JUST A LITTLE PARK

On a beautiful summer day recently, I found myself back in Frank Melville Park, Setauket, NY, my favorite place to unwind and enjoy nature.  The park is roughly 16 acres, 12 of which are wooded and the rest is a lake area.  This isn't the first post on this blog that I've dedicated to Melville Park, and it probably won't be the last.  Although there's nothing particularly exciting this time around, I just couldn't resist sharing my deep appreciation for the lushness of late summer on Long Island...

Everyone calls this 2 acre section of the park "The Bamboo Forest".  There's a solid maze of bamboo stalks inside and it's lots of fun to explore.

Welcome to the Unofficial Front Door.

This area floods and fills with frogs during spring rains.  The peeping can be deafening at times!

 This is an azalea path, gorgeous when blooming in May, and beautifully lush this time of year when it serves as a path for the deer that run through the park each daybreak and nightfall.

 Another Lovely Little Meadow

There are several structures in the park that were in use at the time the park was donated early in the 19th century and are still maintained in their original condition.

The Little Horse Barn

The Old Grist Mill And Its Water Wheel

The Mill Window Box

The Old Barn

A Local Bee Keeper Maintains His Hives Near The Park's Community Vegetable Gardens

Unfortunately, by late summer the lake has a problem with algae overgrowth due to street run off.  Our community has been raising funds to reclaim the lake.  The several year-long process began last year.

That's a swan family in the rear and 6 turtles sunbathing on an anchored log (placed there for just this purpose) in the right forefront of the picture.  

A Closer Look At The Swan Family 

This little boy caught a sunny, the first fish I've ever seen caught in the lake in the 40 years I've been going to this park!  Not that there aren't lots of fish in the lake; there are.  There's just usually no good fishermen.  :-)

Late Blooming Honeysuckle

And.....something???

Which path to take home?

Of course, the easy one!  :-)

And, I came home to a fun surprise, our new furry grandbaby, Little Miss Lola

Thanks for letting me share my love of foliage with you...