Back to Roselle Park, or Enjoy the Beauty While You Can ~ 10/8/14

It was a lovely day today but with very brisk winds. We thought Roselle Park might be a bit protected from the wind (not so much as it turned out) but we did our 50 minute walk there. As far as fall color goes, this park is pretty yellow.

We never saw this view of the Grand River before, long before you actually walk down to the river.

Then seeds, swans, graffiti, flowers, and thistles -  the pageantry of a nature walk.

There are some grass path alternatives to the paved paths and we took a few of them today but one didn't turn out so well.

The only animal life seen consisted of caterpillars, grasshoppers, the aforementioned swans, and one snake, who quickly slithered off the path. Fall is lovely but "nothing gold can stay" (thank you Robert Frost). Enjoy it while you can!

Roselle Park Visit 9/14/14

Ada Township Park ~ 9/27/14

Looking for a new place to walk, we headed to Ada Township Park, where we hadn't been for several years. There are paved paths and nature paths and we looked forward to getting a hour's walk in. This sign looked like a good place to start.

But it ended up taking us to a subdivision and we weren't sure where it went from there so we turned around. This sign lead us astray.

The paved paths took us past some fishing boys, turtles, and beautiful reflections.

There's a pretty lagoon with strict rules.

We tried a few of the nature paths but they were poorly maintained - muddy, overgrown, and not well marked. But we did see a deer track and flushed a snake.

Along with being a township park, it's also an arboretum, so the trees are plentiful and identified.

Fall color is coming into its own.

We saw this cool tree on the way out but as walking parks go, this one is serene and a lovely spot for a picnic but not for a serious walk. Roselle is more organized but lacking trees, and the Calvin College Preserve is more interesting but with less mileage. It'd be nice if Ada Township would work on the nature paths here and you might be able to get a good hike in, without getting poison ivy :-) But you can see a Hydrangea Tree here!

Ecosystem Preserve Calvin College

Roselle Park 

 
 

A Day Like Any Other But More So ~ 9/20/14

We started with a walk through Roselle Park (see our 9/14/14 visit) and found more beauty, repose, and a toad.

Then dinner with our friends at Bull's Head Tavern, chosen not only for its food but also for its convenient location a block away from DeVos Performance Hall where we were headed to hear the Grand Rapids Symphony. But first fun with mirrors.

And then the symphony. Four Sea Interludes by Benjamin Britten (melodic and heavenly), The Lark Ascending (soloist James Crawford) by Ralph Vaughan Williams (exquisitely beautiful), the world premiere of Philip Sawyers' Hommage to Kandinsky (uneven), and then everyman's favorite, Beethoven's Symphony #5. Ta Ta Ta Da. Wonderfully performed and directed without a score by the great David Lockington. Great day and awesome concert.