Morning at Spreckels Park

I shot this at 8:00 this morning to show that Spreckels Park is not always alive with visitors.

I've photographed this gazebo in the summer at Concert in the Park, on Sunday nights.  It's a great spot to relax with a book and keep an eye on your kids without hovering.

Do you see that orange plastic fencing on the far right edge?  The Parks department recently removed a ton of lovely but dense vegetation that used to encircle that palm tree.  I have a story about that spot.

When my son was in preschool, I took my eyes off him here for a second, then couldn't find him.  If you're a parent, you know know the shot of terror that ran through me.

Fortunately another mom's pointed out the 'hideout' inside the bushes around the palm tree.  Sure enough, not only was my son in there, but a couple more kids to boot.  They were giggling and having such a good time, I let him play in there a while.

We were both a little sad when we saw that the old bushes had been pulled out recently, but it brought back memories that had improved with age.

Oh, I later found out some of the little boys were peeing in there instead of walking over to the nearby restrooms, so maybe it's for the best they're re-landscaping...