Thursday, November 8, 2012

Little Touches

One last image of Deering Oaks in its late fall colors. Soon the fountain will stop flowing and the duckhouse will be lugged away readying the pond for skating outings. The iconic little structure in the middle of the pond used to be stored in a building next to the Expo, but got displaced when the city stored its police horses there. The horses are gone now, suffering an 'economic death'. That indeed is too bad. It was always a fun sign in summer to see the equines and their riders working the streets of the city. I always thought they were quite a public relations coup walking the streets of the city. The officers riding always stopped for conversation, mostly centering on their rides. I've always been a strong believer that little touches, like police horses and a familiar duckhouse's return in the spring, add so much and make a city great.

13 comments:

  1. And the huge tulip gardens that Portland has sprinkled around. Love it.
    (Guess I have to wait for that one.....looking outside the kitchen window at 6 a.m. at snow....sigh.)

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  2. I agree with you about the mounted police. It is so pleasant to see and gives the police a lot of time to talk with people.

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  3. that is sad that the mounted unit got suspended. it does make them involved with the community in a friendly way.

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  4. Well-said. I enjoy seeing policemen on horseback. I'd like s larger version of that duck house, too.

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  5. When I was young Michigander I always looked forward to visiting the big town of Detroit. Then it was a big hustling, bustling town that was imbued with energy. A part that I especially enjoyed were the police that rode the streets with their beautiful horses stopping to talk with the people. I think that they contributed much to Detroit's sense of community just like in your town. Only you have a thriving town still while Detroit is now but a shell of what it once was. Too bad.

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  6. One of our beloved police horses died on duty Saturday night. It seems he stumbled somehow, tore tendons, which in turn caused a bone in the leg to shatter and he had to be put down. The officers involved are devastated.

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  7. I agree, it is the little things that mean the most.

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  8. You hit a responsive chord today, Birdman. We all like the horses.

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  9. I agree, little things are everything!

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