, above average number of days of hundred degree heat, humidity index and heat advisories. Even a swimming pool is uninviting in this oven. The temperature far exceeding the ability of most systems to cool the water. The air conditioners in the neighborhood run non stop and add to the white noise drone that fries your senses and leaves you mindless like a zombie with nothing to do. So what do zombies think about? They think about zombified things...
As the sweat rolls down my body I contemplate the heat, the misery and the prospect of becoming homeless and destitute. Down and out... like the old song says "Nobody knows you when you're down and out" although no one really knew me to begin with, only now I'm more.... invisible. Those that do know me don't take the time to call, write, email or text me, trying hard to forget my number... you know, out of sight out of mind...... I slurp down another drink of the precious water and think to myself where do homeless persons go for a spirit renewing cold drink of aqua...speaking of water where and when do they shower? I shuddered...just then I catch a glimpse of a pair of long lovely tan young legs in short shorts strolling down the sweltering concrete boulevard that makes up the main walkway of the park. Did I say lovely...she was about twenty five, wearing sunglasses and a halter top and those shorts... all I could think of was a line from Toy Story... "I'm a married spud. I'm a married spud..." besides I was twice her age.. and don't forget... down and out...Man, that long cool woman had it all...."I'm a married spud. I'm a married spud..." As Legs strolls out of sight I gather myself up and start my last jaunt around the park...
The park is a great place to walk. Small by Central Park standards but I don't think I have ever seen another city park of that magnitude, although there are others like Golden Gate park. This is still a very generous park consisting of multiple acres with four small lakes, a rec center, two utility class rooms buildings, a refreshment stand (only for special events) a large open air gazebo with picnic tables that can be reserved for private parties and such. An oval track runs round the perimeter of the main lake. You can fish in any of the lakes but there is no swimming or wading allowed. Behind the refreshment pavillion is a memorial to MIA and POW military. There is an abundance of wildlife like birds, fish, rabbits, occassionally a Snowy Egret, squirrels, and of course... ducks, a multitude of ducks, or is it a horde? I think I touched on the ducks in an earlier post...
The ducks are always hungry and rush to greet you as you approach the "lake", seeming to be indignant to learn you are not carrying the familiar small plastic bread wrapper which contains the "manna" that makes up a large part of their diet. QUACK! QUACK! As though they are exclaiming "I got up for nothing!".
The park has plenty of shade trees, a playground for the kids, lots of room for for volleyball, badminton or even soccer, but most importantly, it has public bathrooms. Don't let yourself get caught at the wrong end of the park when that ol familiar urge comes calling or you'll be making like the novel "One thousand yards to the outhouse by Willie Makeit" People walk their dogs at the park all the time but one thing you do not see at the park is cats... or frogs! Not even after dusk have I ever seen so much as a single toad... Don't know why but that bothers me...wonder if they all "croaked" sorry but I'm sure you could see that coming...
I round the turn and head back towards my neighborhood all the while thinking about what I will do for groceries and where will I get my walk once I no longer reside in the neighborhood....cest la vie... I can't think about that today, I'll think about it tomorrow.... Life is not a picnic but for now, I'm just ducky...
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