Trees in Space - A Walk in a Michigan Park

Size matters to me. No, it's not what you're thinking! But really, when is size of no importance?

I live in Michigan, not in Texas, but even here, bigger is perceived to be better.

I have not traveled the whole world, but the few places I have visited around the world have not measured up, size-wise, to what I have enjoyed in this country. The husband has traveled to the land of our ancestors, the Dutch, a few times and seen the inside dimensions of homes there as well as the density of homes in the cities. The scale of everything is just smaller. I have visited homes in Japan--smaller scale there, too. The husband has been to China a few times and even once joined the hordes of cyclists on the streets of Beijing--a very large Dutchman flanked by thousands of locals going about their lives. I wish I had a video of that scene! Size is at issue, when so many people live in the cities.

Here in Michigan we may build as large as we can afford--the space is available.

I got used to wide spaces early in life. I lived on many acres on a farm--a farm with large cornfields and pasture lands and even a river running through it. When I traveled across my home state of South Dakota, through the prairie lands, or across Iowa farm lands, what I saw and became accustomed to was vast amounts of great open spaces.

If you have ever been "up north" in Michigan, you might wonder why anyone would be concerned about saving a tree.

Another natural resource we enjoy here in Michigan is water--lots of it. We have that enormous lake, which I reference all the time. So many completely irrigated golf courses: space and water required. We pay our fair share for the use of water and sewer, but it is not restricted.

When we moved  from Illinois to Michigan with our children in the early 90's we noticed the trees--we have more trees here. Beautiful trees. Trees that love all that water.

And right now those trees are putting on their fall show.

I was reminded again of trees in large spaces (thus my blog title, reminiscent of that old Muppets bit, Pigs in Space) last week when I was traveling near Millenium Park (the largest urban park in West Michigan). The weather was a bit windy and 60-ish but the clouds were changing from dark and stormy to bright. I decided to walk around a bit and snap a few shots, although I was not dressed for the weather.

The colors in the park were muted under cloudy skies But it was the sky that I was trying to capture--the sky unimpeded by tall building or electric wires--even though photos never do the sky justice.

My old Mitsubishi in an empty parking lot

There were a handful of couples walking in the park, but the whole beautiful space was basically all mine.

A view of the back end of beach area that was gated and closed

The colorful playground looked sadly empty--a reminder that the warm play days of summer are long gone.

So much space. So many trees. Such cool clouds--with a tiny tease of blue.

Everything suggests emptiness and space. It is clean, lush and beautiful. It is not a dog park--no looking out for where you step. (requisite poop reference)

Pristine fountain with cool drinking water

Many of the trees in this park are still young. What a glorious place this will continue to be with adequate funding. This is Michigan. Yes! Michigan.

I hope you are blessed, where ever you live, with oceans or mountains or skyscrapers or even a backyard garden--or just one lovely tree. There is enough beauty to be found in the world to go around. In some places you just have to look for it in slightly smaller spaces.