I spot the hills
With yellow balls in autumn.
I light the prairie cornfields
Orange and tawny gold clusters
And I am called pumpkins.
On the last of October
When dusk is fallen
Children join hands
And circle round me
Singing ghost songs
And love to the harvest moon;
I am a jack-o’-lantern
With terrible teeth
And the children know
I am fooling.
-"theme in yellow" -carl sandburg 1878-1967
--
image credit: google images (vintage)
‘now autumn’s fire burns slowly along the woods
and day by day the dead leaves fall and melt.’
-william allingham
—
tonight will be my visit to the last ann arbor park
one day before my goal of halloween
it will be bittersweet to end this adventure
watch for my story this weekend.
summers in the late 60s
mc5
grateful dead
play free concerts in the park bandshell
late summer 2017
grandsons free play in the same park bandshell
“dig into the roots of culture, and it will grow.
it’s like a grass that is growing, and it cannot stop,
and music is like the fertilizer for that.”
-burning spear
—
west park, ann arbor, mi, usa
(2 more days and 2 more parks to go)
—
band image credits: ann arbor news archives
the kinders naturally understand the power
of a hard helmet and a soft puppy
when getting through a day.
—
“at the end of the day, the goals are simple: safety and security. “
-jodi rell
“don’t call the world dirty because you forgot to clean your glasses.”
-aaron hil
‘the rock’ at george washington park
on central campus at the university of michigan
painted by volunteers with the michigan refugee assistance program
—
“seeking asylum is a human right.”
amnesty international
george washington park, ann arbor, mi, usa
==
image credit: vintage halloween
“hutchins office – night deposits”
—
“i find if you are in an office, the crisis finds you.
if you’re not in the office, the crisis finds somebody else. “
-jeremy corbyn
—
*city of ann arbor tree nursery, ann arbor, mi, usa
provides and nurtures saplings for city parks and streets
along with mulch, logs, and all things to do with trees.
—
*when i visited the parks’ nursery, there was no one there, and i loved happening upon this unusual ‘office’ setting. it looks like it could have been a staff meeting day, as there were 2 chairs sitting together. as i continue my walk through the parks, i now have 9 left to go, and i’m quite sure that i will be finished by my goal of halloween.
A Little Wild Spot. The ramshackle old house pictured above, unoccupied for two years at the time this photo was taken in 1966, was Anne Mueller’s “rough box.” After her death at the age of 85, her wildflower garden on the corner was deeded to the city for a park. The house now gone, Postman’s Rest Park, was named as a tribute to Norm Kern and Bob Schlupe, the mail carriers who stopped each day to see that “Annie” was all right when she was widowed and left without family in her later years. (ann arbor news, 1972)
1972 postman’s rest park
2017 postman’s rest park
during my visit to this tiny park
situated on a quiet and peaceful corner
in a tree-lined neighborhood
filled with old bungalows, gardens, and lawns
i sat in the swing for a while
taking it all in
looking around
at the greenery and wildflowers
there was a very special
warm and welcoming feeling
i wanted to know more about this lovely space
and was so pleasantly surprised
to discover its touching story
a pioneering newspaperwoman, ann mueller
left this beautiful space
where her wildflower garden had once bloomed
as a tribute to those who cared.
—
“take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.”
-ovid
—
credits: news photo and caption – 1966 ann arbor news, jack stubbs – 1972 ann arbor news
when looking for me
directions will lead you here
right to my doorstep.
—
“fate pulls you in different directions.”
-clint eastwood
I didn't have my glasses on.... 