A visitor at Bopa's bench

A visitor at Bopa’s bench

Yesterday would have been Bopa’s 90th birthday.  I walked down to his bench and sat for a little while.  It was peaceful and quiet.  The last couple of times that I walked down and sat there both the bench and the cement pad under the bench had been sprayed with graffiti.  It was wonderful to see that either the Parks Department or the Friends of the Burke Gilman had removed the offending paint.  It looks nice and clean again and for that I am very pleased and grateful. 

As I sat there thinking about Bopa I heard a rap, rap, rap in the tree next to the bench.  When I looked up there was a Pileated Woodpecker.  They are very large birds and make a lot of noise when they peck on the trees.  As I watched and listened to him I noticed that he also made a variety of funny, interesting sounds, chortles, clucks and clicks not just pecking on the tree trunk.  It was difficult to get a photo as the bird was moving from branch to branch trying to find a good place but finally I got a couple of fuzzy pictures.  How often do you suppose Bopa has this visitor at his bench?  I think he would like it.

Bopa has a bench!

It has taken six months not the two or three originally estimated by the Parks Department to install the bench for Bopa.  A month or so ago the foundation space had been cleared and then about two weeks later the bench was in the ground but still needed the cement platform and the plaque.  Today everything is in place and all that needs to be done is the removal of the caution tape.

 

 Near the bench site in the Spring it will bloom with blue bells . . .

Thing Two and I walked down to check out the site and we found . . .  the bench will be a little bit north of the original suggested place.

It will be right there . . .

This is progress . . .

Looking good we can hardly wait for the tape to be gone . . .
A very nice spot!

It’s hard to read at this angle but the plaque says: 
                       
                        Dedicated to
                        Tony McKay
                        32,000
                        2012

Every day is important, each day has value and you lived every one of those 32,000 days well.  “I carry your heart with me.” 

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The bench is located on the east side of the Burke-Gilman Trail south of NE 65th Street near the north end of the National Archives building.

 One day later and the caution tape is gone.  Looking south from the bench site.