HIKES-Sylvan Gardens Nature Walk 2019

 SUMMER 2019
The ribbon cutting was in May I believe 2019. I had not been here since 1961. Entered Old main from near New England Pizza. saw limited parking and parking for handicap. Slowly drive on looking for a sign of where the path begins. Nothing so got to the end of Old main crossed rt 28 and entered the restaurant parking lot  so I could reenter Old Main. Drove slowly looking again and nothing. Parked the truck and walked and looked. bam! there it was a tiny sign. good grief.

Plenty of signs rules and regulations. Descriptions of plants, wildlife, insects. Poison Ivy and ticks. Poetry posted along the way. A desk with a journal for you to enter a poem, or thoughts, or suggestions. I signed at the end of the walk. Was going to say - you need a larger sign. But decided to say- Lovely walk- I live here and haven't been here since 1961.
It sure has changed. Back then the focus was mainly daffodils and tulips and the display was grand. Now it is a path, and off shoots for Rhododendron, azalea etc. The main loop is a winding path with a view of Black Pond. A lot of downed trees huge ones. A lot of chopped up wood and log piles. A nice way to spend an hour. Each season would be different. The wide main path is fine for disabled but the off shoots are narrow. And only walkers- no bikes, or cars trucks etc.

This sign is poetry. At first on my way out I thought it was a warning about monkeys on the trail for some reason. On my way back I read the poem- It is Shel Silverstein's Falling Up and is an image of a boy tripping.

and lastly. as I was walking and looking for the entrance I saw this but it was dark and looked like it led no where. On my way back to the truck I looked and it was a back up for a Winnebago. kind of creepy. LOL

AUTUMN 2019
October
Noticed this time the middle  "handle bars" on the benches. Questioned a selectman about it and was told so it is user friendly for older people etc. I said I would keep an open mind but they look like anti vagrant benches to me. not nice.
 oh well
There are few lovely wooden benches no bars on the more adventurous foot path.

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Winter January 19 2020

wow what a difference and we have lost so many trees with our wind storms.
This same day I did the Fish Pier and Wildlife Refuge on Morris Island among other things. But this was a must do on my list.

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 SPRING  May 17 2020

 more later gotta eat!

Well I have done the 4 seasons there. This last one in May 2020 was during the covid pandemic and we were all advised to wear masks and keep 6 feet from others. I passed maybe 5 people one pulled up his mask as he approached me and I had my back turned. It was as I was leaving and I thanked him. I was practically suffocating with my mask on so...

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