Thursday, August 12, 2010

Natural Playground, Ahoy! (Part 2!)


Hello! Wow, it's been a Crazy week around these parts, with a Capitol "C"!!!! So my little idea for a natural playground in the park behind our house, which started out as a tiny little sketch on a scrap of paper, has blossomed, and almost grown fruit already. Turns out one person really can get a lot done all on their own, but ten people... ten people, well. Here's a bigger drawing of the basic outline:

As soon as the idea was put out there into the realm of possibility, people began to really get behind it. Our friend Lloyd managed to get ACL Construction to donate the use of all their big machines (backhoes and such) and the ACL guy, Colin, managed to get Tim Rice of Rice's Contracting to donate all the gravel that we need. Lloyd's company is donating all the boulders we need. A fellow who's wife I met down in the park during the kid's camp, Linda and Paul Joudrey, are donating the use of their logging and milling equipment, and the lumber. Public Works is donating the woodchips (I think - gotta go check them out this afternoon) and Club 400 might be donating the slide. And the whole thing starts Monday. Yes, this Monday! Whew - I can hardly believe it!


Ambre, Monica and I went down yesterday with the chalk machine from the ball park (you can see the trail from our house in the photo at the top - oops!), and a bunch of string, and chalked out all the lines (an adventure in itself - the three of us, with five children under five between us - kids and string and chalk?!?! but we did it - somehow!) Colin sent some guys down last night to stake it all out, with lovely colour-coded stakes. Town Council rushed it through, with some help from the CAO and the Town Rec Co-ordinator. And that's where we're at. How exciting is that?!??!


Griffin and I spent almost the entire day down in the park yesterday. And our evening culminated in a lovely concert put on for free by the Concert Band of 14 Wing, Greenwood. It was just lovely - Griffin had a great time listening, and dancing, and clapping, and racing for the stairs.

5 comments:

Jo said...

It's always so nice to hear about a community coming together like this. Way to go, Bridgetown! Way to be the catalyst, Lauren! Good job everyone. Can't wait to play there with G! (I know I probably don't have to tell you how much I adore that second photo of him, right?)

Sherrie said...

That's fantastic! I'm so excited about all of the donations. :) Good for you! I can't wait to see as it progresses.

Monica said...

Wow! More news and survey stakes. Can't wait to see things progress next week :)

Anonymous said...

WOW - I am so very pleased for you, Lauren, and very impressed by the town of Bridgetown and its people. What a great project and what speed! Well done everyone - thanks for the reminder that wonderful things can happen quickly when the community pulls together! We look forward to the official Opening Day!! Jocelyn (Grandma)

Anonymous said...

Imagine - way to go Lauren and all! Hard to believe something can actually get done in such short order - congratulations Bridgetown. Hope opening day will happen when we are there, that would be great. See you soon.
Anita (Grandma)