The Finished Product

I reported earlier this year that the north duck pond in Monument Valley Park was undergoing a revamp. I drove by it a few days ago to find that the city has finally apparently finished the project, and here it is. Sadly, the many old cottonwood and willow trees that ringed the banks of the pond are now gone and the effect is pretty depressing. The sidewalk is new -- before, there had been a path around the pond but nothing was paved. And I see that the tiny island has been redone as well (the rock wall encircling the island is new). There are spindly little saplings and shrubs on the island, and I imagine the city will plant new grass all around the pond at some point, as before. I'm sure it'll look nice(r) in a year or two but I sure miss those ancient trees. It was a mistake to destroy them. Sigh.