Fun with Feet in the Street at Fort DuPont Park

Feet in the Street Celebration

On Saturday, Jordan, a friend and I attended the first annual “Feet in the Street” festival at Fort DuPont Park, which is a National Park located two blocks from our home. The morning was damp and cloudy and the dark skies threatened rain at any moment, but we went anyway. When I saw the signs for the event earlier in the month I figured that there would be a big crowd. Every Saturday night in the summer there are free concerts at the Fort DuPont ampitheatre, and those events are always crowded, but there was hardly anyone around when we reached the visitors center about an hour into the event. They blocked off all of the entrances to the park so that no cars could come through, which made it much easier to walk around.

Jordan got her face painted with purple butterflies by an Australian woman named Christalene who had a booth set up. Then she got a temporary tatoo with a logo from the day’s events on her shoulder. We walked around and looked at the different booths and met up with a guy named Lee from the Anacostia Watershed Society. He was leading nature tours through the trails in the park. We set off into the woods with Lee leading the way and clearing the path of spiderwebs for us. He pointed out some of the invasive species that were causing damage to the trees in the park, and he pointed out the poison ivy plants that were all over the place. I learned that one of my favorite plants, English Ivy, is one of those non-native, invasive species that is really taking over and hurting the trees in the Fort Circle Parks here in D.C. The AWS is working on legislation that would ban the sale of English Ivy in nurseries in Maryland just as they lobbied for the legislation that put a 5 cent fee on those plastic grocery bags in D.C. grocery stores starting January 1, 2010. We walked along the damp trail getting bitten by mosquitoes and learning about the trees and plants in these woods that are so close to our home. The trail ended across from the community garden area. Lee left us there and went on to lead another nature hike further into the park.

We stopped at the community garden to listen to the presentation and to learn about how to get a garden plot for next year’s gardening season. I spoke with the National Park Service ranger, who directed me to Rev. Hackney to find out more about getting signed up for a garden plot. I had downloaded an application from the NPS web site, but the whole process of actually getting a plot was kept a bit cloudy and mysterious. He took my name and contact information and said that I would be put on the list, but that I still had to submit an application. The plots are given out on a first come, first served basis, and you had to take the plot that you were given.

After a short presentation, we were given a tour of the gardens, which by now many of them were neglected by their custodians. The late summer heat had driven all but the hardiest of the gardeners away, and their plots were overrun with weeds and pests. But some people had kept up with their gardens and their plots were yielding beans, peppers, tomatoes, okra, squash, and corn. When the tour was over we were allowed to take home some peaches, sweet potatoes and green beans that were there in big bins. I made cobbler with the peaches we brought home, and I baked some of the yams and served them with supper.

I am looking forward to planning my 25X25 foot garden for next year. When I was growing up in southern Oregon we had an organic garden and a greenhouse, we raised rabbits, goats, sheep and chickens. At the time we thought that it was strange to be living on a farm after having come from living in the suburbs in Massachusetts. Now I am glad that we had those experiences because I get to put all of that knowledge of composting, gardening, canning and food preservation to good use.

Sunday was Daddy’s birthday, and to celebrate it, I baked his favorite spice cake with cream cheese frosting. I had to giggle when I spoke to my stepmom who said that Daddy had requested three different birthday cakes for himself from three different people. Daddy liked cake. So we celebrated him and all that he meant to us. It warmed my heart and I did not shed a single tear. He took up so much space in my heart and in my life and he will never be forgotten. As I am moving through the grieving process it is giving me a deep sense of fellowship with others who are suffering the grief of loss. Life is short, so don’t miss the opportunity to tell everyone around you how much they mean to you while you still can.

Uncategorized