Still Winter, But Oh What A View*

Today's photos are from yesterday's nature walk, a special family spot--  Wickham Park, on the East Hartford/Manchester Town Lines.  Wickham Park is an absolute treasure.  My husband & I would come to this park & enjoy all that it offered some 40+ years ago for nature walks, picnicking, kite flying, bike riding, tennis, tobogganing & even the viewing of fireworks on long ago 4th of Julys, on a clear day the views reach far into the Farmington Valley.  Later when we became a family of three I would ride there with our son buckled to the passenger seat of my bike on those wonderful sunny days when this Mom just couldn't resist the call of nature, including it's perfect playground & bird aviary of peacocks & other exotic birds.  After all those years there are some changes of course, as some trees became old & sick & had to be taken down, yet the symmetry & character of this park remains unchanged, as there still seems to be the Oriental Garden with it's Tea House & Lily Pond which is graced by a gentle arched bridge which is always a treat to stand on.  This lovingly kept park is on the grounds of the former estate of the Wickham Family.  Time does fly--  that same sweet toddler son, our eldest, who rode with me on numerous times to this very  beautiful peaceful place gave us one of our finest joys when-- he, our new daughter-in-law, & the extended families gathered at Wickham Park 10 years ago this June for wedding pictures.  The history of Wickham Park, I guess is from the era of the Vanderbilt's & the Rockefeller's, but the only way to really know is to research it's history which I can honestly say I have yet to do.  What I can say is that for multiple generations now this gorgeous park has been the location of major & minor events of rites of passage.  Thank God for parks & the ability of people to think way beyond their own mortality, for by this generosity all of us have been made richer.

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*On Yet Another Note--

After much walking, talking & re exploring it was time to head into Hartford, as we had tickets to see, "To Kill A Mockingbird".  Michael Wilson, the director of Hartford Stage was said to have done a great job, we were about to find out if we agreed.  I had seen the movie version of it some years ago several times, with Gregory Peck in it's lead role of Atticus.  The first time I viewed it, I thought it was good, the second time I viewed it I again thought it was good, but last night when we saw the live performance at the Hartford Stage-- what can I say, the story very poignant, & not very ancient.  The story is inspired by a 1931 trial in Scottsboro, Alabama of which the performance was  an amazing site to behold!  The reviews of this play are right on target, as these performances are most heartfelt & truly excellent beyond words.  The movie of "To Kill A Mockingbird" is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning work of Harper Lee.  The movie was scripted by Hartford's beloved Horton Foote who passed away on March 4th of this year, & for whom all these remaining performances are dedicated.  This play was adapted for the stage by, Christopher Sergel.  There are numerous layers & messages in this story, one of the main one's are-- "You have to walk in another man's shoes to understand him."

These may be changing times, but the poignant message of the young child Scout & her conversation with the mob men, along with the life lessons her father gently taught his family regarding character, hopefully will remain with us as a people.  We certainly know our essence, the potential of good in everyone of us, it is that, that needs constant tilling, sunshine & fortifying.

Viva la Art!  Viva la Garden of Ideas!

*Amen*