MMeM, S16E15 – What has this world?

Took a long walk yesterday as we had the first decent day weatherwise of 2020. Arrived at one of my turnaround points on the SVT (trail abbreviated to sound like an STD) and saw that the dog park was overgrown and closed. Then I noticed the playground was roped off with yellow CAUTION tape like a murder had taken place.

Ah yes, pandemic time. I’d heard about parks being closed. In my travels I’d noticed some people wearing masks while riding bikes or walking. However off the trail, the city was hopping. Traffic was flowing like a busy work day and you’d have thought that the pandemic was over due to the nice weather. Some stores had done away with their staggered entry policies and it felt like a premature celebration. It’s to be expected though I guess, having been a tough year already, 4 1/2 months to this point.

While I rested on a park bench I noticed a lady placing multi-colored flags in the rocks near the parking lot within a fenced off area. Of course, I had to ask what she was doing. I walked up and said, “Ok, I’ll bite, what are you doing?” She explained she was a volunteer for the conservation department and she was marking plant pollination and tracks. I remarked, “That’s your official duty however what you are really doing is answering questions for people like me all day.” She laughed and agreed.

Overall, based on the crime scene taped off playground, the masked walkers, and the blood spatter tracking it was a beautiful day in Pandemic USA.