The pics in this Doodads are from the last week. On Christmas Day older son and I took a walk around a lake that years ago was a mountainous dune. Somebody’s palms were greased and one f*cker has been allowed to mine all kinds of sand and polluted the groundwater while processing the sand for manufacturers to use for molds. Now that it’s mined out and the groundwater is poisoned, he generously donated the property to the city and a park has been made of it. We as a species deserve what we get, have no doubt of it. It’s one 2.2+ mile path around the lake. The water in the lake looks clean and is probably rainwater. Dozens? Hundreds? of birds find safety on it. The “no swimming” signs say beware of it. Safe enough to walk around I guess!
Walking around the yard on a sunny day I noticed how well the woolly thyme is doing and how pretty it looks on the rocks. Also, out in the atrium, which is limping along at 50F, I noticed one of the baby Christmas cacti are in bloom and that the rosemary is budding out again.
On Thursday I decided to take a little scenic drive. I traveled out to the Bluffton area that Buster Keaton made famous as his favorite summer vacation spot and a place where theater people and their critters came to relax. I was able to get a few shots of the old trolley car rails that have now been paved over. Also got a shot of the Bluffton sign, which, frankly, has seen better days. My town is doing its best to be a tourist destination but when small details like this are neglected it brings the whole image down. City leaders are too busy catering to the $600,000 and up housing development going in along the lake and the “middle class” housing development about to be built on the toxic wasteland that used to be our paper mill to care about quaint signs.
Sorry to throw vinegar into the salad, but truth isn’t a dirty word, no matter how dirty it is.
Tao Talk 
It’s a shame the trams aren’t still running. I especially liked the images of the lake and path.
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It’s a gorgeous place. I wish I didn’t know its history but I do. Those trams are from a bygone era, like so many good and simple things :(
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I would love love to see the Bluffton place…because Buster to me is on a level of love almost as The Beatles…That man was a film making genius and his memory should be treated as much. I would have loved to see the trolley trains…thank you Lisa for the pictures…you are right…the sign needs some work.
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There are some developments going on down in that area that make me think that within the next 20 years it will be gone, replaced by million dollar mansions :(
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That would be totally sad. I hope someone that has common sense becomes aware.
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$$$$ is the ONLY thing that speaks nowadays around here.
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Your town is lovely.
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Thanks, Sadje! After the tourists leave with summer, it’s pretty low key.
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You’re welcome. It must feel good to b have the town to yourself again
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YES
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Such a lovely town, Li. It’s sad those in charge want to ruin its charm.
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Building middle income housing over the toxic old paper mill property is so disturbing! Yes it is sad :(
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Yes, very disturbing and worrisome, as well. 😞
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