Do The Right Thing

Hubbard Park will soon be lit up for the holidays. This Wednesday in fact, the day before Thanksgiving.

Visit #1506, Sunday 24 November 24, 7:20-10:00AM, 6.2 miles, 5.5 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 40s, grey skies, dry.

I arrived at Hubbard Park Sunday morning surprised to find all entrances blocked. How easy it is to forget this happens once every year as the park is prepared for the annual Festival of Silver Lights.

Which also explains why the parking lot was empty. I saw people parking on Reservoir Avenue and across the street from Hubbard Park at Angelina's Pizza. I'm not sure the proprietor would approve.

In situations like this it pays to be an early riser; I was easily able to find a parking spot adjacent to the skate house. In fact there was plenty of parking there. However there were ZERO parking spaces when I returned to my car.

Last week I mulled the idea of re-painting the iron gates at Castle Craig as they are in need of a refresher. Fortunately I was freed of my idea when I was informed the parks department plans on giving them a proper sprucing-up next spring. That's quite ambitious considering all the work the parks department performs.

True Story: Many, many years ago I was performing an annual cleaning of the slope below Castle Craig as many people toss garbage over the wall. I actually found one of the two iron gates, and carried it all the way back to the park maintenance building. Wish I could recall how long ago that was...

Anyway, once parked, I hiked toward the Soap Box Derby track and found these broken car parts. Since that section of Notch Road (bet you didn't know that had an actual street name!) is usually not accessible by cars, I imagine there was an accident on the overpass above and somehow the car parts made there way down below.

Reaching Merimere Reservoir, I saw this swan enjoying the water by themselves. The swan didn't appear to move but was merely floating on the water. Quite serene and elegant. Two hours later, while walking back to the park on the road, the swan was still floating in the same spot!

In this next photo, you see I found some graffiti carved into a tree and painted as well, with the same swan in the background.

I used some handy spray paint to cover it up but I will return to effect more permanent repairs.

Now I know what you're thinking; is it affect or effect?

As a self-avowed grammar nerd (below is proof), I made sure before I typed!

Don't mind the wrinkles; I had to pull the shirt out of the laundry basket to photograph it!

And just what do I use as my sources of correct grammar?

For sure, I pulled out my fourth edition of Strunk and White's classic (with occasional dry humor), "The Elements of Style". Pomona College calls it "probably the most influential grammar guide in the English-speaking world."

But I also referred to a much more entertaining grammar memoir and reference, "Rebel with a Clause - Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian", by Ellen Jovin. Follow Ellen as she visits all 50 states to answer peoples' grammar questions.

So yeah; I WILL EFFECT more permanent repairs soon!

Farther (further? YOU figure it out!) up the trail, I came upon these 3D leaf-shaped stickers.

Next was #15 in the series since November 2016.  I found #14 just last week. Whoever it is can't keep their magic marker in their pocket.

And I can't keep my spray paint in mine.

Reaching the gate to the Maloney Canal, I see the Meriden Water Department STILL hasn't replaced the lock on the gate even after I e-mailed them. I'm going to try another avenue of approach.

Walking on the road toward the north end of the reservoir, I saw a large branch had fallen into the road.

I cleaned up the mess by hand and, using a branch like a half broom/half hockey stick, tidied up best effort. With the parks crew busy stringing lights, they've got no time to tend to a minor task like this.

A little further up the road was another such issue but it was relatively minor and easier to clean up.

On today's hike I also found two hoodies, which I'll wash and take to Goodwill.

After you stuff your face on Thanksgiving Day, consider burning off some of those extra calories with a hike in Hubbard Park.

Second Time Around

 

I got there-eventually.

Visit #1504, Saturday 16 November 24, 7:00-8:30AM, 2.6 miles, litter carried over to Sunday.

Temps in the 30s, sunny.

Visit #1505, Sunday 17 November 24, 7:15-9:15AM, 4.6 miles, 2.3 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the 30s, sunny.

I guess the stats above give it away.

I started Saturday's hike intending to return to locations on the Three Peaks Challenge route I hiked last week. For various reasons I spied some litter then that I could not reach so I would return this week.

Except I was on-call and half way along my hike I received a service call and had to leave and drive to Easton CT. Not only was my hike cut short, the service call made me miss my haircut appointment, trip to the bank, and a stop at a store with limited Saturday hours. Sheesh.

But before my hike was terminated, I did accomplish some things on my list.

I was advised by a blog reader who shall remain anonymous that there are more hearts on trees than I have already found HERE an HERE.

Their directions were spot on. So was my spray paint to cover it.

That made the nearby rock unhappy.

