The Snowstorm

I didn’t get to the park right after the freak snowstorm we had over the weekend…for one thing, it was closed because of all the downed trees and branches. The leaves aren’t off the trees yet, so the wet snow accumulated on them and did a huge amount of damage. Yesterday I went for my ride..the southeast section of the drive was bordered with cut-up branches waiting for collection for over  a mile…solid! And all along the drive there were other areas lined with leaves. None of the elms in the poets’ walk appeared to be down, but some had lost their tops, and others had branches down. All of those wounds have to be treated so Dutch Elm Disease has less chance of getting hold…I took a few pictures, but they don’t really give the full impression!

A Victim of the Storm

Another Downed Tree

A Decapitated Elm

Statue and Limbs

It’s heartbreaking to see all the damage…there are still piles of chipped wood from the microburst that devastated the northern end of the park. And the wood can’t be taken out and used because of the Asian Longhorn Beetle infestation. Meanwhile crews are trying to get the park safe for the Marathon! After that, I guess they will start taking out the trees that are too badly damaged to remain. Here’s a link…