Walking south on the east side of Forest Park, I traced a slow path through the thickets near the Metro Link tracks. Shade is the primary commodity there, but there are also a lot of bugs, including the ever present mosquito. Our favorite sort of arachnid inhabits the shadows as well, feasting on his neighbors. I almost went right through an expansive web with a large spider on it, but fortunately for all concerned was looking carefully about me as I walked.

I exited the woods and walked the meadow, where I found a couple camped out under a tree. I met the woman this past Friday when I was hunting paw paw fruit, and the man introduced himself as George. His girlfriend’s name is Sherika, he told me (she said Friday it was Sierra), and asked me for bus fare. I had $4, so rather than get myself a cup of coffee and a pastry at the Forest Perk Cafe, I gave it to George, blessed him and continued my explorations. Over the course of this year I’ve found plenty of evidence of human habitation in the park, but the encounters with Sierra/Sherika and George are one of only 5 or so times I’ve actually encountered the homeless in the park. I suspect there are more camping out there under cover of darkness, but I can tell you for a fact that yellow is still in vogue, butterflies are free, the sky is blue and thorns infest the ground. Here’s the proof.