Might Be Coming Back Into Sight--

After months of up and down with back pain, I am now hopeful that I can avoid surgery and do longer and longer walks and hikes again.

Today: A milestone. I walked the one-mile loop from my house, through the northwest corner gate, all the way down to the next gate, and back home again, with two of the Household Beasts. I believe that it has been at least four months since I've been able to do that. Yahoo! (Last time I tried, about 10 days ago, we walked a speck into the park, then I had to turn around and go back.)

I didn't take my trash bag, so didn't watch for Naughty Neighbor droppings, but with occasional glances, it looks pretty clean.

I also didn't take my camera, so didn't capture the pastel colors of the sunset over the park this evening. Hope that you saw it!

Instead--in honor of the occasion--here's my favorite moody photo of the park back on a rainy day (remember those?) about a month after the park opened, with one yellow flower brightening the scene.

Life got in the way

In case anyone's looking here--

I started this with high expectations, since Martial Cottle is right around the corner.

Then Stuff Happened.

There was the unexpected bathroom remodel plus lots of other house prep for the changing of the renter; that went on for more than a  couple of weeks.

Then I added a dog to the household, and he's a bit of a handful, makes it challenging to take all 3 dogs on a walk. So I'm either walking all three and managing him, or walking just him and training him, instead of even looking for--let alone picking up--trash or others' poops.

The old dogs and the new yellow dog in the park

Then one of the dogs got sick. Then I got sick. Everyone's pretty much better now, and I need to get moving again.

I have walked through the park with the dogs several times. One day I even picked up:

• Three cigarette butts
• One piece of gum

Since I started this blog, all the grasses and flowers have grown up, which I suspect hides a lot of what I used to easily see along the walks.

And I have taken a few photos; here ya go.

Sunset April 16

After the rain, west side, April 1.

I love using puddles for reflections; brings the sky down to earth!

Morning March 31

Sunset March 26 looking east

Sunset March 19 looking west 

Wednesday Patrol and feelin' good

Can you believe this weather? Forgot to take my camera today, too bad, as there was some work being done on the bed of the Cottle River and other random fun things. Maybe tomorrow if I have time.

Old dog feeling pretty good today, so we covered the whole west side and south side between about 9 and 9:30 this morning, and picked up:

• Cigarette butts: 2
• Water bottle caps: 2
• Dog poops: 5, all of them along the south side, not the west side
• 3 candy wrappers
• 3 pieces of broken glass in random places (so they might be old, just washed clean by the recent rains)
• A dozen other small bits and scraps--cough drop wrapper, crumbled up receipt, another ribbon from the opening ceremonies, crumpled aluminum foil, 2 straws, I don't remember everything

Clearly, someone(s) else are also picking up trash & poop regularly. Thanks again to whomever it is.

But also, since I just heard that there's an estimate of over 600 people every day using the trail, and a majority of them with dogs, this is actually a pretty trivial amount of litter. But, still--come on, folks, scoop the poop! Put those wrappers and bottle caps in your pocket until you reach a trash can!

And, wow, was it a beautiful day to be in the park.

Not Patrolling Much

In the last week, I've been out in the park almost every day, but just for a short, slow walk along the west side. My old dog has heart problems, and they seem to be suddenly worse this week. Tika has had ups and downs in the 16 months since we discovered the congestive heart failure, so I'm hoping that this is just another brief down. 

She used to be untiring; could "hike" 10 miles with me, which meant that she ran back and forth and acted as scout the entire time, so probably more like 15 or 20 miles for her, and then still wanted to play when she got home. She used to fly over jumps and through tunnels competing with me in dog agility at a phenomenal speed with great joy.  So this is hard for both of us to take. Yet, going for a walk is still her favorite thing in the world, even on days when she doesn't want to eat or play. She usually likes attention, so when people ask whether they can pet my dog(s), I say yes.

But, this week in particular, she doesn't seem to have the energy to walk very far or very fast, and she's coughing a lot, so I'm concentrating more on her than on patrolling for the leavings of naughty neighbors.

