Stopped. Watched.

On grand-opening day at the Ann Arbor skatepark, a tyke demonstrates the fall-down-get-back-up attitude that got the facility built. [.gif animation]

I peeked into the former Selo-Shevel space the other day and this is what I saw. [photo]

At AAATA pond, a family of geese (2 adults, 3 babies) is having dinner.

Sidewalk chalkboard for The Wafel Shop features flowchart with all options leading to waffles. [photo 1]

Near the entrance to the 415 W. Washington parking structure, a dog owner apparently has not noticed that the recent squat of his or her loving beast was productive. [photo] Nonetheless it inspires a haiku:  pile of brown nuggets  / slowly melts in warm June rain / flows to the river.

Skateboarders of all ages are already using the new Ann Arbor skatepark at Veterans Memorial Park, which looks amazing. [photo] [photo] Bricks are in place next to the entrance. [photo] The grand opening festivities are Saturday, June 21 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Workers are setting up tables, chairs and decorations for an event at the farmers market – possibly a wedding? [photo] Part of the surface lot is blocked off to public parking.

They are taking down the old bus station sign on Huron. [photo]

Main Street is blocked off between Liberty [photo] and William [photo] for The Event on Main, a fundraiser for the University of Michigan Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital.

Kingsley/Ashley area: Flurry of new street-tree planting, mostly redbud and serviceberry. [photo] I wouldn’t place any bets whether that particular row survives ‘121 Kingsley West‘condo construction.

Hope someone got a video of various old fashioned passenger cars with steam engine and regular engine, too. [Link to some Facebook video.]

No pain, no gain. [Road closed signs due to work.] [photo]

A giant of Newport Road in the early 1970s. [photo 1] The very top had mostly broken off as it died so it was much shorter in the end. [photo 2 ] With a shove [photo 3] late in the afternoon [photo 4] [photo 5 ], it made a mighty mess, taking part of the tree across the road with it [photo 6]. We’re still working on an exact age, but a neighbor identified the black lines as spalting [photo 7].

I’ve watched many wrong-way drivers on Madison, but not one stopped by police, until now.

Argus Farm Stop being painted yellow and brown, concrete poured, flowers planted.  Will new windows be next?

Numerous large city trees being cut down and mulched, according to city crews on the site, to make way for the new sidewalk along Newport. [photo 1] [photo 2] [photo 3] Put another plea into the city forestry department [to try to reclaim the wood], but no word yet. Don’t have much hope.

Juneberry tree outside Zingerman’s Next Door is starting to produce mature fruit.

Sushi.com bifurcates into a Japanese and Turkish restaurant?  [photo]

Guy on the roof of Key Bank building. [photo]

Crews are plucking tree in poor condition from a pit with giant claw. The replacement tree is a ginko. [photo] Downtown parking meter heads are bagged with white green fair hoods to keep people from parking on-street for tonight’s event, which starts at 6 p.m.

A pair of ducklings snuggle into their nest at dusk, as mama duck watches. [photo]

Critically needed roadwork is slowly starting as the “sidewalk gap” gets filled first. Trees previously flagged for removal in green have new red X’s today. [photo 1] Several previously unmarked trees have red X’s as the sidewalk area gets flagged, including an otherwise healthy tree that provides shade and seating at the bus stop. [photo 2] Yet no red or green could be found on the tree held up by phone lines. [photo 3]

[photo 4] is looking north on Newport at corner of Riverwood. Drainage from Riverwood to Alexandria is almost non-existent as the road levels out. We have not gotten any word as to what will be done to improve that when the sidewalks will add more impervious area uphill. We also have gotten no information on when the actual roadwork will start. The tree held up by phone lines is right over the edge of our property line at 2053 Newport. We think it may have started as a city tree but now leans back far enough to not look like it is.

Maybe the last of the concrete being poured? [photo]

Large, undulating school of goldfish in West Park pond. [photo]

Standing room only at Ann Arbor Public Schools board of education meeting. AAPS employees are wearing black in response to cuts to employees.

Michigan strawberries are in! They won’t last long. [photo]

Somewhere nearby, a rooster has been crowing for the last hour.

Second floor city hall. New drop box for after-hours communications to the clerk’s office, including absentee ballots and applications. [photo]

709 Packard at S. State. Building permit for Grillcheezerie new restaurant build out.

Vandalism at the DKE house: blue spray paint on front door.