There are some things I will never understand. I drove over to the Lakewood Library for some quality quiet time. I was interested to see how my neighborhood library compared to the non-libraryish library of Osceola. The parking lot was completely full, forcing me to park on the street around the corner. Wow, the library business was good in Dallas! I saw my friend Marcia, who was also looking for a parking space. She enlightened me – it was “story time” for all the neighborhood preschoolers. Ahhh maybe the library wouldn’t be so quiet after all. I wonder if dogs are allowed?
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| Lakewood Library |
As I walked toward the front door, I noticed the light posts that lined the walkway were covered in yarn from top to bottom – each a different color combination – to keep them warm??? It wasn’t even cold. This yarn trend had become quite common in Dallas and apparently across the state as of late. Maybe it’s popular everywhere, I have no idea, but I have not seen any tree scarves in Arkansas – ever. It’s just very odd to me.
I selected a table near the window in a far corner. In the Hispanic area. Half the Lakewood Library – books, signage, periodicals – is designed for Spanish speaking visitors – an obvious difference from my hometown library. This was not surprising given our neighborhood mix. The library was very neat and orderly and organized. It was nice. It was libraryish. Mrs. Perry would approve. The Spanish books were aligned evenly just as she required.
In Osceola, most of the people inside were obviously using the computers to look for jobs. In the Dallas library, there was a balance of patrons – moms and/or nannys with kids, elderly men reading the WSJ, people apparently working, and several homeless people. If I become homeless, I will hang at the library.
While there, no one asked me to spell anything. I do not believe the librarian was cooking behind the counter. It was quiet. Later, as I walked back toward my car, I looked at those light posts again and contemplated this new strange trend. All the trees in the Dallas Arts District were ‘yarn bombed’ last summer. (I know this to be the correct terminology only because I googled it.) The Winspear Opera House requested its trees be covered for the opening of the musical Hair. An arborist was consulted to insure no trees would be harmed in the project. In Austin, the trees around the State Capitol and on the University of Texas campus were covered with these crocheted scarves. Who does this? Why?
Nana crocheted. She made blankets and doilies and Christmas ornaments. I don’t think she ever crocheted scarves for her apple trees or blankets for her irises. She tried to teach me. I could do a long line of stitches, but never turn, so maybe this is the one thing I could crochet – if my trees get cold this winter…
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| Dallas Arts District |
I can’t imagine the time someone devotes to this. Who is this graffiti knitter? Is this one person with way too much time on her hands? or a group of people? Do they have nothing more productive to do all day long? Someone wraps all these trees and just leaves their hard work behind for others to see and critique and hopefully enjoy – what if no one does? Maybe everyone thinks its bizarre. Maybe people laugh and roll their eyes. Maybe people drive by and shake their heads. Maybe no one understands why anyone would spend all that time… They do it because they enjoy it?
Sorta like blogging.
talya
Musical Pairings:
Journey, “Don’t Stop Believin'”
John Mayer, “Waiting on the World to Change”
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| Austin |
This one is a new one on me Talya. I do enjoy the photos of these “tree koosies”….lots of work went into them and they are very bright and colorful. Thanks for sharing!
Cool! And yet another thing I would think you were making up except for the photographic evidence!
Thank you both for confirming that this doesn’t happen in Ark or Mo…:)
Veeerrry innnterrrresttting.I don’t get it, but we could do this to the trees in Keiser, start a new trend. They are pretty.
Hummm! I’ve never seen this is Iowa either.
Perhaps it’s the same person who invented toe socks..? B^)
JJ
I love the colors, but agree. VERY odd, indeed.
Actually, who cares?!.!
The people who spend all that time crocheting?
A bunch of trees are decorated in the same manor in the Bishop Arts District in Oak Cliff. The first thing I thought of when I saw them for the first time was, “hippies”. Although I am not a hippie, it does give the eye something to look at and gives bloggers something to blog about! You should thank the tree hugging hippie knitters for giving you something to write about!!