Tule Springs

The other day I went over to Floyd Lamb State Park which isn't far from my house. It's a nice change going here since it has plenty of real grass, large trees, some small lakes, and lots of birds. It's a good place to take some lunch and walk around with the dog. There are also signs in several places stating your dog must be on leash at all times. While I don't take a hard line stance with this, there's always someone who chooses to let their dog off leash.

Rudy was such a dog. He was your typical spirited chocolate lab. He finally decided to ignore his masters and run full speed at me, the stroller (my daughter is feeling cruddy), and Finley. As soon as he got near us, Finley quickly strutted right into his face. Rudy immediately backed down. Then sniffing ensued. You could tell he was probably a pup still because most chocolate labs I see are big dogs. In my head chocolate labs are supposed to be like my friend's dog Bisbee who is probably 130 pounds. Rudy quickly rejoined his pack with his master saying, "you're supposed to listen!"

The park has a lot of interesting items. There's a herd of peacocks that live there including a whitish one. They will often just sit in clusters in the bushes. There are sometimes large numbers of geese and other waterfowl.The park still has housing structures that were used for 'out of state couples' to reside in so they could take advantage of Nevada's easy divorce laws. Supposedly, movie stars would often stay here. A sign also tells me that Tule Springs in the park is one of few places in the world that has evidence of human visitation going back some 11,000 years. Also giant sloth and mammoth bones have been found at the springs. Eleven Thousand Years! I like to let that one roll around in the noggin for a bit.

At one point, Asa asks if I can take the stroller down a hill off the paved trail. She wants to go to the bottom where three wooden benches are placed in a semi circle facing a stone plaque of some sort. Going down the hill, I notice flowers on one tree in the distance and also another with what looks like Christmas tinsel. Then I notice each tree has a small cement rectangle with a name and dates, obviously of people who have passed away. Asa insists that she can read the stones. As we go by the big stone in front of the benches, she asks what it says on the big white one. The plaque is kinda dusty and the contrast of the lettering was hard to read so I read it aloud slowly. These names, this place, it is a memorial for victims of murder! I stood there looking around me at all the stones. Murder, murder, murder. I took a deep breath, and we moved on.

I wasn't expecting it, and at first was mildly creeped out. Such an intense space though, I could not help but wonder. So I googled. I read that the survivors of these victims would meet there once a year. This was a healing time, a time to celebrate, and a time of peace. This little space of woods in this park, out in the middle of the desert, it suddenly seemed like the perfect place for such a memorial. It's an oasis for the land and the heart. I wonder how many people will come through here and not even know this memorial is here. I've been to this park several times and just discovered this.