On the other side of I-691 while following the trail markers I found this:

Sister Rosemary, my eighth grade teacher, would be rolling over in her grave if she found out how I disposed of that rosary. She probably already knows, from UP THERE...

The cat graffiti is Number 14 in a series I've found since November 2016. I did a bang up job of removing it if I say so myself.

I attacked some more graffiti on the same trail.

Then it was time for me to leave, with my work incomplete.

So I returned to Hubbard Park on Sunday at roughly the same time, with the same trash bag from Saturday, hoping I wouldn't get interrupted again by that pesky thing called "work".

I hiked up to West Peak, then over to Castle Craig to address some graffiti I spied while on the Three Peaks Challenge hike.

The results look so good I might return and paint the entire gate, and I'll take precautions to keep paint off the stone.

I hiked back to the park, completing what I started on Saturday.

All Work And No Play

 

I got mine; did you get yours?

Visit #1503, Sunday 10 November 24, 6:40-8:40AM, 3.7 miles, 2.8 lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low 30s, sunny and dry.

On Saturday I participated in the Three Peaks Challenge, hosted by the Meriden Parks and Recreation Department. Nine miles, encompassing West Peak, East Peak, and South Peak.

It was truly a day of fun and A LOT of hiking!

The event organizers included Kathy Matula, the Parks and Rec Recreation Coordinator; Dave Cooley our official photographer, Gal Friday Rhaelene Hastings for snack food resupply and sag wagon driving, Steve Bradley and Brian Lamphier for mapping and planning, and Marcus Ramirez for checking us in and out; you all were da' bomb, at sign-in, setting up, providing support, and fetching the pizzas!

I intended to do no trail maintenance or litter pickup on this hike so as not to impose my activities on others but after Kathy picked up the first piece of litter I knew I was in like-minded company and broke out a bag.

Kathy: I returned the the park on Sunday and picked up the Dunkin' Donuts cup we passed before you changed my mind about picking up the litter!

The bunch quickly separated into compatible groups but we collected at West Peak where we reassembled for a photo. (Photo courtesy of Dave Cooley).

On the final leg of the hike on the road around Merimere Reservoir, we stopped so I could show our group a marker delineating the border between Berlin and Meriden. Hidden in the brush was a set of Honda wheel covers. We each grabbed one and carried them back to the park, but the idea of a group hub cap photo died in committee.

Besides the patch, as a bonus Kathy gave several of us extra leftover pizza. After that hike I didn't feel like cooking anyway!

It was during our hike the subject came up of; why are the animals chewing up the trail markers put up by the Parks and Recreation Department?

Is it the paint? Is it the material?

It is neither.

Turns out squirrels' teeth do not fall out or regenerate; they grow constantly. Left unchecked, they will eventually grow so long as to cause various squirrel problems, so squirrels grind them down to keep them a proper length, and the trail markers just so happen to be the right material for the job.

Alright; the Three Peaks Challenge was my Play, which is why it's not part of my tally of park visits above. Sunday it was back to Work.

Of course, even though I didn't bring my usual tools for trail maintenance, trash pickup, or graffiti, doesn't mean I wasn't keeping an eye out for work. Which is the reason I returned to Hubbard Park Sunday morning.

We had to step over this tree during the hike. It wasn't movable then. 

I made it so.

I picked up a seldom used trail which would lead to the Halfway House, and found a few more trees which needed removal.

No "After" photo on this one:

You can almost pick out the roof of the Halfway House in the background.

At the Halfway House I tended to some graffiti I spotted during the hike. There was more than I photographed, but you get the idea.

This heart, which I'd covered over a couple weeks ago, apparently is a fixation for Bella and her mom.

Next week it will be my fixation.

Last week I reported finding a tree falling into the trail which did a number on the fence separating the park from I-691. This was the primary reason I packed the chainsaw.

There wasn't much length to be cut to remove it from the trail, but I did so anyway.

I made a couple more cuts on the remaining length just to see if it would remove pressure from the fence. No.

The rest will have to be left for history.

As I returned to the park I cleaned up the dirt parking lot at the northwest corner of Mirror Lake and found this traffic cone which didn't seem to serve a purpose. I returned it to the parks operations building, putting it in a spot where I'm sure it will be found. 😉

Remember the recent two brush fires in Hubbard Park? Last week I found one of them and showed you photos.

While walking back to the parking lot, I found the second one, by the Spring House.

I had NO IDEA this brush fire was WITHIN the park proper.

Care to bet how that one started? I'll give it a shot...

The parks crew will certainly be busy for the next couple weeks putting up the holiday lights so cut them some slack if you plan to file any complaints with the parks department.