Having not been to Elizabeth Park since the tulips were in bloom, it felt shocking to see so many people out in one place, especially very early in the morning.

More startling, though, were the number of unmasked people walking near others. Several were repeatedly coughing and not so much as bothering to cover their mouths while doing so. Unlike other parks I have been frequenting, I do not recall seeing the City of Hartford’s signs reminding people how to behave in parks, including to not go if sick. Maybe these were posted near other entrances than the one I used, but no such signs were seen near any of the gardens either. It could not hurt to remind visitors to act with decency. Perhaps I could have avoided those couple of exceptionally rude people by arriving at sunrise, but instead I sucked it up and wore a mask for the duration of my visit because I am a grown up who cares about not getting others sick and it’s really not a huge sacrifice to wear one.

Anyway, the garden loop road remains open for people only, which makes physical distancing possible. Whether visitors use that space as intended is another matter. Most people were at least giving others space, yet there were more than a few who thought nothing of walking with their families right by others, of course, while unmasked.

The less disappointing news is that many roses are still in bloom, so if you intentionally skipped the peak in June to avoid crowds, you have not missed the entire season. The more elegant Heritage Rose Garden is mostly finished, however.

There has been great progress on the new Rose Garden stage, and with any luck that will be ready for the annual Rosh Hashanah in the Park services . . . assuming it will not be canceled this year.

Unless I start waking up before sunrise, this will likely be my last visit to Elizabeth Park until the pandemic is under better control. What should have been a relaxing walk in the early morning felt overly stressful and in ways I do not experience by simply going to my own neighborhood’s parks.