Sunday Hikers Visit Robbins Park in Ambler, PA

I love visiting new places.

Although Robbins Park of Ambler, PA, is only 38 acres compared with Pennypack's 900, there was plenty to see and do.

Here's some lesser celendine from the butter cup family. Native to Asia and Europe, it's considered an 'invasive plant.'

Happily, it invaded my back yard.

Let's have a quick history lesson about Robbins. From their website:

Robbins Park is a unique joint venture between Upper Dublin (U.D.) school district and U.D. township. Founded in 1975 through land donations by the Cheston Family, Robbins Family and Westrum Properties and the foresight of school district science coordinators, Dr. William R.H. Ritter and Daniel Jaycox.

Dr. Ritter was the first director of science education and Robbins Park. Ruth Almond was one of the first environmental educators at the park in 1970’s and 80’s.

I DO know Ruth Almond who's a friend of Helene, when they were next-door neighbors in Maple Glen. Helene, of course, is now at Rydal Park Assisted Living, where she's wasting away, her choice.

Renu well remembers the park since she graduated from Upper Dublin High School ten years ago. They would take field trips to the park. She remembers an amazing amount of things so served as our tour guide.

She and I were the only ones to bring our picnic lunches. We ate on a bench in the sunshine. 

 Algae-filled pond. Sorta looks like a painting. Monet at Giverny.

Randy took some photos with his Nikon, which made a lovely clicking sound. We saw a huge turtle basking on the log, a couple of mallards swimming by, and minnows.

This is the third time I'm posting. Blogspot destroyed the first two.

Earlier, I felt an itch on the lower part of my scalp.

It was a tick! I peeled it off and headed outside to the birdbath. It stuck itself onto my hand. I dug it off and then left it in the bird bath to .......

Obviously I do not practice "ahimsa."

See the bulrushes growing from the pond? Methinks baby Moses may be hiding in there. Dyou know the story? The Egyptians had an edict that every male Hebrew must be drowned. Moses' sister hid him in a little basket and the Pharaoh's daughter brought him home.

Moses was one of the greatest men of all time. As was Jesus the Nazarene. Not to mention The Buddha.

The California condor has the largest wingspread of flying creatures. My wingspread is about five feet? I wonder if it's commensurate with one's height. I'm four foot eleven.

Renu was our wonderful tour guide. She took us to an adjacent field of donkeys, privately owned.

 As we approached the donkeys, Brett started laughing. What a good mood he was in on this halcyon day.

Owner of the donkeys is a German fellow named Horst S. Ahss.

 Bat breeding house. Is that correct, Renu?

Info about bats who will return from migration in May. It is RARE they carry rabies. They're an important part of the ecosystem.

 Listen to the delightful sound of a babbling brook.

Nice mix of blue flowers with Mayapples aka Mandrake Root.

We were walking down a fairly steep hill which reminded me of Bowman's Wildflower Preserve. Here's a trip we took there.

If you've never been, it's a MUST!

 The above KNOT is a guidepost created by the Lenni-Lenape. They tied together roots of a tree and stuck em onto the tree and then this huge knot grew. Is it also called a burl?

 Lesser celedine, member of the buttercup family, is originally from Asia and Europe. See it popping up from the decaying leaves?

Stopped into Danielle's Cafe in the Upper Dublin Shopping Center. Bought a strong espresso, sipped on it in the car while listening to a crime-thriller by James Lee Burke.

When I got home, I took a half-hour nap. Am still nursing the coffee.

Ate at Dan n Nicole's. We ate out on the patio.... delicious cheeseburger, no bun for me, baked beans, mac n cheese, and a clementine for dessert.

Max, 2, is learning to talk. Instead of saying Hi Didi, he now says Hi Bubby!

OH! I almost forgot. Bought a ticket tonite to see Richard Thompson at the Keswick Theater on June 6, I believe.

What? Never heard of one of the truly great performers of our day - a folksinger - he sings three songs I listen to frequently on YouTube:

The Wall of Death
St Vincent's Inferno
and Sumer is a Cumin Inn.


We knew someone who was a friend of Richard's.... the late Joyce C. They met in a commune. Read more from Wiki

It was not apparent from their records at first, but the Thompsons -[Richard and his former wife Linda] -  had embraced an esoteric Sufi strand of Islam in early 1974.^[19] ..... It was Pour Down Like Silver, with its cover photo of a turbaned Richard Thompson gazing out at the world, that tipped the public off to the Thompsons' growing preoccupation with their faith.

The trilogy of albums released either side of his sojourn in the commune was heavily influenced by Thompson's beliefs and by Sufi scripture, but in the long run his religious beliefs have not influenced his work in an obvious manner. The outlook expressed in his songs, his musical style, the subjects addressed by his lyrics have not shown any fundamental change.^[20] He remains a committed Muslim.^[12]



Listen to Wall of Death here.

My former client John C O'Reilly (ok to use his name.... we published something of his in the Compass) introduced me to him. 

Otherwise, how in the dark I would be!