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First, several people reminded me that Town Lake itself is now Lady Bird Lake (a name chg I really like), but I'd read online that the new park area itself still retains the old name and that the city is doing due process to get suggestions for a possible name chg, including using Lady Bird's name in the new name. We'll see and hear more of that in the near future in the news I'm sure.

The light accents, both the tall slender poles with their lights atop capped with a cool hat like sloping cover, and the ground level thick glass bulbs of light, are fabulous.  If only the city would do the same to the many bridges crossing Lady Bird Lake.  That, in my mind, would finally put Austin in the visual mind's of people 'round the globe, really.

The lights are many yet tame enough in wattage so's to be comfortable. They wind their way along the many many curving paths sprinkled with benches and almost all the way to the top of the observation hill.  At the very top there's no lights.  At first I felt it was a mistake, but the lack of competing light lets the full rounded sky come alive in a way rarely felt within shouting distance of downtown.

A semi-circle concrete bench at top is wide enough to lie on and immediately have a sense of being in a deep huge tree circled gigantic bowl sitting out on an imaginary country porch and literally being in space with the stars.  Venus the evening star was still quite visible when we went.  If you're comfortable enough with the person you're with, laying your head comfortably on their lap is even nicer :-)

Just to the south of the hill children descended quickly to join in with the other kids at the interactive fountain.  I'd read the colors changed and I tried for awhile to spot the mechanical pattern it must follow, but it was varied enough and long enough only the barest outline of the process was apparent.  The colors merged at times burst at times, were bright then soft.  Occasionally some of the lights beneath the soft needle pine trees partially circling the water playground also flicked on and off, joining the almost musical blend of water and children's laughter.

From hill one can see there's more smaller mounds of little hills rolling along the paths.  And down the west side of the larger hill the surprisingly large oblong lake rested with one lone fountain sprout dancing near the southern end.  The borders of the lake curve and stretch, though I saw no lights along the edges.  Not sure if any are planned for later on.  Also three very wide piers stand far out onto the lake on the outer side of the lake nearly facing the lone water sprout.  My guess is there'll be all sorts of festival stuff and other general festivities where these piers will be packed with people.

Needless to say, the lights of the city, the lights highlighting Palmer Convention Center's stone sides, and the deep darkness of the trees along both Barton Springs Rd and along the western edge leading to the raised railroad tracks, embrace the whole experience.  The one lone train we heard rumble by close to the time we were leaving even had that old time romantic feel to it.

Sheila called the time surreal.

I won't be writing about the park anymore unless it's a special event or such.  For all else you need to go by and see and smell and feel how the park will touch you.  What you hear will be your smile.

Thanks ya'll,

adan
www.adanlerma.com

ps - i now have an older painting of mine at AustinBergstrom International Airport (past the security checkpoints) as part of a group show on bicycles through the fall; when i have more a specific date the show'll go through i'll let ya'll know; the image is:
"Hiking on the Hike and Bike"

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