Spring 84: Scenes from Aullwood

Friday, June 17
8:20am - 9:20am, Aullwood Garden MetroPark, Englewood, OH
cool

Back to Aullwood for further investigation. I'm trying to get a feel for the different settings within this park, the potential "scenes" that the upcoming performance can contain.

Scene 1: The Woods
It's buggy and cool this morning, and I regret leaving my jacket in the van. My stay in the woods is not as leisurely as I would have liked, as I battle the little mosquitoes.

It's also not resounding with birds this morning, though I decide to annoint this Red-Eyed Vireo as the Bird of the Day:


I realize that the woods are not large, and it would be easy to overwhelm them with birdcalls. Just one or two additional "birds" (human-mimics) in the performance will be plenty.

Scene 2: The Beech Lawn
Upon my exit from the woods path, I am alarmed to discover that the path up to the Beech Lawn is marked Private. When I double back a few yards, I am relieved to see the second pathway is open to the public.

It's a nice view and different feel up here, with the adjacent running creek. However, I forgot to record the soundscape here!

Scene 3: The Flowerbeds
The grass is really wet here, but a sign clearly indicates that I am to walk across it to reach the flowerbeds and apple trees.

I do so, and am glad for this birdscape that I hear, between the various trees:


Scene 4: The Prairie
This is one of my favorite parts of the Garden - it's so distinctly different, and the crickets? cicadas? create a wonderful drone that I want to replicate and play with.


Scene 4: The River
It's lovely path between the Garden and the parking lot, and I take a long sit by the slow-moving river. A heron is poised in the middle of the river, still and quiet, and I listen for a long time to the birds who sing around him.