Elizabeth Park is not the only  Hartford park to label its vegetation so that you generally know what you are looking at. This is how we know that the purple flower immediately below is a Passionflower, which is as effective as a pharmaceutical in treating generalized anxiety disorder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outside of the park, some have decorated their yards almost as extensions of park land, which statues and labels affixed near their plants.

 

 

 

Other wildlife spotted in the park: a possum. Mid-morning on a week day, we saw an older man get out of his car with a cage and release a possum in the Sunrise Overlook section of Elizabeth Park. That critter raced straight for and up a tree. The camera was out, but the possum was too fast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The enhanced park entrances have been completed. On one of the days we were there, a garbage truck was driving through the park, which actually made for worse shots than the one above. This arch should act as a natural frame for pictures, but we can’t control the ugliness of the light pole inside of that frame.

At least there is now a marker for the East Lawn. If we’re going to direct people to events on the East Lawn, there must be signs showing where that is.

 

 

 

 

 

A walk anywhere would not be complete without finding randomly discarded clothes. On the same day we found the shoe and pants below, but not right next to each other in the park. Were these multiple infants (or toddlers?) or was this one surly child throwing off items of clothing? Anyway, if you kid is missing a sandal, check near the pond.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the ongoing “reasons to stop pretending Elizabeth Park is in West Hartford,” we now have a shot of the above no parking sign that says the Hartford Traffic Authority is responsible for declaring parts of grass in the park to be a tow zone. That’s on top of the Hartford trash cans and Hartford garbage truck.

 

 

Down the road — Farmington Avenue to be exact — the bike lanes have finally been painted. There was already a partial lane installed for a few blocks starting/ending at Whitney Street. That felt random and half-assed. Motorists — including bus drivers — were and still are driving in that. Because that’s what happens until the law is enforced. So, now we have a few blocks of bike lanes, nothing for awhile, and then they pick up again at Sisson, ending down between South Marshall and Laurel street.

The difference with these bike lanes over others installed in Hartford is that we actually began to see cyclists using them immediately. There were still some people riding on the sidewalk, but that could change. Part of making sure these lanes are used well is for Hartford to enforce laws, whether that means ticketing people who are driving in the lanes or towing those who decide to park in them.