I have picked up a couple of dog poops, a few cigarette butts, and maybe a half dozen random bits and scraps.  I've thanked a couple of people whom I've seen picking up their dogs' messes. I've smiled and said hello to bike riders, kids, walkers, joggers, families, other dog folks. 

Because any day is a beautiful day to be out in our park.

Monday Morning Patrol --Butts!-- plus mountain views

The Patrol skipped several days of picking up--the wind and rain seemed to wash everything clean.

Today, we patrolled the north side. Picked up:

• 12 cigarette butts (really, people? this is trash, too)
• 4 water bottle caps (see previous comment)
• Many small shards of broken glass--this is new, as there were no mud splatters. But someone had previously picked up most of the larger pieces, thanks whoever you were
• 4 random things
• 1 doggie poop

But still--it's a beautiful day to be in the park!

Looking down the yet-to-be-opened entrance midway along the northern side, towards the visitor center and the Santa Cruz Range

Mount Umunhum and its tower seen through the big oak on the north side

Monday Morning Sunrise looking southeast across the park

Sunday Sunset looking northeast

Saturday Stroll Apres Rain

Did not actually patrol today--just walked, as the skies and the results of the rain were more interesting, and I just didn't see anything to pick up when I did look. The new--let's call it--Cottle River intrigued me--so that's what that ditch is for! The water doesn't seem to flow anywhere--the huge ripples you see are from an enthusiastic wind--but instead sinks into the ground to replenish the ground water, which is a wonderful idea.

The instant the rain eased up, people and their dogs appeared as if by magic upon the perimeter trail, and the wind went to work drying everything. But plenty of rain evidence remained.

Looking east along Branham--notice the "Cottle River"

Wow, mom, kin I goes swimming pleez?
The wind was strong.

Another view looking east along Branham

Ooops--I guess it was a mistake to step off the trail to get that photo.

Looking south along the west side--the wind hasn't completely dried the trail yet.

Parts of the Cottle River weren't very deep...

...but parts came nearly to the top of the ditch

Saturday Sunset looking northeast across the park

Wednesday Walk in the Rain, Plus Latest Work

Went out with my trash bag, but the rain made me want to just walk, not look for trash. So we did. Took photos, though.

Plus it was a little windy.

Raindrops on sidewalks 

No construction today, thank you.

Where is everyone?! It's just a little water!

Yesterday they sprayed that oddly green mulch along Branham (looking east).

They also did plowing work on the opposite side of the trail along Branham (looking west).

Ohhhhh, whoa, there's a jogger out there! No one else, though.

Boost didn't mind the rain. She minded having to stop and have her photo taken, though.

Look at that crazy person, out jogging in the rain! Not doing normal things for a rainy day, such as taking the dogs for a walk and shooting some pics.

Tuesday Patrol, Feeling Artistic

Picked up:

West side (from VistaPark/Branham to where the trail veers away from the creek):

• 3 cigarette butts
• 1 water bottle cap
• 3 random debris (old stuff)
• 1 chewed gum
• 0 poops -- yay! (But then, I *was* out there after 5 last night)

South side (along Chynoweth):

• 3 cigarette butts
• 2 fence construction leftovers
• 5 random debris
• 4 poops-- oh, come on, south side, really?

But there was so little stuff to pick up that I spent more time taking photos.

We hit the trail about 8:00, surrounded by chilly fog as the construction crew worked on the north side along Branham.

The sun began breaking through as we walked south.

With the douse of rain 2 weeks ago (about an inch according to my rain gauge), grasslets sprang up everywhere. I know that they're probably weedy foxtaily grass, but it's nice to have a little green.

Boost thinks the gophers are interesting.

The sky becomes more interesting as the fog dissipates above the new construction and the photographer applies some softening and tone mapping.

By the time we got to the end of the trail on Chynoweth, the sky was reclaiming its blueness and colors brightened under the sun.

Another lovely walk completed in our new park.

Monday Patrol, More Dogs, and Thanks

North side (along Branham) will be closed tomorrow until 4:00.

