Access interdite

For some reason this brought back memories of driving in Rouen now nearly two years ago.  On that occasion we had taken a circumnavigation of the rental car location on foot before we ever attempted to drive away in our I am pretty sure it was an Opel.  From that walk I knew that the circle around the train station was pretty much one way so that part was OK.  But when I missed a turn trying to return it suddenly developed that nearly every street that I hoped would take me back to where I wanted to be was "Access Interdite".

There was no sign out at the Snail Lake swamp but clearly I had reached the end of the bicycle road.  Access interdite.

Fairly obviously I had to turn around but on the way back I thought I spotted Jake and stopped to say hello.  Not Jake.  Big white bird he be really, really shy.  Possibly long lost relative of Jake but not Jake.  I was already stopped though so I got this one of the marge of the varge of Grass Lake (apologies to Sam McGee).  I hadn't noticed but the swamp is about to overflow the path there too.

They need one of those turtle crossing signs out there.  Although actually this youngun was not so much crossing as basking.

Fortunately he does not have far to go.

Last year, or was it two years ago, they had crews out there slashing out all of the non-native brush.  They have proclaimed a prairie restoration project.  It looks to me like this year they had a burn which we all know to be a necessary step in eradicating the non-natives.

Three things.

Really a pretty day.

I bet that burn made the neighbors nervous.

That little patch of ground in the park next to Grass Lake is NOT going to be a prairie.

Kansas restored, now that would be a prairie.

An acre or two?  A park.  But still an OK idea as far as I am concerned.  There is no good reason why a park should be overrun with non-natives.