Week 3: Haze, Permits, and Birds

 Good morning, good afternoon, and good night,

This week was very odd, to say the least. Independence (and Philadelphia) experienced a thick haze of smoke. Canada was the progenitor of the miasma inflicted on us. The good vibes prevalent in the park were replaced with melancholic ire. Many visitors wore masks due to the poor air quality. Overall, the wildfire from our northern neighbor reverted the city to a pandemic-era environment. 

The fog cleared a few days later, and things returned to normal. There were a few events on the docket. One was for the Armed Forces recruitment event. A plethora of soldiers from different ranks were in People's Plaza. 

In addition, a prayer for the Islamic Heritage Festival was held across the street next to the Visitor Center. 

The Islamic Heritage Festival's flyer said there would be a parade on June 10th at 1pm. The parade would start at 1 N Independence Mall and end at Penn's Landing. Upon my arrival, I did not see anything resembling a parade. The only event I saw was for an Indigenous People's Day event at People's Plaza. I want to end this blog on a good note.

One day, I noticed a bird on the Liberty Bell Center during patrol. It was a neat place for a bird to make a nest. Unfortunately, other animals think the same way. Ranger Fitzke informed me that bird limbs can be found around the INDE because new hatchlings fall out of the nest, and animals eat them. Talk about spawn camping...