Today is a bright sunny day and a friend and I went for a walk in the beautiful
Forest of Nisene Marks in Santa Cruz Co. California. A busy place today, we saw families on bicycles, people of all ages running and hiking, enjoying the sunshine and the shade the redwood trees provide.
I am sure most of you have heard that California's budget is in a state of dire emergency. Next week, the legislature will decide what parks it needs to close to save money. Nisene Marks is one of the parks under consideration, because it has no campgrounds. Closing the park doesn't mean that people won't have access to it. There will be no rangers to collect fees, no one to maintain the roads and trails ( and the bathrooms!), no one to patrol and provide some safety. Some parks will be entirely closed and others will have trail closures.
I think this is one of the ridiculous decisions being made. Our parks provide so much for us as seen today by how many people were there using this one. It is a beautiful sanctuary, a reminder of our past, a place of quiet, a place for family fun. Dare I say it ? These trees are sacred and holy. Some of them are ancient, all of them have something wise to say and something precious to give us.
There is some expression about something being as easy as a walk in the park. Something to think about and not take for granted.
Today, I listened to the trees, I listened to my friend, I listened to the children laughing and I was happy.
Today is a bright sunny day and a friend and I went for a walk in the beautiful Forest of Nisene Marks in Santa Cruz Co. California. A busy place today, we saw families on bicycles, people of all ages running and hiking, enjoying the sunshine and the shade the redwood trees provide.
I am sure most of you have heard that California's budget is in a state of dire emergency. Next week, the legislature will decide what parks it needs to close to save money. Nisene Marks is one of the parks under consideration, because it has no campgrounds. Closing the park doesn't mean that people won't have access to it. There will be no rangers to collect fees, no one to maintain the roads and trails ( and the bathrooms!), no one to patrol and provide some safety. Some parks will be entirely closed and others will have trail closures.
I think this is one of the ridiculous decisions being made. Our parks provide so much for us as seen today by how many people were there using this one. It is a beautiful sanctuary, a reminder of our past, a place of quiet, a place for family fun. Dare I say it ? These trees are sacred and holy. Some of them are ancient, all of them have something wise to say and something precious to give us.
There is some expression about something being as easy as a walk in the park. Something to think about and not take for granted.
Today, I listened to the trees, I listened to my friend, I listened to the children laughing and I was happy.
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