Turtles In the Park, with Birds.

There's a new park near us with a lake and a nature trail, so naturally, no pun intended, Sue and I took a ride over to look around a bit. The new park is called North Cabarrus Park and is located just off of Orphanage Road in the Northern part of the County, which is where we live. It was great. There were turtles everywhere. And I love turtles, just as much as my friend Iona does. We both shared a love of the docile little creatures when we were younger. As a matter of fact, it was she who inspired me to begin this blog 3 years ago this month. So, I couldn't help but think of her as we looked at the turtles, wandering and swimming on a beautiful day.

There were scores of them. As development has encroached on their natural environment, they have sought out the ponds and nature areas in order to survive. When Sue and I first moved to North Carolina in 1998, there were turtles everywhere. Frequently, I was forced to stop the car and rescue one that had become stuck on the centerline, head and legs in its shell, afraid to move either way. Those days are gone, and it has been about 3 years since I have even seen a turtle attempting to cross the road.

The turtles aren't alone in the pond and on the grassy areas of the park. They are accompanied by several families of swans and ducks, who wander freely about, unperturbed by the humans meandering in their midst. This preening bird was only too happy to pose for the camera. He looks a bit like George Clooney from a certain angle, particularly when he holds his head in a particular way.(That's a private joke.) But catching him at just the right moment proved a bit tricky, as he was very busy picking at his feathers with his bill.

And he has plenty of company; hanging out with the ducks can be fun. These two birds were together the entire time we were at the park. They even went swimming together at the same time, returning to shore later, as a team. I think there is something going on between them, though I'm not quite certain what it is. But they were awfully close, proving that "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime", just as Dean Martin sang so many years ago. Somethings, especially in nature, never really change.

Nature Preserves, and Wetland Areas, though scorned by some, are a necessary part of preserving our environment for the future. Without these parks the turtles, and the other inhabitants of our streams and ponds, would be hard pressed to remain a part of the eco-system which we all depend upon. And that's something we just can't afford to lose.

Jones Wood Garden - The Almost Central Park

My Dad and I used to eat our lunch in this park. It is located between East 65th and East 66th Streets, and Lexington and Third Avenues, on the Upper East Side. We'd get rare roast beef sandwiches from one of the delis around the corner and then head for the park. He had almost all of the apartment buildings on those Avenues as clients in his air pollution control business, and we spent a lot of time in the area. But we were always too filthy to eat in a restaurant, so we would get sandwiches to go. This picture is courtesy of Suzy at http://mendogardens.blogspot.com/

Jones Wood was the original location touted for Central Park. Owned by two familes, the Joneses and the Schermerhorns, the land originally extended from the East River to 3rd Avenue, and from East 66th to East 75th Streets. It totaled 150 acres. Although the area was sorely in need of a park, the Joneses and Schemerhorns had more grand ideas for their land, namely commercial and industrial uses. This was about 1848.

In 1851, James Beekman (as in Beekman Place) and Senator Hamilton Fish, had begun working towards building a "Central" Park to serve as "the lungs" of the city. By 1857 a committee had been established to determine the boundaries of the park and they hired landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead to design the layout.

Meantime the Jones Wood location was increasingly being used as a kind of "speakers square", where people would go to vent their political frustrations. In May of 1865 the Workingmans Union had over 50,000 workers attend a picnic/rally in the park for support of the 8 hour work day. They had a great time, but they wouldn't get the 8 hour day for another 60 years or so.

Jones Wood was becoming "the place to go" for political rallies in the tears following the Civil War. The split amongst the Protestant and Catholic Irish was a source of concern when it came to holding onto political power, and Jones Wood played a part in this as well. In 1866 a wealthy New York merchant named William Roberts, (now there's a coincidence for you!) lead a demonstartion of 100,000 in Jones Wood. His plan was to take Canada and hold it hostage until Britian freed Ireland. It wasn't a bad idea, but it never came to fruition.

Central Park was open and doing well by now, with the gentrified portion of the city, but at first the working class did not use it that much, the rules were too strict and the place was not "user friendly" to them. For instance, singing in German was not allowed. This is just one of the ridiculous rules which were first imposed in the park. So people were still going to Jones Wood to gather as late as the 1880's. The Scottish Caledonian Society held their field and track meets there. The Germans used it as a beer garden for parties, as did the Irish.

Eventually the stores and factories along the East River gave way to the luxury high rises and brownstones that populate the area today. But in the midst of all of this there still stands one square block of Manhattan, undeveloped save for some benches and a fountain. Thanks to the stubborn greed of the Jonses and Schemerhorns, who would not sell the land for a park, as it wouldn't pay enough, we still have it, as a park, today.

The Olmsted Family - An American Legacy

If you live in the United States your life has been touched upon, as well as improved, by the works of Frederick Law Olmsted and his family. Born in Connecticutt in 1822 Mr. Olmsted arrived at his calling rather late. He was 35 when he designed Central Park in New York City. It was the first of many such projects to come, including Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York. It was also the beginning of a life devoted to making all of our lives more enjoyable.

Often noted as the Founder of Landscape Architecture in America, his vision was to create livable communities for the emerging middle class at the turn of the 20th Century. When he passsed away in 1903 his son and step son went on to form Olmsted Brothers.

Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. along with his cousin, John Charles Olmsted would create some of these Landscape Communities across the United Sates. They would also leave their mark in the form of the many National Parks and monuments which we take for granted today.

Two of the residential communities that I have seen or worked in include Roland Park in Baltimore, Md. as well as the Dilworth Community in Charlotte, N.C. The winding streets with their abundance of trees are the hallmarks of these developments. The houses are set back a good distance from the roadways and the topography is used to create fabulous vistas in what would today be flat,urban sprawl.

Some of the projects which were designed by the Olmsteds' include the National Mall in Washington and the Jefferson Memorial. The system of parks in Buffalo, New York are the work of the Olmsteds. Their designs and influence even created the beautiful parks in Montreal, Canada as well as the extensive parks system in Los Angeles, California.

With the death of Frederick, Jr. in 1949 the firm continued to design and build many public projects. After closing in 1980 the firm became an historic landmark in Brookline, Massachusetts. Known as the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historical Site and located on 7 acres of landscaped grounds, this museum offers the visitor a look at the original plans for, and photos of, the parks and communities that were created by the Olmsteds.

No matter where you live in America, your life has been touched, and made better by the visions and creations of this remarkable family.