DISCUSSION WITH A SOON-TO-BE-EVACUATED TROLL

The troll who lives under the wooden arched bridge across Cape LaCroix Creek as it winds its way through the Park is having panic attacks. I can tell by the trembling of the bridge as I walk across. Sometimes the hand cables quiver when there is not the slightest wind nor any alighting butterfly.

He dares not come out from his nook in daytime for trolls, so history has it, turn to stone in sunshine. But on moonlit nights I'm sure he comes out when all the ball games and other activities have ceased and takes a look up and down the Creek. What does he see? Stone-lined banks coming from both directions. Great, gray-white stones, jagged and hard, precursors of the demise or at least rebuilding of what has been his home for these many years. These stone walls mean business. They aim to keep the flood-wandering waters from wandering all over the Park. They cannot be bothered with such fairy-taleish things as trolls. Hard hearted rocks they are.

"Don't shake so," I try to comfort the Troll when crossing over. "And maybe it will be many moons yet before the rock-lined walls meet. Maybe the bridge will be replaced. Three or four planks have been replaced, so that doesn't speak of hurry. A new bridge might be put back right where this one is, so that you can be comforted by the splashy water sound as it falls over the small stone shelf.

"I suppose the elderberry bush will have to go and I'm sorry about that too, for it was a delight to sit on the bridge when it was in bloom, inhale its fragrance while listening to the meadowlarks and the always-alarmed cry of the kildees.

"Here's a hint, Troll, in case you haven't found out for yourself. There is another wooden bridge on the east side of the Park. It is not so attractive, made of creosoted logs and no architectural features like a graceful arch in the middle. But it would make a good temporary home. The red-wing blackbirds love this little stream which sometimes dwindles to a few little shallow pools in the summer. But there is always enough for a drink.

"There are a lot of overhanging limbs here and lots of elderberry bushes just upstream. It wouldn't be anything permanent, for this bridge is, I imagine, at least semi-private since it leads up to a house. Queen Ann's Lace decorates the banks and it must look beautiful in the moonlight. White flowers show up at night. Did you know that?

"Gladys Taber who lived up East had what she called her White Garden where on sleepless summer nights, she went to sit. All the flowers were white. Daisies, lilies, morning glories, roses, irises, petunias. I think I'd like to have an all white garden. May start one sometime. You'd be welcome. At night of course.

"Just don't go too far away, Troll, if you get evacuated by the Corps of Engineers. They don't know about you and I don't feel comfortable telling them. Corps of Engineers sounds so big, brawny, brainy and Marine-like. I don't think they'd pay much attention to a park stroller talking about trolls. So, don't expect gentleness with them heaving those hard rocks around. Just slip away quietly some night to this other `bridge that will do.' I need you. People are good to talk to, but sometimes they get so caught up in worldly affairs they think only air-heads like to talk about bluets, bluebells, bluebirds and bumblebees. I feel so refreshingly free to talk about them to you.

"Did you know a bluet can't hold up the weight of a bumblebee, not even a honey bee, hardly a mosquito? Funny thing though, I can step on a little patch of them, as I do quite often in the park they are hard to escape and they'll spring right back up again.

"They have twelve nicknames, bluets being one of them, since their real name, according to Linneaus I suppose, is Houstania. They're sometimes called Innocence, Little Washerwomen, Eyebright, Angel-eyes, Nuns, Quaker Ladies, Wild Forget-me-nots, Blue Eyed Babies, Quaker Bonnets, Star of Bethlehem and Venus' Pride.

"See what I mean, Troll, I can tell you these things, whereas people might just yawn an say, `Is that so?'"

REJOICE!