Thanksgiving 11/27

While the weather the past few days had been warmer than it had been, this day was fairly cold and started to rain by the time we left the park in late afternoon. Still, it was a fun time at Mooney Park where we got to feed the ducks, take a walk, sit on an old school cannon, take pictures, and breathe in fresh air. Shyla would call out to the ducks, "Here Mr. Duck" while she was feeding them bread. Mooney Park is really big with lots of trees, space, ducks, cars driving through, perfect places for photos, tables for picnics, playground, multiple bathrooms, peacocks, a little museum, and a very relaxing environment. We came here 2 years ago, but I'd like to visit next time in the summer when we visit in June. It will certainly be a lot warmer/hotter, but it will have kids playing and picnics going on and it would be fun to go with a pre-made lunch and eat it on the grass. We went to see an old school cannon. It was a little high off the ground and Shyla was nervous about sitting on it. She let daddy put her up on one of the seats, but a short time later she wanted down. We did however manage to coax her into a few more pictures. You can tell in some of them that she didn't want to be part of the photo taking fun. I think the cute faces she makes are cute... even if she didn't want to be there. Thanks Shyla, you're a trooper!Before we left the park we drove around to look at the peacocks. There is also a statue at the front of the park called The End of The Trail that we went to see before we left. My mom has a special fondness for this statue and has several replicas in her house. Here is just a snippit of history about the statue:

Sculpted by American-born artist James Earle Fraser, The End of the Trail has endured to become one of the most recognizable images in the United States. Many people are familiar with this representation of an American Indian on horseback, but few actually know the history of the piece. Originally, it was more than just an image on a postcard, belt buckle or beaded bracelet. It was a major sculptural work. And for its creator, it was more than just a sculpture. It was a meaningful reminder of a childhood spent on the American frontier.

Residents of Tulare County, California, rescued The End of Trail in 1919 and relocated the piece to Mooney Grove Park, near Visalia, California. In 1968 the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum acquired the plaster piece, had the plaster piece cast in bronze, and returned the cast sculpture to Mooney Grove Park.