Thursday, June 29, 2006

Bridging the Gap Between Me and View



Dear Canandaigua City Officials and/or DPW crew and/or contractors:
I just have to tell you that the finished bridge at the up-and-coming Lagoon Park is my new favorite late-night, summer hang-out. I stumbled across that first completed bridge two nights ago before the gravel walkway up to it was, well, completed. Practically ruined a perfectly good pair of hot pink espadrilles doing it too, what with all the mud from the rains and those mid-sized boulders strewn about on the Lakeshore Drive “entrance.”
Oh, but that pink, coral and yellow sunset luring me was totally worth it.
When I finally stumbled up onto the bridge – and I do mean up, the boulders were about 6-7 inches below the walkway – and made my way across to the other side, it hit me. “Oh, the walkway’s only finished on the Wegmans side!”
That bridge is a piece of work, lemme tell ya. A good one. Solid, sturdy, and arched just so. It's practically perfect. Even though standing straight up on my espadrilles (which probably add what--2 ½ inches?) only permitted me to just barely peer over the edge of the railing. Turns out the eye-level ledge worked okay for a camera prop – that would be my 35mm camera, which I refuse to abandon yet for the digital age – and I can’t wait to see how my photos of the sunset turned out.
Anyway, I popped over there again tonight and WhaddyaknowJoe, but the rest of the gravel walkway was done on the Lakeshore side and finally flush with the bridge! Whoo-hoo! And tonight I didn’t have to share it with a fisherman either. Plus, I figured out that one of the bottom rails is a lot thicker and wider than the rest, perfect for scooting up on to lean out over the ledge and REALLY take in the view. The water was so clear beneath, I could see the piece of silver corner pipe left behind from whatever the last lagoon project must have been. (Don’t worry, it’s kinda covered up by some dark reeds.)
I love walking. I love Canandaigua Lake. I’ve loved the new-and-improved Kershaw paths (and those splendid, iron swings!) and now your bridges are just the icing on the cake. I can’t wait till all of them are finished, but for now at least, let’s just keep the one our little secret, ok?
Thanks for the hard work,
~ Rachel

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