Willow Pond

Asked a guy with binoculars, seemed to know the lake, if it was a controlled burn. He said he'd tried to find out from the parks department but hadn't so far. He thought it was a controlled burn. He pointed out a Mourning Dove. Said there were cormorants. I said they called it a lake but I called it a pond. He said it's a city lake. I said I'd read about the 64/5 World's Fair. He said there was an earlier one. Looks like there was a 1939/40 one. He was right, it was the earlier one that created this "lake".

I haven't seen a muskrat, but I have seen a turtle. My 5 year old daughter gets into language power struggles with me. She said it's a tortoise. I had to look it up, but a tortoise is a subset of turtles, that don't go into water. I think the turtle went into water, so it's not a tortoise.  She insists on calling a snow cone "ice cream." I like to joke with her with language, and she can get upset, but I point out that calling things the right word is important. Being stubborn, using the word you like is fine, but don't think you're using language right, and if you don't have to use language right, then I don't. Little father/daughter drama.

The vines on the bridge fence seem like they were cut off, but they're growing back. I guess they cut them because they compromise the fence, but I like them. 

Some people go there to smoke marijuana. I found a bag from a store. I understand that people need to find private spaces to smoke if they can't at home. I've seen a neighbor smoke there, he doesn't want his mother to know he smokes. He's a grown man but still lives with his mother. She's probably against it. He works all the time and smokes. The workaholic addict thing is pretty strong in our society. Work so hard you need some chemical stress relief. I think walking in nature is also a stress relief.

There's mulberry trees at the entrances, like that tree and fruit might somehow keep animals from traversing the bridge. When I was a kid I could climb into a mulberry tree and eat my fill.