Day 296 (22 April 2011) – Building Playgrounds
Regular readers here will know that I’ve given Seattle-area names to a number of places we regularly visit, most notably shopping centers. 
I’ve dubbed one “Northgate” and another “Bellevue Square” (I bet you can guess which one is fancier). Near our house is a wooded area with a trail, what I’ve come to call “Ravenna Park.”
About a month ago Melinda and I noticed that a circular area along the trail had been cleared. A fence had been erected around it and along the fence a kind of hedge had been planted. We came back a few days later to see that much of the earth in the circular area had been cleared, then a few days later we saw concrete being poured in specific locations and in specific shapes. Needless to say, we were intrigued. What was it? A garden? Some kind of miniature labyrinth?
About a week later we came back again and saw that playground equipment had been attached to the poured concrete. Everything fell into place then, of course. It’s a cute little neighborhood playground with a living enclosure! Now we’ve gone back to see this living fence grow and are impressed by its growing speed. The playground is not yet open for children but we think that day is coming soon. Ground cover is another recent addition. You know, the wood chip kind of stuff you see at the foot of play structures.
Someone once said “All the world’s a stage,” right? Can I amend that to say, “All the world’s a playground?”
French Sabbatical 
Be sure and take a turn swinging!