It was fun to discover Kollen Park has a wild pear tree! I harvested some of the fruit hanging from the tree, and it tastes great. There still should be fruit left, but it's a bit higher up the tree. Just make sure you wash the pears before you eat them if you decide to eat them at your own risk (and don't eat the seeds).
Can one of them be named Harold? Lol
I like how they aren't afraid to come to the edge of the pond near people and nibble the algae :3
It's funny, as I initially kicked this "rock" to the side because it was in the way of the sidewalk, and I didn't want someone to trip on it. It wasn't until after kicking it that I realized it looked way too glassy for a regular rock.
According to my research, this slag was almost certainly produced between 1870 and 1900. It was likely made at the Spring Lake Iron Company, which was about 30 minutes up north. Because of the amber color, my specimen had to be created using a charcoal blast furnace. After 1900, they switched to coke, which produced a vastly different chemical composition in waste, resulting in dull, brittle, opaque gray or black slag. My specimen also has one spot that has a pink glint, so it certainly wasn't made from coke.
It makes sense I found the slag on the sidewalk closest to the railway, as slag was used as railroad ballast. It probably just became unburied after decades of railway use and was later carried by the wind onto the walkway.
Also, Megawatt and Kittywat are cute. I enjoyed walking around the plant and reading their energy saving adventure. (:
And why this pillar in particular? It's not like the water level rose high enough for a bunch fish to somehow just die there. If someone put them there, how did they manage to even place them that high up? It seems by the bones and dry skin they have been there a long time. Any theories? I wish they would be cleaned up.