Finding More Picnic Tables Than Indian Ghosts In Arlington's Village Creek Natural Historical Area

Yesterday was so warm it would have qualified as a HOT summer day back in my old home zone in Western Washington.

Overnight, clouds arrived, along with a steep temperature drop, as in yesterday at this late point in the afternoon the outer world was nearing 70 degrees. Today, at this late point in the afternoon the temperature is in the 40s, and feels much colder.

After a bit of shivering this morning I decided going running with the Village Creek Indian Ghosts, again, would warm me up.

So, around the noon time frame I drove to Arlington and did some running. This warmed me up somewhat, but not much.

Late last spring an Arlington park crew removed the thick underbrush along both sides of the paved trail which runs through the Village Creek Natural Historical Area. This did not seem, to me, to be a very natural thing to be doing. A result of the clearcutting has been that you can see way in the distance, where previously the view was blocked by brush.

Today I made note of this clear view when I noticed how many picnic tables I could see. I took several photos of the sea of picnic tables, but in none of them could you much see the ones in the distance.

The picnic tables you see in the foreground of the photo are located in one of two concentrated  picnic table zones, both with large off the ground fire pits. The two concentrated picnic table zones are only a short distant apart, with the first one just a short distance from the parking lot.

I bring up this forest of picnic tables because, while I'm sure the Arlington park's people meant well with all these picnic tables, the fact of the matter is over all my years of  visiting this park I have only rarely seen anyone using any of the picnic tables, or burning wood in one of the two fire pits.

Seems a shame that these picnic tables are so underused. A shame and a waste. I'm thinking that moving most of these picnic tables to another Arlington park might be a good idea. Like Veterans Park, which has way more visitors and way fewer picnic tables.

The fact that the Village Creek Natural Historical Area is not an appealing picnic spot is another reason I think it odd there are so many picnic tables. Like many Fort Worth parks, this Arlington park has no modern restrooms, not even outhouses, and no running water, unless one counts the water which flows through Village Creek.

Anyway, it just struck me as a sad scene when I noticed how many unused picnic tables I was able to see, way into the distance, and behind me....