The Patrol was indisposed this morning and couldn't get out until after 5:00.  Houses along the west side nicely shaded that stretch of trail, which is good for my old dog.

Lots of folks out strolling.  Dogs, too; here are four of them (two in the background).

Sometimes you hardly notice the mountains in the background, but if you take a photo from the right angle, you can really see how lovely they are from Cottle Park.

I have to say Thanks to whomever is cleaning up the trail after Naughty Neighbors. I expected all kinds of messes today, but almost nothing! Even if it's a Santa Clara County Parks job, I for one appreciate it. Because today I picked up only--

West side:

• 2 poops
• 3 cigarette butts
• 4 wrappers or partial wrappers
• A few random small scraps of this and that

Not bad at all!

Sunday Patrol and some observations

Out on the trail starting about 7:30 a.m., with plenty of company on a pleasantly cool, overcast morning.

West side and south side. Picked up:

• bandaid from someone's finger
• 4 tissues
• 1 tobacco chaw wrapper
• 1 earplug wrapper
• 2 pieces of paper with writing
• 1 napkin
• 4 candy or gum wrappers
• 1 pc chewed gum
• 1 pc chewed gum in wrapper
• 1 dental flosser stick thing
• several more green and also shiny ribbon things... they're all over. I'm guessing left over from the opening day celebration (Feb 1)
• 1 cough-drop wrapper
• 12 bits of fence construction debris
• 2 bottle caps
• 1 drawstring from a sweatshirt
• 7 cigarette butts
• Many pieces of orange peel and bits of an orange that someone dropped as they went. Perhaps leaving a Hansel & Gretel style trail to find their way back.  In which case, I foiled them by picking up the pieces, and now they'll be captured by the gingerbread-house witch. Tsk. Bummer.

And, I am very very sad to say--especially considering that I swept these areas clean two mornings ago--  Too many poops, I lost count. I filled THREE of my own poop bags along the way. Worst was the south side between the two street entrances to the park. Couple in the middle of the sidewalk. One right next to the poo station. One ON the brand-new fence rail. (Maybe that one was  a raccoon? Odd shape and location.) (Yes, I do look at poop. So does Tika (in the back), whom I put into position for checking out the soiled fence--)

Observations:

• At 7:30, the trail teemed with people. There's apparently an early contingent who likes to be out starting at or just after sunrise. Quite a few fewer by 8-8:30 when we finished.
• Given how much stuff I picked up today, someone else must have been doing Naughty Neighbor Patrol all along.  I wonder whether they were out later this morning and being amazed at how clean it all was?
• Last 3 days had minimal stuff and minimal poop, but today, hooboy--so my assumption is that weekends will be the worst for Neighbors being Naughty in their littering and dog-pooping behaviors.
• I'll bet if you put a surveillance camera along the south side on weekends, you could make a zillion bucks in fines for people not picking up after their dogs.  That is a fineable offense, isn't it?

Poop bags: One station empty, one had bags.

Saturday Patrol

North side (complete):

• 2 cigarette butts
• 1 teeny tiny poop
• pink plastic spoon
• beer bottle cap
• water bottle cap
• (there was a bottle that I was going to pick up on my way back, but it was gone by the time we retraced our steps)
• bits of ribbony stuff like from costumes or celebrations
• tissue
• teabag (!)

Friday report

Poop bag dispensers all empty.

Picked up-- 

West side: 

• 3 poops (since yesterday, dangit)
• one used napkin. 

North side (not all the way): 

• 1 poop
• 2 cigarette butts
• 1 water bottle cap.

South side: 
Didn't do. 

Thursday, the birth of the Naughty Neighbor Patrol

At the brand new Martial Cottle park this morning.

Picked up one poop next to the garbage can at the northwest corner (nearby bag dispenser: empty). One poop next to the southern poop station (bag dispenser: empty). One poop next to the entry gate across the street from housing. Guess their pups have never pooped in public before, so it never occurred to them to carry a bag.