Last Fall I went to the Red Bridge Park.
This bridge is red but it is not the old Red Bridge on the south side of town along the river. Someone painted this one and started calling it the red bridge. The park is even called The Red Bridge Park...
The park was decorated with wreaths for Christmas. I was the only one in the park that day, no tourists and no pooping machines... Canada Geese!
Far Side
Here is the rest of The Foot Bridge Park…newly renovated. (Technically is is called The Red Bridge Park)
This is the new bridge…we call it the rusty bridge. It was paid for by the Minnesota Department of Natural Recourses. How much did they pay for it? Who knows? I know the paving and parking lot was $220,000.00 Part of that was supposed to have been paid for with a Grant from the State of Minnesota…our tax dollars at work.
This is the bridge that used to cover the span to connect one side of the river to the other. Now they have planted shrubbery around it and built steps. At least they didn’t hack it up.
The old footbridge in winter.
This is the old beach house. It is a historical building so it might be safe from destruction. Far Guy says there used to be a ping pong table in half of it and boys and girls changing rooms in the other half. This used to be “the place” to go in the summertime. Some of the town kids practically lived there all summer. There were diving platforms and rafts and life guards on duty. ( usually teachers) I can only remember swimming here a few times. Far Guy was always gone all summer although he was able to get there a few times over the 4th of July when his parents made in back in town for a few days. I am not certain why this City Beach was abandoned…liability perhaps.
There are street lights now and green benches and a number of trash receptacles and red picnic tables and a drinking water fountain.
And a sculpture. I heard there are supposed to be more…it is becoming more of an artsy fartsy town all the time.
Yesterday we ran errands. I keep “things” pinned to my bulletin board until I can’t stand it anymore. The weather was half ways decent so we went to what the newbies call The Red Bridge Park ( The old farts call it The Foot Bridge Park) in town…newly renovated or massacred….I suppose it just depends on who you are.
The park has old willows flanking the river. One such willow was known as the picture tree…because of its sweeping branch.
Noah and Adam in September of 2011
It was a branch that a youngster could stretch out on. Both of my grandsons are much taller now…but I wanted to show you the magnificent branch.
It has been butchered.
What were they thinking? I realize that Willows grow fast but not fast enough to replace that branch in my lifetime. I am not sure if there is a City Forester or not, but if there is he needs his head examined.
